Action Alerts
Last Chance Before Election – Help Pass The ABLE Act
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Recent Major Events
Budget – Report on automatic spending cuts delayed by one week
The Obama administration announced a one week delay in its report to Congress detailing spending cuts that will be required if Congress fails to reach a deficit reduction deal by the end of the year. Under the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012 (
P.L. 112-115, signed on August 7, 2012), the President had 30 days to inform Congress of how billions of dollars in automatic spending cuts would be carried out. The automatic cuts, known as sequestration, resulted from last summer’s
Budget Control Act and will total about $1.2 trillion between 2013 and 2021. If Congress does not change or cancel the cuts, the spending reductions would cut about $55 billion from defense discretionary programs and $55 billion from non-defense discretionary programs (which include many disability-related programs like supportive housing, special education, and supported employment) starting in January of 2013.
Major Events Ahead
Social Security – Hearing on the direct deposit of Social Security benefits
On Wednesday September 12
th, the House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Social Security will hold a hearing on direct deposit of Social Security benefits. The hearing will examine the impact on beneficiaries of electronic payment of Social Security benefits and efforts to educate beneficiaries about these changes. Visit the Committee
web site to view the full hearing announcement as well as live video the day of the hearing.
Social Security – Hearing on an investigation of the Social Security Administration’s disability programs
On Thursday September 13
th, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will hold a hearing on its investigation of the Social Security Administration’s disability programs. As stated in the hearing notice, the Subcommittee will examine “issues related to the quality of disability benefit awards involving 300 case files of claimants under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplement Security Income (SSI) programs involving initial applications and subsequent levels of appeal.” Visit the Committee
web site to view the hearing announcement.
Social Security – Fifth hearing in a series on securing the future of SSDI
On Friday September 14
th, the House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Social Security will hold the fifth hearing in a series on securing the future of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. The hearing will focus on options to address the key structural and fiscal challenges facing the program. Visit the Committee
web site to view the full hearing announcement as well as live video the day of the hearing.
Announcements
Long Term Services and Supports – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services release a new grant
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Demonstration Grant for Testing Experience and Functional Assessment Tools (
TEFT), which will fund 10 qualified state applicants to test quality measurement tools and demonstrate e-health in Medicaid long term services and supports (LTSS). CMS wants to test new measures of functional capacity and individual experience for people who receive community based LTSS. The grants will also fund development of electronic personal health records for recipients of LTSS. Applications are due October 22, 2012.
Long Term Services and Supports – Massachusetts takes step to integrate and coordinate care for individuals who are dual eligibles
Massachusetts is the first state to negotiate a memorandum of understanding (
MOU) with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) addressing its proposal to integrate and coordinate care for individuals who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. The National Senior Citizens Law Center (NSCLC) has prepared a
summary of the MOU. Massachusetts plans to begin implementation of its plan in April 2013. Individuals aged 18-64 will be included in the plan, including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who do NOT receive home and community based waiver services or services in an intermediate care facility for individual with intellectual/developmental disabilities (ICF/ID).
Long Term Services and Supports – Federal Medicaid matching funds for states
The
Balancing Incentive Payment Program was created by the Affordable Care Act. Under the program, states can receive increased federal Medicaid matching funds to rebalance their long term services and supports budgets. The program has $3 billion to award to states that choose to participate in the program. Thus far, $800,000 has been awarded to New Hampshire, Maryland, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, Texas, and Indiana. States are eligible for a 2% increase in their federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) if they currently spend less that 50% of their long term services and supports budget on home and community based services (HCBS) and a 5% increase if they spend 25% or less on HCBS. The funds are available through 2015.
