[OhioDAN-Talk] Potential opportunity to make our position known (CMS Announces Award for Improving Accessibility of Medical Offices and Services for People with Disabilities)

Tue Feb 12 16:15:59 UTC 2019

Greetings Fellow Diabetics and Supporters,

While reading thru some emails I missed last week, This one jumped out at
me. CMS is providing awards for Doctors that make their offices accessible
and the Centene Barrier Removal Fund  is providing grants for accessibility.
How do we get them to provide these acknowledgments to the manufacturers of
medical equipment. I know that I may not fully understand the legal
ramifications around making encouragement like this happen, but with some
effort and this model, it shouldn't be too difficult. Please read below:

February 7, 2018

CMS Announces Award for Improving Accessibility of Medical Offices and
Services for People with Disabilities

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid announced the
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D0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTkwMjA3LjEzMDM1NTEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTkwM
jA3LjEzMDM1NTEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNzA4Mzg4MCZlbWFpbGlkPXRydXN0b
Wl0Y2hAZ21haWwuY29tJnVzZXJpZD10cnVzdG1pdGNoQGdtYWlsLmNvbSZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9J
mV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&101&&&https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Ag
ency-Information/OMH/equity-initiatives/equity-awards.html> CMS Health
Equity Awards on January 31 to celebrate organizations "who are closing gaps
in health care quality, access, and outcomes among minorities and other
underserved populations."

Centene Corporation was honored for their "commitment to make sweeping
accessibility improvements to their facilities." Centene Corporation, a
Fortune 100 Company, is a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise
that provides a portfolio of services to government sponsored and commercial
programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Informed in
part by the CMS issue brief,
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mV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&102&&&https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Ag
ency-Information/OMH/Downloads/Issue-Brief-Physical-AccessibilityBrief.pdf>
Increasing the Physical Accessibility of Healthcare Facilities, Centene
recognized the need to address the significant barriers to access that
individuals with physical accessibility challenges face when trying to get
needed health care. 

ACL is committed to promoting accessible durable medical equipment and
health care access initiatives. ACL-funded Centers for Independent Living
played a large part in conducting the more than 2,500 onsite Accessibility
Site Reviews (described below) that are integral to this initiative. 

As part of its ongoing commitment to provide equal access to quality
healthcare and services, Centene announced in 2018 that it would partner
with the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) on an initiative to
increase the accessibility of provider medical offices and services for
people with disabilities. The Provider Accessibility Initiative (PAI) kicked
off with the "Barrier Removal Fund" (BRF) in three pilot states, Illinois,
Texas, and Ohio. The goal of the initiative is to provide equal access to
quality health care and services that are physically and programmatically
accessible for its members with disabilities and their companions by
increasing the percentage of Centene providers that meet minimum and federal
state disability access standards.

To date, 52 health care providers in Illinois, Texas, and Ohio received
grants from the Centene Barrier Removal Fund. The grantees range in size,
location, and specialty and include both physical and programmatic access
improvements. In addition, more than 2,500 onsite Accessibility Site Reviews
have been conducted across California, Illinois, Texas, and Ohio with the
help of ACL-funded Centers for Independent Living.

As a result of these efforts, more than 36,000 of Centene's members now have
improved access to their provider's office. In 2019, Centene plans to roll
out this initiative in Florida, Kansas, and New Mexico, and continue its
efforts to develop data collection processes and directory improvements that
can be scaled across states.

  _____  

Background on the CMS Health Equity Awards: CMS recognizes that all
beneficiaries should be able to achieve their highest level in care and
works to ensure that disparities in health care quality and access are
eliminated. Starting in 2018, CMS began recognizing organizations
demonstrating a similar commitment to health equity by reducing disparities
among the CMS beneficiaries they serve, particularly among racial and ethnic
minorities, individuals with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, and
those living in rural areas.

CMS looks forward to recognizing another organization who can demonstrate
results. The successful organization is reducing disparities in health care
quality, access, or outcomes for a priority population, including: racial
and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, sexual and gender
minorities, or individuals living in rural areas.
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D0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTkwMjA3LjEzMDM1NTEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTkwM
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mV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&103&&&https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Ag
ency-Information/OMH/equity-initiatives/equity-awards.html> Learn more.

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Now do you agree that this is a door opening for us to assert our objectives
for accessible medical equipment? I really feel that it is time for our team
to convene to make a difference!

Thank you,

Walter Mitchell

V-President, Ohio Diabetes Action Network

Board member, National Diabetes Action Network

(513) 582-8606

Walterl.mitch2 at gmail.com

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