CBPP RELEASES BRIEF ON MEDICAID AND DISABILITY
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has released a report entitled “Medicaid Works for People with Disabilities.” The report outlines the important role that Medicaid plays in providing not only health care, but services and supports for people with disabilities. To learn more about this report or to download a copy, check out our news item.
Late last week, the Trump Administration announced significant cuts to the upcoming open enrollment efforts as they will significantly reduce the amount of advertising they will be doing and cutting the funding for the navigator programs. To learn more about these cuts or to download a copy of the CMS Bulletin, check out our news item. The news item also includes links to statements from consumer organizations criticizing the decision.
The American Association on Health & Disability (lead partner for the NDNRC) joined a coalition of 100 consumer, patient and provider groups calling on Congress to pass bi-partisan legislation aimed at stabilizing the health insurance marketplaces. To learn more about the letter or to download a copy, check out our news item.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is reprising their Health Reform: Beyond the Basics webinar series. Throughout the month, they will be presenting 4 webinars in preparation for the upcoming open enrollment. To view the schedule for these webinars, including links to register for them, check out our news item.
Another webinar of interest as you prepare for the upcoming open enrollment is from Families USA entitled “Strategies for Maximizing Outreach for OE5.” It will be held, Thursday, September 14, 2017 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. You can register here.
CMS recently implemented a new phase for verification of eligibility for special enrollment periods. They have also updated the process for checking immigration status. To read more about these changes, check out the blog post from the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms.
As we took time off from our newsletter, here are some news items you may have missed over the last few weeks:
- New Navigator Training Available from CMS
- New Kaiser Brief Looks at 2018 Marketplace
- CBO Finds Ending CSR Payments Will Cause Premium Increases
- Focus on Medicaid Expansion Reform Turns to 1115 Waivers
- CMS Releases Medicaid Enrollment Data for June 2017
We continue to monitor the status of health care reform in Congress and will report on any renewed efforts to repeal, replace or repair the ACA. In the meantime, you can view the NDNRC statement on health reform which we released after the election last November which includes the provisions of the ACA which we believe are vital to people with disabilities. In the statement entitled “Preserve the Protections Provided by the Affordable Care Act,” we call on Congress and the Administration to protect provisions in the ACA which have benefited people with disabilities. The Kaiser Family Foundation also has a new issue brief which looks at some things to watch for in the Medicaid debate this fall.
The University of Washington – Healthy Aging Rehabilitation Research Training Center (RRTC) along with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) is hosting a three-day webinar series led by experts in the field of aging and disability on October 16, 18 & 20. Learn about recent research advances in key areas, including long-term services and supports, community access and autonomy, and healthcare policy changes for people aging with disabilities. Check the NCOA website for more information.
Are you looking for local partners to help with outreach to the disability community? The NDNRC has Community Outreach Collaboratives (COCs) which work to increase collaborations in the community, dissemination and outreach efforts and enrollment of people with disabilities in the ACA marketplace. You can find a COC, on the COC page of our website.
Archives of our weekly updates are available on the NDNRC website.