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Healthcare
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released an updated version of their bipartisan Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019 on Friday, December 6th, and announced an agreement to fund expiring health care programs. Of note, the agreement includes:
- A permanent extension Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration
- Permanent protection for Medicaid recipients of Home and Community-Based Services against spousal impoverishment
- Extensions of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)Trust Fund with an increased level of mandatory appropriations through fiscal year 2029
- Extension of Medicaid funding for the territories with increased funding for four years; includes program integrity improvements for Puerto Rico's Medicaid program
The package still must be voted on in the House and Senate. Votes are expected this month.
Plain Language:
- This bill would make Money Follows the Person and Protections against spousal impoverishment permanent.
What this means to you:
- Extension of the expiring programs ensures access to needed systems for people with disabilities.
Action Step:
- Contact your members of Congress and share how important the agreements on the expiring health care programs are to you.
- Additional information about Money Follows the Person can be found here.
The Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Act of 2019 was recently introduced by Reps. Lujan (D-NM), Burgess (R-TX), Torres Small (D-NM), Kinzinger (R-IL), Haaland (D-NM) and Gianforte (R-MT) (HR 5199, S 1618). The bill establishes a grant program supporting technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity-building models like ECHO.
Plain Language:
- This bill would help get medical services and supports to all people, no matter where they live.
What this means to you:
- ECHO improves healthcare in rural and underserved communities by connecting specialists with local health providers for case-based learning and support. It moves the right knowledge to the right place at the right time to bring best-practice care to the patients who need it most.
Actions Steps:
- Learn more about Project ECHO.
- Contact your members of Congress to urge support: United States Capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121.
- Sample call/email: On behalf of [state/region/name] ECHO, I'm reaching out to encourage [XXX] to co-sponsor bipartisan legislation [H.R. 5199, S 1618], the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Act, to improve access to health care for people living in rural and underserved communities across the country. The ECHO Act establishes a federal grant program to support technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity-building models like Project ECHO. Can I count on your boss to be a co-sponsor?
The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, 12/10, on a range of proposals to expand health care coverage, including the House Medicare for All bill. This will be the fourth committee to examine it. Bill sponsor Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said her plan would "guarantee every single American comprehensive, quality health coverage and lower overall health care costs for families."
Plain Language:
- This bill would change healthcare in America. It should and must include disability.
What this means to you:
- Any Medicare for All bill needs to ensure disability is included. Will Medicare for All cover the needs of all, including people with disabilities?
Action Step:
Education
A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report shows significant income and racial barriers to accessing rights for students with disabilities. Data reveals the effect of income and race on access to legal protections for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The report was requested by Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. It concluded that families in wealthy districts are significantly more likely to file a dispute than those in low-income districts. It also found that schools with mostly white students are more likely to have dispute resolution activity than schools that mostly serve students of color.
Plain Language:
- This report shows language and cultural differences are important to think about so everyone can understand about students' and parents' rights.
What this means to you:
- The report says there are several different barriers that account for the differences in dispute resolution activity, including cultural differences between families and schools, fear of retaliation, language barriers, and inconsistent access to information about students' rights. What programs/services are you providing to parents on their legal rights? Are you including cultural and linguistic competencies?
Actions Steps:
Criminal Justice
A new report from Access Living, with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's Safety and Justice Challenge, looks at how people with all types of disabilities experience the criminal justice system focused around jail, and finds that despite a general prevalence of disabled people in jails, there is a lack of disability-related data overall and a number of under-addressed opportunities to meet their needs, which would ultimately reduce incarceration rates. The report outlines eight policy recommendations as a starting point to evaluate opportunity gaps for system reform.
Plain Language:
- This report offers some policy recommendations that helps state prison systems address needs of people with disabilities.
What this means to you:
- This report offers actionable local policy recommendations that can help reshape state systems. How can you use this in your school-to-prison pipeline work?
Action Steps:
- Read the new report.
- Raise your data and concerns around criminal justice reform with your members of Congress
Food Assistance
Last week, the Trump Administration issued a new rule in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule change affects people between the ages of 18 and 49 who are childless and not disabled. Under current rules, this group is required to work at least 20 hours a week for more than three months over a 36-month period to qualify for food stamps; previously states have been able to create waivers for areas that face high unemployment. The new rule would limit states from waiving those standards, instead restricting their use to those areas that have a six percent unemployment rate or higher.
Plain Language:
- This new rule will hurt people of color and those who are poor who need help buying food.
What this means to you:
- Thirty-six states currently have waivers in place for SNAP time limits for areas where unemployment is high. The effects of the new regulation will fall hardest on people of color, people without higher education, and people living in rural areas.
Action Steps:
Campaign 2020
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) is the latest candidate to drop out of the Democratic presidential race.
The next Democratic debate is set for December 19th in Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University and is the 6th in a series of 12 planned debates. Currently the following candidates have qualified for the debate: Tom Steyer, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Candidates have until Dec. 12 to qualify for the debate.
Congressional Openings
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) announced on Friday he plans to resign from his seat. The announcement comes after he pleaded guilty to charges of campaign finance violations.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that Kelly Loeffler will replace Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) beginning in January. She will serve through the end of the current term in December 2020. She has indicated that she will run in the 2020 election.
Rep. Denny Heck (D-WA), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, announced he will not seek reelection next year. Read his public statement.
AUCD Policy Talk
AUCD's conference had a focus on transportation. Read our new blog post on the complex reality for one family. How can the AUCD network make an impact on accessible, affordable, reliable transportation?
Action Steps:
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