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CDAC LEGISLATIVE ALERTS

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SEANLKELLY	CDAC LEGISLATIVE ALERTS		Lead	[-]
Posts: 216 03/16/09 01:23:12	Tags : None Legislative Alert - February 24, 2009 "Enhancing the effectiveness of disability activism by organizing and empowering individuals, families, groups, and organizations!" Empowerment! Opportunity! Justice! Website: http://www.ct-dac.org/contactus.htm Stan Kosloski, 860-614-8351 or StanKosloski@ct-dac.org Jayne Kleinman, 203-631-4800 or JayneKleinman@ct-dac.org Disturbing Budget News --------------------------------------------------------- The deficit for the current state fiscal year keeps going up, and while the Governor's budget proposes no tax increases and no state employee lay-offs for the next two fiscal years, it appears to have a $2.5 million income-expense gap. And for the current year's deficit, a number of cost-saving measures included in her 2009-10 and 2010-11 budgets are being moved up and implemented this spring. To compound matters, the amount of funding Connecticut expects from the federal stimulus package will be less than what was originally expected. As the state budget-making process continues over the next 3 ½ months the Collaborative will do its best to keep readers informed about budgetary issues that affect children and adults with disabilities in Connecticut. The Governor's Proposed Budget for the Department of Social Services (not a complete list of cuts) --------------------------------------------------------- In our efforts to understand the effects of the Governor's proposed budget for DSS we were able to learn that her proposal will: * Restrict medications to those drugs on state's Preferred Drug List (will not cover drugs needed by many individuals with disabilities) * Reduce State Supplement benefits by any federal cost of living adjustments for SSI recipients, making it more difficult for low income individuals to keep their heads above water * Cut funding and impose a $14,000 asset test for individuals on ConnPACE, which was created in 1986 with eligibility based only on income * Impose a cap on the CT Home Care for Elders program, presumably creating a waiting list for services and leading to unnecessary institutionalization for those unable to get home care * Delay by two years an expansion of Money Follows the Person (referred to as MFP2), which would permit individuals who are in a nursing facility less than 6 months to receive MFP services * Delay for two years the implementation of the Long Term Care Reinvestment Account, which was designed to use the extra 25% in Medicaid dollars received for individuals who are moved out of nursing facilities under MFP to expand community-based services (presumably the match will go into the General Fund for the next two years) * Eliminate the Commission on Aging, as well as the Commissions on African-American Affairs, Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs, Asian-Pacific Affairs, Children, and the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women; eliminate the Office of the Child Advocate and the Office of the Health Care Advocate * Eliminate funding for the five centers for independent living, which along with the Area Agencies on Aging are implementing the MFP program * Possible elimination of funding that supports the I&R and Advocacy services of the Brain Injury Association of CT * No new funding for the Acquired Brain Injury waiver and the Personal Care Assistance waiver, maintaining waiting lists for both services, also leading to unnecessary institutionalization for those that need home care * Remove $360,000 from the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, which safeguards the rights of nursing facility residents The Governor's Proposed Budget for the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) (not a complete list of cuts) --------------------------------------------------------- * No new funding for the DDS waiting list, possibly violating a court settlement * Freeze ICF/MR rates The Governor's Proposed Budget for the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) (not a complete list of cuts) --------------------------------------------------------- * Eliminate funding for 150 units of supportive housing designated for veterans, families with children, and individuals who are homeless * Close Cedarcrest Hospital and instead of transferring services and staff to the community, add 64 beds to CVH and create two 15 bed "mini-institution" facilities * Total cut: $8.26 million in Crisis, Community Support, and Case Management over the next two years The Governor's Proposed Budget for the Department of Transportation (not a complete list of cuts) --------------------------------------------------------- * Eliminate the matching grant funds for municipal transportation services, which 140 towns use to provide Dial-A-Ride services for elders and individuals with disabilities Advocates' Meeting Held on February 19 The Disability Advocacy Collaborative arranged for a meeting of disability advocates on February 19 to discuss the status of the state budget and the new federal stimulus package. One item that was agreed on was that those organizations present would share information and keep each other informed as we learn more about 1) the state budget and 2) the effect the federal stimulus package will have on the state. Organizations