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Act Today to Protect Yourself From the Flu

/in /by Julie Ward

Guarding yourself and your loved ones during flu season has always been important, but a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has shown how important it truly is for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The study showed that children with intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and other neurologic disorders were at a great risk of complications from the influenza virus.

The study, which focused on the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak, found that a disproportionately high number of kids with neurological disorders died from the virus. The 2009 flu season was particularly severe and the number of children who passed away was five times higher than the median for the previous five flu seasons.

“We’ve known for some time that certain neurologic conditions can put children at high risk for serious complications from influenza,” said Dr. Lyn Finelli, chief of the surveillance and outbreak response team in CDC’s Influenza Division. “However, the high percentage of pediatric deaths associated with neurologic disorders that occurred during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic was a somber reminder of the harm that flu can cause to children with neurologic and neurodevelopmental disorders.”

Now is the time to protect yourself and your family. The CDC is recommending that everyone over 6 months old get an annual influenza vaccination. To learn more about the flu and where to get a flu shot visit the CDC website.

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The Arc Reacts to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision on the Affordable Care Act

/in /by The Arc

Washington, DC – The Arc released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act.

“People with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been waiting for generations for the insurance reforms put in place by the Affordable Care Act. Today’s ruling removes any doubts that the law Congress enacted should stand and will benefit millions of people with and without disabilities. It ends discriminatory insurance practices and makes health coverage more affordable and accessible – important protections which too many people with disabilities have been deprived of for too long.

“But the ruling is not perfect for people with I/DD. The Arc is concerned that disallowing the federal government the ability to withhold Medicaid dollars from states that don’t expand their program to cover more of the uninsured might mean that people with I/DD who would have benefited from the expansion could be left behind. Medicaid is an incredibly important lifeline for people with I/DD, providing health care and long term services and supports.

“We will carefully watch how states react to this development and encourage our advocates across the country to put pressure on their state leaders to do the right thing and expand their Medicaid program,” said Marty Ford, Director of Public Policy for The Arc.

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Who Decides Essential Care?

/in , /by Kristen Bossi

The health care reform law provides categories of care that must be provided for customers of the health-insurance exchanges that are launching in 2014. An article in today’s Wall Street Journal, “Defining Essential Care,” points out that “The next big issue for the federal health law as it moves toward implementation is how regulators will define so-called essential benefits—the basic medical services that health plans must cover under the law.” So the details are left up to regulators who are now starting to develop the rules on what is an “essential” health care service and what is not.

Habilitative services, used by such children with autism and other developmental disabilities, have become a particularly contentious point in the debate. The Arc’s Marty Ford provides an example of the difference between rehabilitative and habilitative services. (Read Marty’s prior testimony on the importance of defining habilitation as an essential service.)