[New-hampshire-students] IMPORTANT - PLEASE OPEN AND READ **A.S.A.P.**!!!!! Fwd: Advocacy Alert - Flood of Comments to CMS Needed Now!

Andrew Harmon andrewjharmon at gmail.com
Mon Oct 31 03:01:47 UTC 2011


Dear all
Please read the following email - I received this on Friday   in my
Inbox from Jeff Dickinson, the advocacy coordinator for Granite State
Independent Living.

I realize this is quite last-minute, but I had hoped to gain more
information before blasting everyone.  You can contact Jeff at the
following:

Phone: 603-228-9680 (call and ask for Jeff Dickinson)
Email: <jdickinson at gsil.org>

Thank you for your time and have a happy Halloween

Andrew Harmon

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jeff Dickinson <jdickinson at gsil.org>
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:28:47 -0700
Subject: Advocacy Alert - Flood of Comments to CMS Needed Now!
To: Jeff Dickinson <jdickinson at gsil.org>









[cid:image001.png at 01CC7F77.4DD2D400]


Granite State Independent Living
Advocacy Alert
Flood of Comments to CMS Needed Now!



OCTOBER 28, 2011


In This Issue

•    Comments to CMS Needed Now!!

•   What is the Problem?

• What Should You Do?





Granite State Independent Living
Advocacy Program

21 Chenell Drive
 Concord, NH 03301

Office: (603) 228-9680 or (800) 826-3700

V/TTY: (888) 396-3459

Visit our website at: www.gsil.org<http://www.gsil.org>

E-mail: advocacy at gsil.org<mailto:advocacy at gsil.org>


PPProposed Proposed Rules for Medicaid Eligibility Under Healthcare
Reform Law May Harm People with Disabilities
Your Comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Are Vital!!
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently
released  a   Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the
eligibility process for   changes to Medicaid as impacted by The
Affordable Care Act (ACA). There are some serious implications for
individuals with  disabilities in these proposed
rules–specifically, current and future enrollees' ability to access
long-term care services, such as personal care services, respite care,
supported employment, work based personal attendant care, and others.
While we believe this was an unintended consequence resulting from
efforts to create a streamlined process for enrollment  and
eligibility, it is critically important that CMS receive your comments
on these proposed rules so people with disabilities are not worse off
under the ACA.

What Is The Problem?
In the proposed regulations, applicants applying to Medicaid for
health care coverage will see a significant change in the eligibility
process. States are required to assess eligibility strictly based on a
measure of income called modified adjusted gross income or MAGI. The
ACA included exceptions from using the MAGI method to determine
eligibility only for individuals who are: receiving SSI, pregnant,
over the age of 65, or receiving Medicare (Part A or Part B).

Everyone outside of these groups of individuals will have eligibility
based on their MAGI for eligibility. Anyone (including those currently
eligible for Medicaid through medical based waivers such as CFI, DD,
ABD, and the MEAD program) with modified adjusted gross income less
than 133% of the federal poverty level for their family size (roughly
$14,600 annually for an individual) will be eligible for a limited
package of healthcare eligibility called a benchmark plan.  The
benchmark plan will not contain access to many of the long-term care
provisions required by individuals with disabilities. Individuals who
are eligible for the benchmark plan will not be eligible for
additional services traditionally offered through waiver programs
(such as respite care, expanded personal attendant services, supported
employment).  This means that many people with disabilities with
long-term care needs will likely not be able to get the services they
need to maintain their independence!


What Should You Do?
CMS will only adjust these rules if they receive a significant number
of comments from many people.  For this reason we are asking
individuals to submit comments to CMS before the comment period closes
on October 31, 2011.  As you can see there is VERY little time!
Tell CMS That:

•       Individuals with disabilities who are currently receiving
long-term care services to live independently in the community should
not be adversely impacted by ACA implementation.

•       People with disabilities should be able to make an informed
choice about enrolling in the healthcare package that best meets their
needs--whether that is the benchmark plan or a traditional Medicaid
program.

•       People with disabilities should be exempt from the MAGI
methodology. At the very least, all Medicaid eligibles as of December
31, 2013 should be exempt from the new MAGI methodology for
determining future eligibility.

•       Individuals with disabilities should be eligible for long-term
care services based on need and should be eligible to receive the
services in the most appropriate setting.

•       Individuals with disabilities who are found eligible for
Medicaid should not be placed in the benchmark plan if their
functional level of need makes them eligible for services not
available through that plan.

•       Individuals incorrectly placed in a benchmark plan--or those
who experience the onset of disability following an initial
determination--with a need for long-term services and supports need to
be able to move to a different category of eligibility so that they
can access those additional services.

•       CMS needs to allow individuals with disabilities to work with
community organizations to expedite eligibility for individuals who
require a higher level of care than provided by benchmark plans.

•        Individuals with disabilities who work or wish to work must
continue to have access to by now well established Medicaid Buy-In
programs that currently exist in a majority of the states. These are
vital work incentives enacted to help people with disabilities break
the cycle of poverty.

PLEASE submit YOUR comments or suggestions to CMS!



Comments are due on October 31, 2011.



Given the short timeframe it is best to submit your comments electronically at:



http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=HHS-OS-2011-0024-0001



Thank You!!




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