present included NAMI-CT, Keep the Promise Coalition, AARP, the state Commission on Aging, the Brain Injury Association of Connecticut, the Lifespan Respite Coalition, Ability Beyond Disability, United Cerebral Palsy, the CT Chapter of the MS Society, the Office of Protection and Advocacy, CDHI, the Arc of CT, the Down Syndrome Congress, the Disability Resource Center of Fairfield County, LDA of CT, and the Area Agency of Aging for SC Connecticut. With regard to the state budget, timing is of great concern. Public hearings will continue for another couple of weeks and then the various legislative committees will report out their bills. Most committees have a March deadline, but the all-important Appropriations Committee deadline which will recommend the future budget is April 16. A number of important points were made during Thursday's Advocates' meeting: we should emphasize that we support ways to make state services more efficient, and we have suggestions to offer. MFP and its related services, Medicaid waivers, the LTC Reinvestment Account, MFP2, supportive housing, access to needed medications, community-based transportation, support for independent living centers and AAAs, not only give people more choices as to how to live their lives, but also keep them out of expensive institutions. Some, such as Medicaid waivers, also bring additional resources into the state. The information we have about the cost-effectiveness of the services we need should be packaged in such a way that it can be more readily sold to legislators. Stories are also important: personal experiences make the issues real to people who are looking at line items all day. In a letter in Sunday's Hartford Courant, Judith Stein, Director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, suggested the Governor sit in on public hearings to get a better feel for what her budget proposal will do to individuals and families. Our stories need to be told. The group that met on the 19th is working on a series of principles that might serve as a frame of reference to the advocacy work we have to do over the next 6-8 weeks. Out of necessity many advocates will be fighting budget battles on behalf of their own constituencies. But if we can agree on a few overriding principles - and stand by each other - we will convince more legislators of the importance of not balancing the budget on the backs of people with disabilities and elders. Stan Kosloski Project Director CT Disability Advocacy Collaborative INDEPENDENT LIVING DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL --------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, March 12, 2009 - 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Join Consumers and Advocates from around Connecticut at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford to build advocacy skills, review the status of bills pending in the legislature and receive briefings from legislators on matters of public policy. Everyone interested in Disability Advocacy is welcome! Free Registration CACIL has received funding from the State Independent Living Council to provide: * Transportation from each Center for Independent Living to the Capitol * Coffee and Pastries in the morning * Lunch, assorted sandwiches, fruit, chips and soda * Advocacy Training Materials * ASL Interpreters * PCAs Register at your nearest Center for Independent Living Disability Resource Center of Fairfield County, Inc., Stratford (203) 378-6977 Center for Disability Rights, West Haven (203) 934-7079 Disabilities Network of Eastern CT, Norwich (860) 823-1898 Independence Northwest, Inc., Naugatuck (203) 729-1281 Independence Unlimited, Inc., Hartford (860) 523-5021 or CT Association of Centers for Independent Living, Hartford, (860) 656-0430 State Independent Living Council, Hartford (860) 523-0126 Deadlines for FINAL LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ACTION (often called the "JF Deadline") --------------------------------------------------------- March 5: Aging; Children; Veterans' Affairs March 9: the Program Review and Investigations Committee March 10: General Law; Housing; Public Safety and Security March 11: Legislative Management March 12: Banks; Insurance and Real Estate; Labor and Public Employees March 16: Transportation March 17: Commerce; Higher Education and Employment Advancement March 19: Energy and Technology; Human Services March 20: Environment March 23: Education; Planning and Development March 27: Public Health March 30: Government Administration and Elections April 3: Judiciary April 16: Appropriations April 17: Finance, Revenue and Bonding Keeping Track of Legislative Proposals --------------------------------------------------------- Beth Leslie, Legislation Liaison for the Office of Protection and Advocacy, maintains a bill tracking report on the P&A web site. You can see Beth's weekly bill tracking report at www.ct.gov/opapd/cwp/view.asp?a=1749&q=288622&opapdPNavCtr=\|#44743 .You can also see a list of bills by topic at: www.ct.gov/opapd/cwp/view.asp?a=1749&q=413486&opapdPNavCtr=\|#49086 If the links above do not work (you should be able to "cut and paste" them into your browser) you can access the P&A website at: www.ct.gov/opapd and click on "LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION" on the left side of the website, then click on 'Bill Tracking Report' or "List of Bills by Topic". Beth is eager to add anybody with an interest in state