Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Grassroots Advocacy

Holly Jarek, AHCA's ID/DD Committee Chair, encourages AHCA's ID/DD providers to participate in our grassroots advocacy efforts in 2016.  AHCA would like to help you get facility tours and in-district meetings set up over future recess days.  Please provide your name, facility address, and email address and we will craft the invite and send it to you to send to the Congressional office.  The four brief steps for a successful facility tour visit can be found here.  Please feel free to contact Matthew Smyth and Dana Halvorson who can help you with all of the logistics.

AHCA’s ID/DD Committee members, Renee Naylor (pictured to the left) and Kelly Head (pictured to the right), met with Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5) last year, during AHCA’s ID/DD Residential Services Providers annual Hill Fly-In event. 

Rural Health Care Access Legislation Signed into Law

As noted in the past, AHCA is in full support of the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2015 (S.1916/ H.R. 4111).  This legislation had proposed to amend the 1996 Telecommunications Act to permit eligible not for profit and public skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in rural areas to apply for support from the Universal Service Fund’s Rural Health Care Program (RHCP).  The RHCP provides funding for eligible health care providers to expand and mitigate the high cost of broadband to facilitate and deliver healthcare services in rural areas and communities.

S. 1916/H.R. 4111 simply specify that SNFs be included in the definition of health care providers that are eligible to receive RHCP support.  By Federal Communications Commission (FCC) interpretation, SNFs were not eligible to receive these funds as, we believe, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 intended.  The Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2015, which was included in the Toxic Substances Control Act conference report, passed in the full Senate on June 7th. 

The conference report was recently signed into law by the President.  AHCA applauds the Congressional leaders in both chambers who made this passage possible. 

 

U.S. Congressional Calendars

As you are planning your visits with members of Congress and their staff in Washington, D.C., or in your district, the Congressional calendars will be of assistance to you.  The U.S. House of Representatives calendar for the 114^th Congress, second session, can be found here.  The U.S. Senate schedule for 2016 can be found here. The dates in blue reference the times the U.S. Senate is in session.  The red dates represent when the U.S. Senate is in recess.

Rural Health Care Access Legislation Signed into Law

As noted in the past, AHCA is in full support of the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2015 (S.1916/ H.R. 4111).  This legislation had proposed to amend the 1996 Telecommunications Act to permit eligible not for profit and public skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in rural areas to apply for support from the Universal Service Fund’s Rural Health Care Program (RHCP).  The RHCP provides funding for eligible health care providers to expand and mitigate the high cost of broadband to facilitate and deliver healthcare services in rural areas and communities.

S. 1916/H.R. 4111 simply specify that SNFs be included in the definition of health care providers that are eligible to receive RHCP support.  By Federal Communications Commission (FCC) interpretation, SNFs were not eligible to receive these funds as, we believe, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 intended.  The Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2015, which was included in the Toxic Substances Control Act conference report, passed in the full Senate on June 7th. 

The conference report was recently signed into law by the President.  AHCA applauds the Congressional leaders in both chambers who made this passage possible. 

 

AHCA/NCAL Advocacy App

If you haven’t already heard about it, then we wanted to alert you to a great app that allows you to keep abreast of AHCA advocacy efforts.  Among other things, it provides important talking points, issue briefs and features that allow you to take action.  It will be useful not only to you, but serves as a great way for providers to weigh in.  You can get the app by clicking on the appropriate black box below.

 

Download our advocacy app!

   

VOR Corner

VOR is a national nonprofit organization advocating for high quality care and human rights for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). VOR empowers its members to make and protect quality of life choices for individuals with developmental disabilities.  Founded in 1983, VOR is a national 501(c)(3) organization governed by a volunteer board of directors and funded solely by dues and donations.  VOR represents primarily individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families/guardians.  VOR advocates that the final determination of what is appropriate depends on the unique abilities and needs of the individual and desires of the family and guardians.  More information about VOR can be found here.

We’ve Got You Covered! AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions Website

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) now offers a variety of comprehensive insurance programs to meet your business needs. Backed by the strength of our membership, AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions programs are designed with exclusive member savings and discounts for both the fully-insured or self-insured members.

The program offers health insurance options, group and voluntary benefit packages, an aggressive Stop-Loss insurance program as well as cloud based HR platforms that will help members achieve savings and greater efficiencies on HR services within your company, while also tracking and reporting on key Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements.  For more information, please contact AHCA’s Dave Kyllo at dkyllo@AHCA.org and visit the AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions website.