Declaration for Independence

A Call to Transform Health and Long Term Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities



IDEA Legislation Introduced in Senate

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Posted Sep. 25, 2014 | On September 10, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Fairness Restoration Act (S. 2790). IDEA ensures that children with disabilities receive certain early intervention services, special education and other related services. The legislation would ensure parents could recoup costs for experts engaged in bringing [...]

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Labor Department Seeks Nominations for WIOA Advisory Committee

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Posted Sep. 16, 2014 | The Department of Labor is seeking nominations for the Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities, created by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The purpose of the committee is to study and prepare findings, conclusions and recommendations for the secretary of Labor on (1) ways to [...]

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NRCPDS Releases Home Care Rule Tool Kit for Stakeholders Responding to New FLSA Requirements

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Posted Sep. 8, 2014 | The National Resource Center for Participant Directed Services (NRCPDS) is out with a new resource for participant direction program stakeholders, including consumers and their families, state agencies and others, in response to new Labor Department rules that will take effect January 1, 2015. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Home [...]

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CMS Releases HCBS Statewide Transition Plan Toolkit

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Posted Sep. 5, 2014 | The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new resource today as part of the agency’s larger Home and Community-Based (HCB) Settings Requirements Compliance Toolkit. The Statewide Transition Plan Toolkit provides information on the content and process of the transition plan required from each states under the new federal [...]

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Aligning Goals with Managed Care Contracts: Person-centered Planning in MLTSS

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Posted Sep. 3, 2014 | In a new policy issue brief, the National Senior Citizens Law Center (NSCLC) examines person-centered service planning in the context of both managed care and the recent HCBS Final Rule, analyzing what states are doing – through their Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports programs – to ensure person-centered planning. The [...]

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U.S. Department of Education Requests Input on WIOA Implementation

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Posted Aug. 25, 2014 | In a joint blog post, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) announced an opportunity for the public to inform the discussion surrounding the implementation of Title II and Title IV (i.e., of the [...]

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House Committee Advances Legislation Aimed at Helping People with Disabilities

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Posted Aug. 5, 2014 | Last week the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved legislation that would create tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities. The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) would make tax-free savings accounts available to cover qualified expenses such as education, housing, medical and transportation. The bill’s sponsors intend [...]

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Highlights from Recent HHS Guidance on Person-centered Planning

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Posted July 28, 2014 | On June 6, 2014, the secretary of Health and Human Services issued guidance on person-centered planning and self-direction for implementing Sec. 2402(a) of the Affordable Care Act. This provision of the law requires the secretary to ensure all states develop systems for the delivery of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) [...]

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Four Tips for Consumer Advocates Evaluating Medicaid HCBS Transition Plans

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Posted July 21, 2014 | States now are beginning to release their transition plans to bring their Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) systems into compliance with the new federal regulations on community-based settings.  It is essential that consumers and their representatives be prepared to evaluate those plans and advocate for improvements. Here are four [...]

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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Goes to President for Signature

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Posted July 14, 2014 | An historic bipartisan, bicameral bill that amends and reauthorizes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) through fiscal year 2020, has been passed by both the Senate and House and is headed to President Obama for signature (on Tuesday, July 22, as reported by the Advocacy Monitor blog). H.R. 803, [...]

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