legislation to her distribution list. Feel free to contact her at beth.leslie@po.state.ct.us. Legislative Q and A --------------------------------------------------------- How can I search for a particular bill to find its status? At the top of the General Assembly's home page (www.cga.ct.gov) is a Quick Search by bill number. Enter a bill number and click the Go button. In addition, many options for searching bill information are provided from the Search link (located on the left side of the home page or at the top of a secondary page). Who are my Representative and Senator and how do I contact them? Click the House or Senate links (located on the left side of the home page or at the top of a secondary page), and click Find Your Legislator. Click the district number for your town and you will get to their individual web page, which contains contact information. If your town has more than one legislative district (more than one representative or senator) you will be directed to a map of your area to determine in which district you live. How can I determine which Legislators are on a particular committee? From the top of the page click Committees A-H & I-Z. From the list, click the appropriate committee, and then click Committee Membership. Where can I get a list of all Legislators? Click the House or Senate links (located on the left side of the home page or at the top of a secondary page). From the options, click Members. The alphabetical list includes district number, a link to email and website, political party, and a link to bills introduced. Obama Appoints Special Assistant for Disability Policy On Friday, February 13 Vice President Joe Biden announced that President Obama had appointed Kareem Dale as Special Assistant for Disability Policy. Dale, who has been with Obama for years and is partially blind, said he was "just humbled and honored for the faith the president and vice president have shown in me." The Vice President praised Dale and emphasized the importance of the position: "He is going to have absolutely direct access to the president". Biden went on to recognize disability rights as a civil rights movement. "This is a movement to make sure that we guarantee that all peoples in the world have the opportunity to succeed to the degree they are capable." Disability Advocacy Collaborative Regional Contacts --------------------------------------------------------- To get involved with one of the Collaborative's Regional Advocacy Networks, contact the following: Northwest -- contact: Bill Knight (lackerman01@snet.net) - meetings are held at the Litchfield Arc Southwest -contact: Carol Kana (pkana@snet.net) - meetings are held at the Norwalk Police Department Danbury Area - contact Dale Brown (dbrown@wecahr.org ) - meetings are held at Ability Beyond Disability in Bethel North Central -- contact: Candace Low (clow@independenceunlimited.org) - meetings are held at 151 New Park Avenue in Hartford Waterbury Area -contact: Mike Valuckas (mike.valuckas@independencenorthwest.org) - contact Mike for information about next meeting Northeast Area - contact: Carolyn Newcombe (cnewcombe@charter.net) - meetings are held at the Mansfield Senior Center Bridgeport Area - contact: Tony LaCava (tlacava@drcfc.org) - meetings are on the third Thursday of the month at various sites. For three years the Bulletin was supported by a grant that the Disability Advocacy Collaborative has received from the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities. In addition, in-kind support is being provided by the UCONN Center on Disabilities, and Communitas, Inc. serves as the project's fiscal agent. To all three we extend our deep appreciation.
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SEANLKELLY	CDAC LEGISLATIVE ALERTS -- 03-07-09	#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 216 03/16/09 01:31:53	CDAC Legislative Alert #2: March 7th, 2009 CT Disability Advocacy Collaborative: Enhancing the effectiveness of disability activism by organizing and empowering individuals, families, groups, and organizations!" Empowerment! Opportunity! Justice! Website: http://www.ct-dac.org/contactus.htm Stan Kosloski, 860-614-8351 or StanKosloski@ct-dac.org Jayne Kleinman, 203-631-4800 or JayneKleinman@ct-dac.org ----------------- State Budget News ----------------- As the state budget-making process continues over the next three months the Collaborative will keep readers informed about budgetary issues that affect children and adults with disabilities in Connecticut. --------------------------- Upcoming Committee Hearings --------------------------- On Monday, March 9, The Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing at 10:00 A. M. in Room 2C of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. The hearing will focus on the Probate Court system and conservatorship issues. Thirteen proposed bills will be the subject of the hearing. On Wednesday, March 11, the Transportation Committee will hold a public hearing regarding SB 1093, an act providing funds for municipal matching grants for demand-responsive transportation for elderly persons and persons with disabilities. The hearing will commence at 10:00 a.m. in Room 1-E of the Legislative Office Building. The Governor has zeroed out matching state funds, which local communities have used to provide Dial-A-Ride services for elders and people with disabilities. Your testimony is needed to get funding restored. The committee