Declaration for Independence

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



New House rule creates uncertainty for Social Security Disability Insurance Trust Fund

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Posted Jan. 13, 2015 | Last week, the House of Representatives adopted a sweeping rules package for the 114th Congress including a provision that would stop House lawmakers  from transferring money from Social Security’s Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund to the program’s Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund unless lawmakers took steps to “improve the actuarial [...]

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Congress gives final approval to ABLE Act

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Posted Dec. 16, 2014 | Congress gave final approval to the most sweeping legislation in support of Americans with disabilities in a quarter century, allowing these individuals and their families to open tax-free bank accounts to pay for long-term needs, such as education, housing, transportation and health care. The move paves the way for creation [...]

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House passes ABLE Act

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Posted Dec. 4, 2014 | The House passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, by a vote of 404 to 17, yesterday evening that would establish tax-exempt savings accounts for individuals born with disabilities. The broadly supported bipartisan bill, which is expected to pass in the Senate, exempts savings, up to certain levels, [...]

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Medicaid Expansion after the Midterms

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Medicaid Expansion after the Midterms: State Stances Unlikely to Change, or New Room for Compromise between the Administration, GOP Governors? Posted Dec. 2, 2014 | Following a strong Republican showing at the midterm elections and in many gubernatorial races, commentators and experts alike have suggested the states’ stances on Medicaid expansion are firm and unlikely [...]

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HUD Issues Draft Regulation on Reforms to Section 202, 811 Programs

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Posted Nov. 20, 2014 | The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on supportive housing and services for older adults and individuals with disabilities. This draft regulation proposes to implement certain reforms to HUD’s Section 202 and Section 811 programs made by statutory changes to the programs in [...]

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Justice Department Releases Technical Assistance on Rights of Voters with Disabilities

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Posted Oct. 23, 2014 | The Department of Justice (DOJ) has published two new Technical Assistance (TA) documents regarding the rights of voters with disabilities: The Americans with Disabilities Act and Other Federal Laws Protecting the Rights of Voters with Disabilities and Solutions for Five Common Access Problems at Polling Places. Laws covered in the DOJ TA documents [...]

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Medicaid Directors Join Peer State Groups in Response to Home Care Final Rule Delay

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Posted Oct. 21, 2014 | On October 7, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it would be delaying federal enforcement of the changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) pertaining to wages for certain home care workers. The announcement states that DOL will not bring any enforcement action against employers, including states, [...]

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DOL Announces Time-limited Non-enforcement Policy for Home Care Final Rule

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Posted Oct. 7, 2014 | This afternoon, the Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division gave notice of a 12-month, time-limited non-enforcement policy with regard to the Oct. 1, 2013 Final Rule that extended Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) protections (e.g., minimum wage and overtime) to most home care workers, which becomes effective Jan. [...]

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Policymakers and National Organizations, Trades Urge DOL to Delay Home Care Rule

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Posted Oct. 1, 2014 | Federal policymakers, state leaders and national stakeholder groups are ramping up attention on the Department of Labor’s recent changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The rule will impact most Medicaid programs, though to varying degrees. It is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2015. America’s Health Insurance Plans [...]

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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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