March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

In a March 1, 2017, email update from the Administration for Community Living (ACL) it is noted that March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions people with developmental disabilities make to our society.  The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Association of University Centers on Disabilities and National Disability Rights Network have partnered to launch a social media campaign to highlight the many ways in which people with and without developmental disabilities come together to form strong, diverse communities.  You can visit the #DDAwareness17 page for more information on the campaign. 

AHCA’s ID/DD Members Storm the Hill this Week

This Wednesday, AHCA’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) Residential Services Providers will be in Washington DC for AHCA’s annual Hill Fly-In event.  Participants will hear from several Congressional speakers, including current and former Hill staffers and members of Congress.  The morning will start off with a Hill update from Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-02), and will be followed by a Managed Care update from Camille Dobson, the NASUAD Deputy Executive Director.  Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from a Congressional Hill panel that will include the Honorable Earl Pomeroy, the Honorable Jim McCrery, Bob Russell and Dan Elling. 

AHCA’s ID/DD providers will then head in the afternoon to Capitol Hill to discuss critical issues, including Medicaid, Medicaid Managed Care and workforce shortages.  If you have any questions relating to this event, please don’t hesitate to contact AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson. 

AHCA/NCAL Responds to House Republican Legislation to Repeal and Replace Obamacare

On March 7, 2017, the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) President and CEO Mark Parkinson today issued the following statement regarding the Obamacare repeal and replace bill released on Monday, March 6:

“Long term care providers across the country are disappointed that cuts to Medicaid are included in the Obamacare repeal and replace bill released yesterday. The current Medicaid system underfunds nursing center care by $22.46 per day, resulting in a shortfall of nearly $7 billion annually. The bill released yesterday will sharply reduce Medicaid funds across the board for all beneficiaries, making it harder than ever to maintain access to care for the most vulnerable in our society.

“The residents in long term care centers are uniquely vulnerable. More than one million individuals call nursing centers their home and most rely on Medicaid for their care. This bill will cut Medicaid funding for seniors and individuals with disabilities, jeopardizing access to the care they need.

“We strongly encourage Congress to protect Medicaid access for seniors and people with disabilities in the Obamacare repeal and replace effort.”

AHCA/NCAL Congratulates Administrator Verma

The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) President and CEO Mark Parkinson issued the following statement on March 13 regarding confirmation of Seema Verma as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) at the Department of Health and Human Services:

“We congratulate Ms. Verma and look forward to the opportunity to work with her and the team at CMS. Her experience and health care policy knowledge will serve the country well as we continue on the journey to provide quality care for millions of patients and residents.”

Emergency Preparedness CMS Final Rule Summaries Available

The California Association of Health Facilities and the American Health Care Association have put together a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) and Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ICF/IID) Emergency Preparedness CMS Final Rule summaries that can be found here.  The rule was released on Friday, September 16, 2016, and can be found here.  Providers will need to comply by November 2017.  Members impacted by the rule include SNFs, Nursing Facilities and ICF/IIDs.  This final rule is not applicable to Assisted Living Providers. 

Finally, the AHCA Emergency Preparedness Final Rule Webinar Series that you might find of assistance can be found here. 

ICF/IID Reports

AHCA's Research Department has released the following June 2016 updates for use by AHCA/NCAL members:

• LTC Stats: Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) Standard Health Survey Report, June 2016
• LTC Stats: Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID), June 2016

If you have any questions relating to these reports, which include important ICF/IID state and national data, please contact AHCA’s Senior Research Analyst, Kiran Sreenivas.

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Grassroots Advocacy – Facility Visits Over Recess

Holly Jarek, AHCA's ID/DD Committee Chair, encourages AHCA's ID/DD providers to participate in our grassroots advocacy efforts in 2017.  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.