will also hear testimony on S. B. No. 444, AN ACT CONCERNING PARKING FOR PERSONS WHO ARE BLIND AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WHICH LIMIT OR IMPAIR THE ABILITY TO WALK. Last week public hearings were held that considered bills related to the DSS budget as proposed by Governor Rell, raising the age for teenagers to be covered in the juvenile justice system (rather than adult courts), managed care and certain Medicaid beneficiaries, the proposed Department on Aging, income eligibility for Medicaid, and half way houses and group homes in local communities. -------------------------------------------------------------- INDEPENDENT LIVING DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL Thursday, March 12, 2009 - 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. -------------------------------------------------------------- In her state budget proposal in early February, Governor Rell zeroed out state funding for Connecticut's five independent living, presumably because the word was that there would be IL money in the federal stimulus package. There is IL money in the package, but it is for new projects only! Unless state money is added back in, the ability of the five centers to continue supporting community living for individuals with disabilities will be drastically reduced, and they will not be able to fulfill their responsibility to help people transition out of nursing facilities under the Money Follows the Person program. Join consumers and advocates from around Connecticut in the Old Judiciary Room at the State Capitol in Hartford to build advocacy skills, review the status of bills pending in the legislature and receive briefings from legislators on matters of public policy. Everyone interested in disability advocacy is welcome! Free Registration CACIL (the Connecticut Centers for Independent Living) has received funding from the State Independent Living Council to provide: * Transportation from each center to the Capitol * Coffee and pastries in the morning * Lunch, assorted sandwiches, fruit, chips and soda * Advocacy training materials * ASL Interpreters * PCAs Register at your nearest Center for Independent Living Disability Resource Center of Fairfield County, Inc., Stratford (203) 378-6977 Center for Disability Rights, West Haven (203) 934-7079 Disabilities Network of Eastern CT, Norwich (860) 823-1898 Independence Northwest, Inc., Naugatuck (203) 729-1281 Independence Unlimited, Inc., Hartford (860) 523-5021 or Association of Centers for Independent Living, Hartford, (860) 656-0430 State Independent Living Council, Hartford (860) 523-0126 ---------------------------- Advocates' Meeting Follow Up ---------------------------- As a follow up to the Advocates' Meeting arranged by the Disability Advocacy Collaborative on February 19, a Statement of Principles has been drawn up. The Principles are followed by a list of action steps the legislators can take to make state government work better - more efficiently - and in almost all cases make it more cost-effective. In short, the state can get more "bang for the buck" by taking the steps suggested. Here is the final version of the Statement: "The State Budget and Principles that Guide Our Advocacy An Opportunity to Reform the System Principles: * Do no harm - the state should ensure that those among us who are most vulnerable, least powerful, and often invisible to the public eye are protected from harm * Individuals with disabilities and elders should have REAL CHOICES when it comes to where they live, and should be able to remain living in their own homes, or to return to their own homes if they are in an institutional setting The present system is fragmented, institutionally biased, and difficult for people to navigate. The state should look to cost-effective and efficient strategies to put the principles noted above into action: * Support MFP, which is designed to assist individuals who have been in a nursing facility for more than 6 months, and its related services: * Retain existing state funding for Centers for Independent Living (zeroed out of the Governor's budget) and AAAs - to carry out the important work of supporting people in the community and moving people out of facilities and into their homes [Note: there is money in the federal stimulus package for centers for independent living, but it is restricted to new projects only; plus it is one time, 2 yr funding only and does not address the issue of Connecticut's responsibilities to support consumer directed centers for independent living]. * Increase slots for Medicaid waivers where there is a waiting list: Acquired Brain Injury Waiver (20), Personal Care Assistance Waiver (24), DDS Comprehensive Supports Waiver and DDS Individual and Family Support Waiver (combined #s: 630) and the Katie Beckett Waiver * Increase slots for state funded Home Care Program for Disabled Adults and the state funded Home Care Program for Elders, where there are, or will soon be, wait lists - Medicaid waiver services and state funded programs keep people independent and out of expensive nursing facilities and other institutions; there is no choice when there are waiting lists for services * Educate hospital discharge planners - so as to minimize unnecessary institutional placements following acute medical treatments * Activate this year the Long Term Care Reinvestment Account mandated by the 2008 General Assembly (the Governor has proposed