It’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month
During October we observe National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and this year’s theme is “Advancing Access and Equity: Then, Now and Next”. As with each October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities. This awareness campaign showcases supportive, inclusive policies and practices that benefit employees and employers alike. Also, this year marks the […]
Lobbying on Capitol Hill for the I/DD Community
A recent trip to lobby Congress members on Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill was a first for me. Here’s a quick firsthand account of my experience. This encounter was provided by ANCOR’s annual Policy Summit and Hill Day. An event that reached its 250-seat capacity and sold out. The attendees from across the nation were made […]
CMS Steps In On Disenrollments Due to Medicaid Redeterminations
Since April 1, 2023, over 3 million people have been disenrolled from Medicaid coverage. It is not surprising that this number is large and will continue to grow. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) states that Medicaid/CHIP enrollment grew from 23.3 million in February 2020 to nearly 94 million as of information from March 2023. As […]
Don’t Spend Down To Save Benefits
We see the spend-down strategy happen again and again. As end of month approaches, providers inevitably find consumers with funds over their resource limit and set into motion the never-ending tactic of spending the money away to save their consumer’s crucial benefits. This cycle is wasting staff time and consumers’ funds. You know there must […]
Don’t Let Your Consumers’ Medicaid Fall Thru The Cracks
The original unwinding of Medicaid benefits coincided to end with the Public Health Emergency (PHE). However, in late December, the omnibus spending bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed and separated the Medicaid continuous enrollment requirement from the ongoing PHE. Congress is now allowing states to begin Medicaid eligibility redeterminations and renewals as of April […]
Save Stimulus Money
There are two questions I/DD providers need to be asking right now about this topic: 1) Do our consumers have stimulus money? 2) What is the best thing we can do with it? Over the last two years, most of your consumers received three stimulus payments, totaling $3,200. Also, during this time, the pandemic took […]
The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Is Ending – What This Means For I/DD Providers and Consumers Receiving Medicaid
***10/13/22 UPDATE: The Public Health Emergency (PHE) was extended. The new deadline is now 1/11/23.*** ***7/15/22 UPDATE: The Public Health Emergency (PHE) was extended. The new deadline is now 10/13/22.*** ***4/16/22 UPDATE: The Public Health Emergency (PHE) was extended. The new deadline is now 7/15/22.*** The last two years of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) […]
