The comment period for the IRS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for regulations to implement the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act closed on Monday, September 21, 2015. Most comments have been posted, and other comments will be made available soon. The Arc’s comments can be viewed here. Thank you to all chapters and members who have commented. You have participated in an important part of the democratic process.
Monthly Archives: September 2015
Medicaid: CMS Releases its 2016 Medicaid Managed Care Rate Development Guide
Last week, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2016 Medicaid Managed Care Rate Development Guide. This document will assist states in developing their Medicaid managed care rates for periods beginning on or after January 1, 2016. States and their actuaries are encouraged to follow this guide in the development of their actuarial certifications. After states submit their proposals, CMS will use this Guide as well as the regulations found at 42 CFR 438.6 as the basis for the review of 2016 actuarial certifications. If you have any questions about the guide, please send them to MMCratesetting@cms.hhs.gov.
Health Care: The House Begins Process to Repeal Key Provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
On Tuesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to begin the process of defunding Planned Parenthood for one year and repealing the Prevention and Public Health Fund that was created by the ACA. Community health centers would receive approximately $235 million of the savings from stopping federal funding for Planned Parenthood. The House Ways and Means Committee and Education and the Workforce Committee are also expected to vote to repeal key features of the ACA, including provisions requiring individuals and employers to purchase or provide health insurance and some of the tax provisions that help pay for the law. Once the Budget Committee receives the recommendations from each of the committees, it will draft a bill for the full House to consider. President Obama is highly unlikely to sign any legislation repealing key features of the ACA.
Budget & Appropriations: Short Term Funding Bill Expected To Pass This Week, Averting Government Shutdown
According to press reports, Congress has likely avoided a crisis for now. The surprise resignation last week of House Speaker John Boehner is widely read as a signal that a spending bill will pass without controversial provisions such as defunding Planned Parenthood. The Senate is expected to hold a key procedural vote Monday evening on a “clean” bill that would fund the government through December 11. Final Senate passage of the spending bill, expected by Tuesday night, would be quickly followed by the House vote. However, the specter of a shutdown will likely be revisited in December, when lawmakers must agree on another funding bill and disagreements over raising the current caps for domestic spending come to the forefront.
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Fellowship Program Accepting Applications
The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation is seeking applicants for its Public Policy Fellowship. Applicants should be exemplary professionals, people with disabilities, or family members of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. The fellowship prepares mid-career, or more seasoned leaders, to assume leadership in the disability public policy arena at the state or national level. Fellows spend one year in Washington, D.C. in the office of a Member of Congress, Congressional Committee, or federal agency. Learn more and apply for the fellowship here. Applications are due October 31, 2015.
Marchand Internship – Application for Spring 2016 Session Due Oct 1
The Paul Marchand Internship Fund will provide $3,000 per semester or summer session to assist interns interested in pursuing careers in public policy advocacy for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD). For 38 years, Paul Marchand was a dedicated disability policy advocate and recognized leader working on behalf of people I/DD and the larger disability community. Upon his retirement in 2011, The Arc, with substantial contributions from United Cerebral Palsy, other organizations, and individuals with whom Paul worked during his decades in Washington, established an internship to honor Paul and to continue to cultivate disability policy advocates. See application information and FAQs
Education/Restraint & Seclusion: Webinar Series on Effective Alternatives to Restraint and Seclusion Announced
TASH and the National Association of Elementary School Principals are sponsoring a webinar series, “Creating School Cultures Where all Students Thrive – A Series for Education Leaders, on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Trauma Informed Practices.” The series is in five parts, each Thursday from September 24 to October 22, 2015 from 3:30 – 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Learn more about the series and register here.
Data Collection: Census Releases 2014 Poverty and Income Data
Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released new poverty and income data for 2014. In 2014, the nation’s official poverty rate was 14.8 percent—representing 46.7 million people living in poverty—and median household income was $53,657. The Census found no statistically significant change from 2013 in either real median household income or the official poverty rate. In 2014, for people aged 18 to 64 with a disability, the poverty rate was 28.5 percent, not statistically different from 2013. The new Census data also found that in 2014, the percentage of people without health insurance coverage declined to 10.4 percent, down from 13.3 percent in 2013 – representing 33.0 million people without health insurance in 2013 compared to 41.8 million in 2013. Additionally, in 2014, non-elderly adults with disabilities were more likely to have health insurances than those without a disability: 89.0 percent of adults aged 18 to 64 years with a disability had insurance coverage, compared to 85.5 percent of adults without a disability. Visit the Census web site to access the full findings.
Education/Rights: Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) Issue Policy Statement on Inclusive Early Intervention
On September 14, HHS and ED released a policy statement highlighting the importance of assuring that all young children with disabilities have access to inclusive, high-quality early childhood programs. The policy statement sets a vision for states, local educational agencies, schools, and public and private early childhood programs to strengthen and increase the number of inclusive high-quality early childhood programs nationwide. Read more information on the policy statement here.
Budget and Appropriations: Congressional Action Pending on Federal Spending Plan
As the deadline nears for action on a federal spending bill for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, Congress will have a shortened work week due to the recess for Yom Kippur and the address by Pope Francis to the joint meeting of Congress. Congress must pass legislation in advance of October 1, 2015 to keep the federal government funded. The House and Senate leadership are discussing strategies to avoid a government shutdown which is complicated by the efforts to end federal funding for Planned Parenthood.