postponing implementation for two years, meaning that funds will go to the General Fund, and will not be used to enhance community living options as intended) * Fund "Money Follows the Person 2" this year - to complement the the Money Follows the Person initiative that kicked off last December by providing funds to help people move back home if they are in a nursing facility for less than six months (mandated by the legislature last year, the Governor has also proposed postponing implementation for two years) * Support workforce development strategies - to provide an expanded workforce capable of providing people home health care and personal assistance support to help them remain or become independent * Implement a single point of entry system (also known as Aging and Disability Resource Centers) - to make the long term service system more person-centered and consumer-directed, make it easier for people with disabilities of all ages to access information about home and community-based alternatives to institutional services, and support people of all income levels to live independently in their communities * Maintain ConnPACE and prescription drug coverage - to provide people with the medications they need to remain in their homes and maximize their physical and mental health * Enhance supportive housing initiatives - to enable individuals with mental disabilities to have access to housing with the supports they need to stay or become independent and remain out of more expensive institutions, including nursing facilities * Maintain benefit COLAs - to provide people with a minimal level of funds needed to remain independent and provide the bare minimum for their survival needs * Maintain provider COLAs - to allow service providers to continue in business by hiring competent staff * Maintain and support watchdog agencies (Commission on Aging, Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, Office of the Child Advocate, Office of the Health Care Advocate, Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities) - to ensure the services provided by state agencies are not only humane but also cost-effective and efficient" If your organization would like to sign onto the Statement please e-mail Stan Kosloski at stankosloski@att.net. ------------------------------------------------ Deadlines for FINAL LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ACTION (often called the "JF Deadline") ------------------------------------------------ March 9: the Program Review and Investigations Committee March 10: General Law; Housing; Public Safety and Security March 11: Legislative Management March 12: Banks; Insurance and Real Estate; Labor and Public Employees March 16: Transportation March 17: Commerce; Higher Education and Employment Advancement March 19: Energy and Technology; Human Services March 20: Environment March 23: Education; Planning and Development March 27: Public Health March 30: Government Administration and Elections April 3: Judiciary April 16: Appropriations April 17: Finance, Revenue and Bonding -------------------------------------- Keeping Track of Legislative Proposals -------------------------------------- Beth Leslie, Legislation Liaison for the Office of Protection and Advocacy, maintains a bill tracking report on the P&A web site. You can see Beth's weekly bill tracking report at www.ct.gov/opapd/cwp/view.asp?a=1749&q=288622&opapdPNavCtr=\|#44743 .You can also see a list of bills by topic at: www.ct.gov/opapd/cwp/view.asp?a=1749&q=413486&opapdPNavCtr=\|#49086 If the links above do not work (you should be able to "cut and paste" them into your browser) you can access the P&A website at: www.ct.gov/opapd and click on "LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION" on the left side of the website, then click on 'Bill Tracking Report' or "List of Bills by Topic". . Beth is eager to add anybody with an interest in state legislation to her distribution list. Feel free to contact her at beth.leslie@po.state.ct.us. ------------------- Legislative Q and A ------------------- How can I search for a particular bill to find its status? At the top of the General Assembly's home page (www.cga.ct.gov) is a Quick Search by bill number. Enter a bill number and click the Go button. In addition, many options for searching bill information are provided from the Search link (located on the left side of the home page or at the top of a secondary page). Who are my Representative and Senator and how do I contact them? Click the House or Senate links (located on the left side of the home page or at the top of a secondary page), and click Find Your Legislator. Click the district number for your town and you will get to their individual web page, which contains contact information. If your town has more than one legislative district (more than one representative or senator) you will be directed to a map of your area to determine in which district you live. How can I determine which Legislators are on a particular committee? From the top of the page click Committees A-H & I-Z. From the list, click the appropriate committee, and then click Committee Membership. Where can I get a list of all Legislators? Click the House or Senate links (located on the left side of the home page or at the top of a secondary page). From the options, click Members. The alphabetical list includes district number, a link to email and website, political party, and a link to bills introduced.
