Health & Medicaid

Federal Medicaid officials are issuing new guidance aimed at making it easier for children with complex medical conditions like severe autism and cerebral palsy to access the care they need, even if that means crossing state lines. To read the full article click HERE

People with disabilities are often excluded from clinical trials, limiting what’s known about how new treatments will affect those with various conditions. Now a major drug company is looking to change that. Read the full article HERE

Public benefits are often a key part of a financial plan for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Public benefits are services, benefits, or financial payments from the government for people who are eligible to help pay for food, health care, housing, and other basic living needs. It is important to learn about and apply for all public benefits that a person with IDD may be eligible for. Read full article HERE

Access to affordable health care through the Medicaid program is one of the great benefits afforded to most recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In many states, full Medicaid coverage is often equal to, or even better than, many private health insurance plans, allowing SSI beneficiaries and other Medicaid recipients to effectively manage their illness or disability. Read the full story HERE

With the Biden administration planning to soon end the emergency status prompted by the pandemic, advocates are warning that the shift will have major implications for people with disabilities that go far beyond COVID-19. Read the full story HERE

After the U.S. House of Representatives passed a plan this week to slash federal spending and raise the nation’s debt ceiling, advocates say access to Medicaid and other disability programs could be imperiled. Read the full story HERE

Doctor’s offices often lack examination tables, weight scales and other diagnostic equipment that are accessible to people with disabilities. Now, the U.S. Department of Justice is trying to change that. The agency is proposing a rule under the Americans with Disabilities Act that would adopt technical standards spelling out the responsibilities that hospitals and health care clinics operated by state or local governments have under the law. Read the full story HERE