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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Walter:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">This has tremendous potential. At a minimum, we could push to encourage recognition of accessibility beyond physical barrier removal to providing medical information in a nonvisually accessible manner.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Moreover, the statement that “</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">ACL is committed to promoting accessible durable medical equipment and health care access initiatives”
has potential for a proposal to get funding for some work on accessible medical equipment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Thanks for sharing. I assume you are interested in helping us investigate this opportunity. We will keep everyone posted on any progress.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Anil</span><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Anil Lewis, M.P.A.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">(410) 659-9314 x 2374 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> Accessible-Medical-Equipment-Discussion-Group [mailto:accessible-medical-equipment-discussion-group-bounces@nfbnet.org]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Walter Mitchell via Accessible-Medical-Equipment-Discussion-Group<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, February 12, 2019 11:16 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Accessible-Medical-Equipment-Discussion-Group <accessible-medical-equipment-discussion-group@nfbnet.org>; NFB of Ohio, Diabetes Action Network List <ohiodan-talk@nfbnet.org><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Walter Mitchell <walterl.mitch2@gmail.com>; Kay.elizabeth.jordan@gmail.com<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Accessible-Medical-Equipment-Discussion-Group] Potential opportunity to make our position known (CMS Announces Award for Improving Accessibility of Medical Offices and Services for People with Disabilities)<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Greetings Fellow Diabetics and Supporters,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Centene Barrier Removal Fund</span> 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:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="gdp" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:white">February 7, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#08508F">CMS Announces Award for Improving Accessibility of Medical Offices and Services for People with Disabilities<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid announced the
<a href="http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTkwMjA3LjEzMDM1NTEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTkwMjA3LjEzMDM1NTEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNzA4Mzg4MCZlbWFpbGlkPXRydXN0bWl0Y2hAZ21haWwuY29tJnVzZXJpZD10cnVzdG1pdGNoQGdtYWlsLmNvbSZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&101&&&https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/equity-initiatives/equity-awards.html" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#015091">CMS Health Equity Awards</span></a> on January 31 to celebrate organizations "who are closing gaps in health care quality, access, and outcomes among minorities and other underserved populations."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gdp" style="mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">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, <em><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTkwMjA3LjEzMDM1NTEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTkwMjA3LjEzMDM1NTEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNzA4Mzg4MCZlbWFpbGlkPXRydXN0bWl0Y2hAZ21haWwuY29tJnVzZXJpZD10cnVzdG1pdGNoQGdtYWlsLmNvbSZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&102&&&https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/Downloads/Issue-Brief-Physical-AccessibilityBrief.pdf" title="Issue-Brief-Physical-AccessibilityBrief"><span style="color:#015091">Increasing
the Physical Accessibility of Healthcare Facilities</span></a></span></em>, 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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gdp" style="mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gdp" style="mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gdp" style="mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gdp" style="mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">As a result of these efforts, more than 36,000 of Centene’s members now have improved access to their provider’s office<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">.</span></strong> 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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Background on the CMS Health Equity Awards:</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> 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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">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.
<a href="http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTkwMjA3LjEzMDM1NTEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTkwMjA3LjEzMDM1NTEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNzA4Mzg4MCZlbWFpbGlkPXRydXN0bWl0Y2hAZ21haWwuY29tJnVzZXJpZD10cnVzdG1pdGNoQGdtYWlsLmNvbSZ0YXJnZXRpZD0mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&103&&&https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/equity-initiatives/equity-awards.html" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#015091">Learn more</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="#gd_top"><span style="color:#015091">Back to top</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">____<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Walter Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">V-President, Ohio Diabetes Action Network<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Board member, National Diabetes Action Network<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">(513) 582-8606<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><a href="mailto:Walterl.mitch2@gmail.com">Walterl.mitch2@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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