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SEANLKELLY	CDAC LEGISLATIVE ALERTS -- 04-08-09	#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 216 04/15/09 12:15:00	CT Disability Advocacy Collaborative - Legislative Alert #3 - April 8, 2009 "Enhancing the effectiveness of disability activism by organizing and empowering individuals, families, groups, and organizations!" Empowerment! Opportunity! Justice! Contacts: http://www.ct-dac.org/contactus.htm Stan Kosloski, 860-614-8351 or StanKosloski@ct-dac.org Jayne Kleinman, 203-631-4800 or JayneKleinman@ct-dac.org Advocates' Meeting Follow Up ============================ The Disability Advocacy Collaborative has arranged a follow-up meeting of disability advocates, set for Tuesday, April 14 from 9:30 am - 12 noon in the Hartford Room at the New Park Office and Conference Center, 151 New Park Avenue in Hartford. This is the complex in which Independence Unlimited, the State Independent Living Council, and the offices of CACIL (CT Association of Centers for Independent Living) are located. If you plan to attend, please e-mail Stan Kosloski at stankosloski@att.net. The primary purpose of the meeting is to assess the status of state budget proposals (the Governor's and the Democrats') and other pieces of legislation that affect people with disabilities and elders, and determine what collective action can be taken to impact the legislative decision making process between now and the last day of the legislative session on June 3. State Budget News ================= Last week (April 2) the Democrats released their budget proposal, which now must be reconciled with the Governor's proposal which was presented the first week of February. The Democrats' proposal restores a number of cuts that were included in the Governor's plan. The Democrats have majority votes in both the Senate and the House, and the Governor has the power of the veto. It should be an interesting two months. The following is derived from an extremely comprehensive review of the Democrats' budget assembled by Kate McEvoy of the South Central Area Agency on Aging, who does an amazing job keeping track of legislative activity and to whom we are indebted. The Democrats' budget: * rejects the Governor's proposal to eliminate funding for legislative commissions, including the Commission on Aging * rejects the Governor's proposal to revert to the historical practice of reducing State Supplement benefits by any cost-of-living increase in an individual's SSI benefit * rejects the Governor's proposal to restrict participation in the state-funded levels of the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) (Levels 1 & 2) to the caseload in place as of June, 2009 * accepts the Governor's proposal to develop an on-line screening system to assess whether individuals with psychiatric or developmental disabilities require nursing home care, with the goal of diverting up to 300 individuals who could otherwise be served in the community - an enhancement of the current screening process * rejects the Governor's proposal to limit Medicaid/SAGA coverage for dental care to emergency procedures (dentures, x-rays, limited oral evaluation, emergency treatment of pain, extractions) - please note: the Governor's proposal would not affect those receiving HCBS under a DDS waiver * accepts the Governor's proposal to permit DSS to use a more restrictive definition of the term "medical necessity" * rejects the Governor's proposal to eliminate limited vision and non-emergency transportation benefits under SAGA * seeks to reduce state funding of the nursing home ombudsman program by 20% (proffered argument is that these costs can instead be borne by current federal Older Americans Act funds) * seeks to provide partial state funding to the Centers for Independent Living * seeks to make a number of changes to the Governor's proposal re: drug coverage: o rejects the Governor's proposal to discontinue state coverage for dually-eligible individuals of non-formulary drugs, but limits the appropriation for such coverage and requires DSS to pursue two levels of appeal, and the Center for Medicare Advocacy to pursue a third level of appeal, of the denial of coverage o partially accepts the Governor's proposal to cap state coverage of Part D co-payments (in 2009, these range from $1.10 to $6.00 per prescription), with the result that dually-eligible individuals will be expected to pay up to $15 per month in co-payments o accepts the Governor's proposal to require dually-eligible individuals and other ConnPACE participants to enroll in a "benchmark" Medicare D plan (eliminating DSS subsidy of higher cost Part D plans) o rejects the Governor's proposal to adopt an asset test for participation in the ConnPACE program that will use the same criteria as are used for eligibility for the federal Medicare D Low-Income Subsidy benefit (for reference, in 2009, an individual may have assets of no more than $12,510 and a couple may have assets of no more than $25,010) o accepts the Governor's proposal to increase the annual enrollment fee for participation in ConnPACE from $30 to $45 o rejects the Governor's proposal to provide that individuals may enroll in ConnPACE 1) within 31 days of turning age 65 or becoming eligible for SSDI or SSI benefits on the basis of disability; or 2) during an open enrollment period that will coincide with the annual Part D open enrollment period (November 15 - December 31) A Controversial Proposal ======================== HB 6668, being promoted by the Service Employees International Union, has raised the ire of individuals who use personal care assistants and assistants who provide them the support they need to live independently. The bill, entitled AN ACT PROVIDING QUALITY CARE, FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT AND NURSING HOME FUNDING REFORM, includes a section that would create a Personal Care Attendant Quality Home Care Workforce Council. Among the duties of the council would be the recruitment of personal assistants, the education, training, and certification of personal assistants, and the referrals of personal assistants to individuals who need them. The unionization of PCAs - often referred to as personal assistants - is the ultimate goal of SEIU. There are a number of reasons that this bill has roused concerns among the population of those who use personal assistants. Training and certification requirements, outlined in the bill, are a problem for individuals who want to train their own PCAs; consumer control may be diluted, which runs contrary to the independent living principal of consumer direction. Another concern: with disability services being cut back left and right, where will the funding come from to cover the expense of running the council? A fiscal note from the legislature's Office of Fiscal Analysis is attached to the bill, which reveals the expense that would be incurred to implement the council: "The agencies involved