[Nfbf-l] {Disarmed} Fw: UCP Washington Wire: Week of Monday, May 30

[Carlos J MontasAS]

UCP Washington Wire: Week of Monday, May 30    
----        - Original Message ----- 
From: United Cerebral Palsy 
To: carlos.montas at gmail.com 
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 10:03 AM
Subject: UCP Washington Wire: Week of Monday, May 30



  UCP Washington Wire


  May 31, 2011
   
  Greetings! Last week, the Senate voted 40-57 to reject the fiscal 2012 budget plan written by Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI). The vote was mostly along party lines, but a handful of Republicans voted with Democrats to kill Ryan's proposal. If the plan had been passed, over 750 billion Medicaid dollars would have been cut over a period of 10 years; Medicaid would have been transformed into a block grant. Medicare would have been replaced with a voucher that would allow for less care to people who need services. The bill would have also completely repealed the Affordable Care Act, including programs like the CLASS Act.
   
  Medicaid
  A new report, released this week by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that most Americans do not like the idea of converting Medicaid to block grant financing to reduce the federal deficit. According to the poll, 60 percent of people say they would prefer to keep Medicaid as it is, with the federal government guaranteeing coverage and setting standards for benefits and eligibility. Thirty-five percent would rather change the program so that the government gives states a fixed amount of money and each state decides what to use it for. Only 13 percent of Americans say they would support major reductions in Medicaid spending as part of Congress’ efforts to reduce the deficit, while 3 in 10 would support minor reductions and 53 percent want to see no reductions in Medicaid spending at all. The poll notes that American citizens remain quite evenly divided over the whole Affordable Care Act. To view the poll, click here.
   
  HHS Secretary Declares Public Health Emergency in Missouri After Severe Tornadoes Hit 
  Secretary Sebelius declared a public health emergency for Missouri in the aftermath of  severe tornadoes which struck the state last week. The action will enable the Secretary to ensure that beneficiaries of Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) continue to receive services during this emergency. HHS agencies are working with Missouri state agencies and regional networks to respond to public health and medical needs of impacted communities. To read more about this effort, please click here. 

  Education
  This past week, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued guidance through Dear Colleague Letters to elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education along with a Frequently Asked Questions document on the legal obligation to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits of technology. This guidance is a critical step in the Department's ongoing efforts to ensure that students with disabilities receive equal access to the educational benefits and services provided by their schools, colleges and universities. The guidance is the result of efforts from the Department of Education and the Obama Administration to help serve the needs of people with disabilities.

  To read the Dear Colleague Letter to elementary and secondary schools, please click here.

  To read the Dear Colleague Letter to institutions of higher education, please click here.

  The Frequently Asked Questions document is available here.
   
  Thank you, and have a great week!
   
  For more information on this UCP Washington Wire contact: Connie Garner, CGarner at ucp.org<mailto:CGarner at ucp.org>.
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