On Wednesday, the US Access Board approved new standards for accessible medical diagnostic equipment. These new rules were authorized by the Affordable Care Act and will ensure people with disabilities have access to and use of medical equipment, such as exam tables, weight scales, radiological equipment and mammography equipment. To read more about the new rules, […] Read More »

The Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living (CHRIL) will be hosting a webinar later this month where they will be sharing the early findings from the first year of their research on the Affordable Care Act and people with disabilities. The webinar will focus on three research projects of the CHRIL: Gil Gimm will answer […] Read More »

NDNRC Partner, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, has released three new policy briefs on paralysis and its effect on access to health care. Some highlights from the policy briefs include the following stats: 5,357,980 people – roughly 1.7% of US population are paralyzed. Of those, 1,462,220 have a spinal cord injury. An estimated 397,309 Americans – […] Read More »

Earlier this year, we shared a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation which estimated that approximately 8.8 million people remain uninsured but would be eligible for Medicaid or CHIP if they would apply. (To see our news item on that report, click here.) This week, the NDNRC has released three new videos which highlight the […] Read More »

Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), people with disabilities who were without employer-sponsored insurance or eligible for a public program such as Medicare or Medicaid were generally unable to get a private health insurance plan as they would be rejected for pre-existing conditions. Some of the ACA alternatives that have been proposed incorporate a […] Read More »

A new issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines the trends in state Medicaid programs over the last 15 years. The information in the brief is a compilation of years of surveys conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Management Associates of the state Medicaid programs. In their brief entitled “Trends in State Medicaid […] Read More »

Yesterday, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a new issue brief which outlines the effect that Medicaid expansion has had on both the rate of uninsurance and access to care. The issue brief entitled “The Effects of Medicaid Expansion under the ACA: Findings from a Literature Review” shows that the reduction in the uninsurance rate for states who […] Read More »

A new issue brief from the Commonwealth Fund compares the coverage individuals receive both on and off the ACA Marketplace. The brief entitled “Promoting Value for Consumers: Comparing Individual Health Insurance Markets Inside and Outside the ACA’s Exchanges” suggests that consumers receive a better value when they purchase their coverage through the exchange. The brief […] Read More »

A new report is available from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) which reviews the rehabilitation and habilitation benefits available in Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) available on the ACA Marketplaces. “Analysis of Rehabilitation and Habilitation Benefits in Qualified Health Plans” reviewed 724 QHP’s being offered on the marketplace. The review of the QHP’s went across […] Read More »