with this Council will incur administrative costs related to their participation. Given the scope of duties of this Council, it is likely that these administrative costs will be significant. The bill allows the Council to enter into contracts, establish offices, hire employees and perform other administrative functions, within available appropriations….. The bill requires, only for the purposes of collective bargaining, that a PCA be considered a state employee and subject to state employee collective bargaining laws, and that the Council be considered the PCA's employer. The fiscal impact would depend on the outcome of collective bargaining negotiations. However, to the extent that collective bargaining increases the cost of PCA services, the Department of Social Services (DSS) may incur additional costs under the PCA waiver and pilot programs under the Medicaid and Connecticut Home Care programs." In addition to the cost, another layer of state level bureaucracy will be created; the legislation authorizes the establishment of offices, the hiring of employees, and the training and certification of PCAs. And perhaps the biggest concern: employers of PCAs are typically on a state Title XIX waiver service, and the waivers all have caps; if the result of unionizing PCAs includes higher wages and benefits for personal assistants, the number of hours of support a person receives may need to be reduced; many folks are living on the edge now and fewer hours of support may mean that they end up in a nursing facility. The Process from Here on In =========================== With the public hearing phase of 2009 General Assembly over, now comes the nitty-gritty of the legislative process. Bills that have acted on favorably by legislative committees (typically referred to as being "JF'd") are sent to either the House or Senate. They may be acted on in that chamber, or may be sent to another committee for review and possible action, which often happens. Public hearings are not required for bills so referred. Beth Leslie, Legislative Liaison at the Office of Protection and Advocacy, provides some insight into what can happen to bills once they are JF'd out of a committee: "Floor referrals" are what happens when a bill that is before the House or Senate gets referred to a legislative committee. Bills are "referred from the floor" of the House or Senate because the leadership of the chamber has determined that a bill should not be voted on by the full chamber until it has been approved by each and every legislative committee that has jurisdiction over any topic addressed in a bill. There is another reason bills are "referred from the floor" and that is to quietly kill a bill in committee. Instead of having the full House and Senate vote on a bill, one of the chambers can send the bill to a committee and the legislative leaders can advise their committee chairs to "kill the bill" in committee. All a committee has to do to kill a floor referral is to "do nothing". So if you have a particular bill that matters to you, check the legislative website www.cga.ct.gov at least every few days and be sure to contact the chairs and ranking members of any committee the bill is referred to. If the bill is sent to a committee that has not reached its JF Deadline, the bill can be acted on any time up to and including that date. For example, a bill referred from the House to the Appropriations Committee can be acted on any time until April 16--that is the JF Deadline for the Appropriations Committee. However, if a bill is referred to a committee that already passed its JF Deadline, the committee has seven calendar days or until before the start of the third session of the chamber that referred the bill. For example, the House of Representatives was in session on March 25 and referred a bill to the Human Services Committee. The Human Services Committee JF Deadline has passed. The Human Services Committee must act on the bill within 7 calendar days OR before the House begins its third session after the referral. So if the House of Representatives does not meet in the near future the committee has seven days to act. As we get closer to the end of the legislative session (first week of June) the House of Representatives and State Senate will be holding sessions three or more times per week - it is when things get this busy that the "before the chamber begins its third session after making the referral to the committee" deadline really matters. For now, seven calendar days is the rule of thumb. Thank you Beth for your weekly updates! Beth updates her "Bill Tracking Report" every week and it can be found on the P&A website www.ct.gov/opapd. Beth is eager to add anybody with an interest in state legislation to her distribution list. Feel free to contact her at beth.leslie@po.state.ct.us. Statement of Principles and Action Steps ======================================== As a follow up to the Advocates' Meeting arranged by the Disability Advocacy Collaborative on February 19, a Statement of Principles and accompanying Action Steps has been drawn up, reviewed, and approved. The Action Steps offer guidance that legislators can take to make state government work better - more efficiently - and in almost all cases make it more cost-effective. In short, the state can get more "bang for the buck" by taking the steps suggested. The final version of the statement is attached with this Alert. If your organization would like to sign onto the Statement please e-mail Stan Kosloski at stankosloski@att.net. Legislative Q and A =================== How can I search for a particular bill to find its status? At the top of the General Assembly's home page (www.cga.ct.gov) is a Quick Search by bill number. Enter a bill number and click the Go button. In addition, many options for searching bill information are provided from the Search link (located on the left side of the home page or at the top of a secondary page). Who are my Representative and Senator and how do I contact them? Click the House or Senate links (located on the left side of the home page or at the top of a secondary page), and click Find Your Legislator. Click the district number for your town and you will get to their individual web page, which contains contact information. If your town has more than one legislative district (more than one representative or senator) you will be directed to a map of your area to determine in which district you live. How can I determine which Legislators are on a particular committee? From the top of the page click Committees A-H & I-Z. From the list, click the appropriate committee, and then click Committee Membership. Where can I get a list of all Legislators? Click the House or Senate links (located on the left side of the home page or at the top of a secondary page). From the options, click Members. The alphabetical list includes district number, a link to email and website, political party, and a link to bills introduced.
