Federal Health Care Reform Legislation

There seems to be general agreement among members of Congress that there is a significant need for health care reform. The rising cost of health care cannot continue unabated, and the need to provide affordable health care for most, if not all Americans, is subject to little debate.

Legislative action on this issue cannot be allowed to turn on anecdotes. Unfortunately, people always have and always will fall through the cracks. During the debate in Congress, one will hear of isolated incidents after isolated incidents; the person who had to wait an inordinate amount of time to get a follow-up appointment; the person who was sent to the wrong specialist. These are the statements of members of Congress who realize the need for reform, but want the reform to wind up looking as much like the current system as possible.

The real question for people to focus on is how large are the cracks in the system, and how to close those gaps? A person with cerebral palsy may need physical therapy every week for his or her life. It is a common feature of health insurance plans to pay for only 10 visits per year for physical therapy. This is a major crack in the system and needs systemic reform.

A number of organizations that are involved with people with disabilities are working hard to try to shape the legislation to address the needs of people with disabilities. One such organization is Easter Seals. You can go to its Health Care Reform Web Site for information or directly to its "Support Health Care Reform Legislation" site to send messages to your members of Congress. I hope you will go to its "Support" web page; but, if not, at least, become familiar with the issues at its Health Care Reform site.

Thank you.

Paul

Emergency Information Forms for First Responders and Families

Autism Speaks, an organization devoted to helping people with Autism Spectrum Disorders in many, many ways, has posted a Web Site for its Autism Safety Project, a collaborative project of families and first responders.  This project has provided pdf files where all families who have have people with disabilities in them can print out the files to have on hand in case of an emergency or even a simple trip to the doctor.  These forms can be found at this web site, http://www.autismsafetyproject.org/site/c.kuIVKgMZIxF/b.5058283/k.BE40/Home.htm?sid=200546156.

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Ethical Wills and Legacy Letters

Ethical Wills and Legacy Letters may be particularly helpful to parents and siblings of children with special needs.  The following is an except from an article written by Attorney Andrew Hook of Portsmouth, Virginia and published on Attorney Robert Fleming's blog at http://gerilaw.typepad.com/elderlaw/

A recent Investment News article by Kathleen M. Rehl discussed the value of parents leaving “legacy letters’ for their children and grandchildren to share after the parents are gone.  The author described the letter her mother had written shortly before her death.  “Please know how important you are to me and how much I love you.  Life has been such a fascinating and interesting adventure with you, my family, being a big part of this journey.”  She wrote about her values, lessons life taught her, and her love for each member of the family.  Ms. Rehl says that “[w]hat she experienced during her 84 years of life was much more valuable than the material stuff she left behind.”

Moe information about Ethical Wills can be found at  www.ethicalwill.com.  The website includes samples of ethical wills, written by people at various stages of their lives.

Ms. Rehl says that writing a legacy letter not only helps loved ones by communicating the meaning of the author’s life, but is a gift for the writer.  “In reflecting upon the past and recording thoughts on paper, writers learn about themselves, ponder what they stand for and have the opportunity to articulate that which is closest to their hearts.”  People can write their initial letter and keep it updated each year.

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Federal Student Aid - Opportunity.gov

Provides information on federal student aid and career resources to help unemployed workers pay for education and training to find new job opportunities.

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Comprehensive Autism Legislation Introduced in House of Representatives

The Autism Society of American reports that major legislation regarding autism was introduced into the House of Representatives last week as a companion to a bill introduced into the Senate in April.

"The Autism Society applauds this comprehensive autism legislation focused around enhancing the quality of life for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families.

The Autism Society especially applauds the inclusion of support services for adults on the autism spectrum in this bill. Currently, the federal government provides for educational services until age 21; however, autism is a lifelong disorder, and when the school bus stops coming, individuals and families are often left to fend for themselves. ATAA creates a demonstration project to provide an array of services to adults with autism spectrum disorders, including: postsecondary education; vocational and self-advocacy skills; employment; residential services, supports and housing; nutrition, health and wellness; recreational and social activities; and transportation and personal safety.

The legislation also would provide for the establishment of a national network in order to strengthen linkages between research and service initiatives at the federal, regional, state and local levels, and facilitate the translation of research on autism into services and treatments that will improve the quality of life for individuals with autism and their families. A national data repository would be created to share emerging data, findings and treatment models.

Other key aspects of the bill include:

* the establishment of a national training initiative on autism and a technical assistance center to develop and expand interdisciplinary training and continuing education on autism spectrum disorders; and
* a requirement that health insurers cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders, including Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, assistive communication devices and other effective treatments.

The Autism Society needs your help in order to help pass this critical legislation. Please contact your U.S. Representative and ask him or her to co-sponsor the bill. We’ve composed an e-mail describing all the vital aspects of this bill but it will be especially effective if you add your own story describing how ATAA would help you and your family.

The time to act is now. Please support this important issue today, and urge your friends to take action as well. Together, we can improve the quality of live for individuals with autism across the lifespan."

Keeping Track of Healthcare Reform in Washington

For those of you interested in President Obama's effortsd to reform the nation's healthcare system, here is an article regarding the pledge of some healthcare providers to reduce the cost of healthcare and to support portions of the President's program.

Ohio Insurance Reform

ACT NOW  Your Senator Can Bring About Fair  Health Insurance Rates

Ask Your Senator to "Keep the Open Enrollment Reforms in H.B. 1" Paying claims costs insurers money, so they have a powerful reason to protect themselves against covering individuals in less-than-perfect health. In Ohio, insurers can deny coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions, exclude coverage for a pre-existing condition, or charge higher premiums.  Over a decade ago, Ohio created an Open Enrollment Program for people who were denied coverage. Unfortunately, that Program no longer works because the extremely high premiums are out of reach for most Ohioans. Over 196,063 Ohioans between ages 50-64 are uninsured and that number is growing with more lay-offs and plant closures every day. For these individuals, who do not have employer-based coverage, insurance rates in 2010 are expected to average $815 per individual per month. Some insurers are advertising rates that exceed $3,000 per individual per month.  This can be fixed. The new Open Enrollment Program in House Bill One will narrow the wide variation in premiums. It will also limit "cherry picking"... also known as "segmentation," to prevent unfair discrimination against individuals with less-than-perfect health or with perceived health risks.          There's no time to delay.      Please Call 1-888-844-5009 You will be connected to the office of Your Senator.  Tell Your Senator...  "Fix It Now. Keep the Open Enrollment Reforms that were passed by the House.  HB 1 -- State Budget Bill."  Please send this Alert to others who support fair insurance rates.  From AARP