Judge strikes down wage boost for some home workers. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said part of the rules approved last year conflict with federal law that has long exempted third-party providers of in-home care for the elderly and disabled from complying with minimum wage and overtime laws. The decision. (AP, Dec. 22) With caregiver [...]
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What We’re Reading: Dec. 15, 2014
Is Medicaid expansion reducing disability claims? The total decline in Social Security Income claims in states that expanded Medicaid in the first six months of 2014 was 11.2 percent, compared with 10.0 percent in non-expansion states. (Modern Healthcare, Dec. 6) Report - “Parity or Disparity: The State of Mental Health in America, 2015.” Massachusetts scores [...]
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What We’re Reading: Dec. 1, 2014
Michigan delays implementing health care program for Medicare-Medicaid enrollees (The Times Herald, Nov. 25) The Michigan Department of Community Health announced the start date for MI Health Link – the State’s program for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid – will move from Jan. 1, 2015 to March 1, 2015 to make sure it’s [...]
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What We’re Reading: Nov. 24, 2014
Blind from birth, but able to use sound to ‘see’ faces (NPR, Nov. 21) A brain area that recognizes faces remains functional even in people who have been blind since birth, research says. The finding, presented at the Society for Neuroscience Meeting last week, suggests that facial recognition is so important that evolution has hardwired [...]
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What We’re Reading: Nov. 3, 2014
Lawmakers urge feds to listen to autism self-advocates (Disability Scoop, Oct. 31) Members of Congress are calling on the Obama administration to take into account concerns of self-advocates as the federal government works to implement the recently-passed Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act, or Autism CARES. Opinion: Students with disabilities are still being [...]
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What We’re Reading: Oct. 13, 2014
HUD publishes Section 811 and Section 202 proposed rule (NCSHA Blog, Oct. 9) HUD published in the October 7 Federal Register a Proposed Rule for implementing statutory reforms made to the Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities and Section 202 Housing for the Elderly programs by the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of [...]
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What We’re Reading: Sep. 29, 2014
New details emerge on autism treatment mandate (Disability Scoop, Sep. 26) Federal officials are taking steps to clarify new requirements surrounding Medicaid coverage of autism treatments. Senators: Widen Medicaid program for frail seniors Sep. 25) More than a dozen U.S. senators from both parties are calling on the Obama administration to broaden [the Program for [...]
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What We’re Reading: Aug. 11, 2014
President Signs Autism CARES Act into Law (AUCD blog, Aug. 9) President Obama signed into law the Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Supports or Autism (CARES) Act into law. This law reauthorizes the Combating Autism Act for another five years and makes some small improvements. Schumer: People with disabilities should have savings (The Hill, Aug. [...]
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What We’re Reading: Aug. 4, 2014
Senate passes autism bill (The Hill, July 31) The Senate passed a bill Thursday night that reauthorizes federal support for autism programs. The Autism CARES Act, H.R. 4631, requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate an official to oversee national autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research. It also extends autism education programs through [...]
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What We’re Reading: “Advancing Self-Sufficiency for Medicaid Beneficiaries”
As states move forward with multiple strategies to support community living for all individuals with disabilities and to promote the principles of person-centered planning, these additional tools and strategies provide complimentary opportunities to accelerate the achievement of inclusive outcomes. With states becoming more advanced with the development of person directed budgets, there are additional opportunities [...]
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