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SEANLKELLY	The State Budget and Principles that Guide Our Advocacy	#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 216 04/15/09 12:22:08	The State Budget and Principles that Guide Our Advocacy An Opportunity to Reform the System * Do no harm - the state should ensure that those among us who are most vulnerable, least powerful, and often invisible to the public eye are protected from harm * Individuals with disabilities and elders should have REAL CHOICES when it comes to where they live, and should be able to remain living in their own homes, or to return to their own homes if they are in an institutional setting ---------------------------------------- The present system is fragmented, institutionally biased, and difficult for people to navigate. The state should look to cost-effective and efficient strategies to put the principles noted above into action: * Support MFP - which is designed to assist individuals who have been in a nursing facility for more than 6 months - and its related services * Retain existing state funding for Centers for Independent Living (zeroed out of the Governor's budget) and AAAs - to carry out the important work of supporting people in the community and moving people out of facilities and into their homes [Note: there is money in the federal stimulus package for centers for independent living, but it is restricted to new projects only; plus it is one time, 2 yr funding only and does not address the issue of Connecticut's responsibilities to support consumer directed centers for independent living]. * Increase slots for Medicaid waivers where there is a waiting list: Acquired Brain Injury Waiver (20), Personal Care Assistance Waiver (24), DDS Comprehensive Supports Waiver and DDS Individual and Family Support Waiver (combined #s: 630) and the Katie Beckett Waiver * Increase slots for state funded Home Care Program for Disabled Adults and the state funded Home Care Program for Elders, where there are, or will soon be, wait lists - Medicaid waiver services and state funded programs keep people independent and out of expensive nursing facilities and other institutions; there is no choice when there are waiting lists for services * Educate hospital discharge planners - so as to minimize unnecessary institutional placements following acute medical treatments * Activate this year the Long Term Care Reinvestment Account mandated by the 2008 General Assembly (the Governor has proposed postponing implementation for two years, meaning that funds will go to the General Fund, and will not be used to enhance community living options as intended) * Fund "Money Follows the Person 2" this year - to complement the the Money Follows the Person initiative that kicked off last December by providing funds to help people move back home if they are in a nursing facility for less than six months (mandated by the legislature last year, the Governor has also proposed postponing implementation for two years) * Support workforce development strategies - to provide an expanded workforce capable of providing people home health care and personal assistance support to help them remain or become independent * Implement a single point of entry system (also known as Aging and Disability Resource Centers) - to make the long term service system more person-centered and consumer-directed, make it easier for people with disabilities of all ages to access information about home and community-based alternatives to institutional services, and support people of all income levels to live independently in their communities * Maintain ConnPACE and prescription drug coverage - to provide people with the medications they need to remain in their homes and maximize their physical and mental health * Enhance supportive housing initiatives - to enable individuals with mental disabilities to have access to housing with the supports they need to stay or become independent and remain out of more expensive institutions, including nursing facilities * Maintain benefit COLAs - to provide people with a minimal level of funds needed to remain independent and provide the bare minimum for their survival needs * Maintain provider COLAs - to allow service providers to continue in business by hiring competent staff * Maintain and support watchdog agencies (Commission on Aging, Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, Office of the Child Advocate, Office of the Health Care Advocate, and Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities) - to ensure the services provided by state agencies are not only humane but also cost-effective and efficient * Maintain current level of state funding for the Brain Injury Association of Connecticut (BIAC) in order to continue to provide critical services to those affected by brain injuries This Statement of Principles is supported by the following organizations: CT Disability Advocacy Collaborative (organizer) CT Lifespan Respite Coalition CT Family to Family AARP/CT Disability Resource Center of Fairfield County Independence Unlimited Independence Northwest Disability Network of Eastern CT AFCAMP the Brain Injury Association of CT the CT Legal Rights Project the Commission on Aging the Council of Organizations Serving the Deaf the National MS Society/CT Chapter the Office of Protection and Advocacy WeCAHR CT Council on Developmental Disabilities the Arc of CT the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
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