The Department of Transportation (DOT) issued regulations that require airlines to make their webpages that contain “core travel information and services” accessible within two years. In three years, the websites must be completely accessible. Within 10 years, at least 25 percent of kiosks at every airport must be accessible. The rules will apply to all domestic airlines and all of those who fly to and from the US. In the meantime, passengers who cannot access the current websites must be offered web-based discounts. DOT also published final rules giving airlines more flexibility about how manual wheelchairs are stowed, allowing that two manual folding wheelchairs can be transported at a time.
Monthly Archives: November 2013
The Department of Transportation (DOT) Fines US Airways
DOT fined US Airways $1.2 million for failing to accommodate passengers with disabilities using wheelchairs in Philadelphia and Charlotte. Under DOT’s rules implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act, airlines are required to provide free, prompt wheelchair assistance upon request to passengers with disabilities. This includes helping passengers to move between gates and make connections to other flights. The fine is one of the largest ever assessed by DOT in a disability case.
The Budget Conference Committee Holds First Meeting
The Budget Conference Committee which was formed at the end of the government shutdown to recommend a compromise between the House and Senate’s FY 2014 Budget plans held its first meeting on October 30. The 29 members of the committee each delivered statements with Democrats and Republicans focusing on starkly different priorities. The Committee is next scheduled to meet on November 13, a month before the conference is to report its recommendations to Congress.
Social Security Announces 1.5% Benefit Increase for 2014
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced a 1.5 percent benefit cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2014. This modest increase will help preserve the buying power of Social Security benefits for nearly 63 million Americans, including many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), who receive benefits under the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) systems.
The COLA means that the average monthly Social Security benefit will increase by about $17, from roughly $1,160 currently to about $1,177.
Unlike in many past years, Medicare premiums will stay the same in 2014 for most beneficiaries. This means that Social Security beneficiaries will be able to keep more of their 2014 benefit increase. To read more, visit The Arc’s blog.
Affordable Care Act Implementation Hearings Continue
Last week, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Centers on Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner testified before the relevant House Committees on implementation problems with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and this week the Senate Committees will hold hearings. In addition to the website problems, the Administration is likely to be asked about people who are receiving cancellation notices from their health insurance providers. It is important to understand some of the background information about why people might be getting these notices. Under current law, health insurance plans sold to individuals (as opposed to employers providing health insurance) are often sold in 12 month contracts at the end of which the insurance company has the option to discontinue or change the policy by raising premiums, increasing cost-sharing or limiting benefits. If they discontinue the policy they must provide 90-day notice, must offer the policyholder another new policy as an alternative and they must treat every policy holder the same. This has not been changed by the ACA. About 5% of the population receives coverage in the individual insurance market. It is not known how many people are receiving these notices.
What the ACA has changed is that new health insurance plans sold in the individual market must meet new consumer protections such as not raising premiums based on the policy holder’s health status, not excluding coverage for pre-existing conditions and providing a minimum level of benefits. Health insurance plans that do meet these new consumer protections cannot be sold. The intent of these changes is to fix the current problems in the individual insurance market where sick people are charged more or provided very limited health services. The goal of spreading the risk between the healthy and the sick is to try to make it more like employer sponsored insurance where everyone pays the same premium and the healthier people balance out the cost of people with more health needs. It is estimated that most people purchasing health insurance coverage through the marketplaces will be eligible for premium tax credits and other subsidies to make it more affordable. People who make less than 400% of the federal poverty line are eligible for help ($45,960 for an individual or $94,200 for a family of four).