Health Care

Update: Dayton Revises Recommendations to Make MA Provider Payments Essential

On Monday, June 20th, Governor Mark Dayton announced that he will be revising his recommended list of essential services that should continue during a shutdown to include payments to providers of health and economic assistance services. Click here for more information.

This would include payments to disability services providers under Medical Assistance. The inclusion of disability service provider payments in Governor Dayton’s recommended list of essential services was an issue that MN-CCD and many member organizations had been diligently working on in recent days.

ARRM (Association of Residential Resources inMinnesota), MHC (MN Habilitation Coalition) and MnDACA (MN Association for Community Supports) filed an amicus brief in Ramsey County Court addressing this issue just yesterday. The brief makes the case that in the event of a government shutdown, residential and day activity services provided to Minnesotans with disabilities should be deemed as “essential” services and the state should continue to pay for these services to be provided. The petition demonstrates that without payments for these services, people would be harmed.

The MN Disability Law Center and other individual MN-CCD member organizations had also been in communications with theDaytonadministration and others about the importance of continuing disability service provider payments in the event of a shutdown. Thank you to all disability community members who advocated on this important issue. While it is certainly good news that multiple legal briefs have now been filed calling for the payment of MA services to continue in the event of a shutdown, the matter has not yet been decided. Ramsey County Court will take up the matter this Thursday, and at this time it is unclear whether the court will issue a decision that very day of which (if any) services will be deemed “essential” in the event of a shutdown.

Amidst all the confusion over the potential upcoming government shutdown, MN-CCD continues to capture stories from individuals and organizations illustrating what substantial legislative cuts to disability services would look like. We continue to look for stories to share with legislators and the media, and we have helpful tools that can be used to construct these stories. Please contact us if you are interested in sharing your stories and/or accessing these tools.

In other timely updates, ADAPT MN will be hosting a Minnesota Community Living Leadership Award Ceremony this Thursday, June 23, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda. ADAPT Minnesota is thanking Governor Mark Dayton for vetoing several finance bills that would have created significant harm throughout the disability community. For more information on this event, click here.

Faces of Disability @ The Capitol

Tuesday April 5, 10 a.m. till noon

Minnesota Capitol Rotunda,
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Saint Paul

Join the MN-CCD for a ‘Faces of Disability’ fair in the rotunda of the State Capitol.

Featuring:

- Photos of individuals with disabilities living in and contributing to their communities

- The “Institutions to Independence” video documenting the history of the disability service movement

- A complete history of disability in Minnesota

- A chance to get involved in some disability advocacy

The event is an opportunity to celebrate the positive contributions of the disability community and create awareness of how far we have come as a state in our community supports.

Please stop by anytime between 10 – Noon. We look forward to seeing you!

Technology and the iPad, helping people with disabilities

Check out this wonderful article from the New York Times about the therapeutic uses of the iPad for individuals with disabilities.

The uses include using text-to-speech applications to give patients a voice. Allowing Christopher Bulger, a 16-year-old from Chicago who injured his spine in a car accident, to surf the Internet during the early stages of his rehabilitation when his hands were clenched into fists. As well as giving children with autism applications to learn basic skills, like brushing teeth and communicating better.

Voting in a Non Presidential Election year – Why it’s our Civic Responsibility

As everyone likely knows, this fall’s election will not include a presidential race. As a result, many members of the general public may reach the conclusion that it’s not worth the time and effort to research candidates and head to the polls on Nov 2 – as “it’s just smaller elected positions” that are up for election. In actuality, this could not be farther from the truth. The individuals who fill the positions up for election this fall in Minnesota will make decisions that will impact each and every one of us, along with our families and our communities. Consider the following:

-          Minnesotans are voting for their US Representative this fall, and one only needs to look to this past year to see the significant power the US Congress has in making decisions about our ability to access healthcare and the quality of that care, financial regulations that impact our ability to save and spend money, strategies for protecting our environment and natural resources, and much more.

-          Minnesotans will be voting for a Governor, State Representative and State Senator this fall as well. Together, these three offices will be designing, debating and passing legislation that will impact everything from the quality of the roads we drive on here in Minnesota, to the way we farm, to the amount of taxes we pay, to the services we provide our vulnerable community members such as those with disabilities, to how our schools are funded.

-          In many parts of Minnesota this fall, school board members will be up for election. School board members make decisions about the classes and extra curriculars offered at your local schools as well as which schools will and wont stay open in times of financial distress.

-          Other public offices are up for election as well, such as County Commissioner, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor, Judges and Associate Justices – and each of these office holders will be making decisions about the way we do things here in Minnesota.

Armed with this understanding of just how significant this fall’s elections will be in terms of its impact on our daily lives as citizens of Minnesota, it should becomes more difficult to adopt the mindset that its not worth our time and effort to do our research and head to the polls. Indeed, it is clear that it is in fact our civic responsibility to head to the polls on Nov 2, ready to vote for those individuals who will move Minnesota in a direction that aligns with our values and beliefs about how our wonderful state of Minnesota should be run.

 We each access, utilize, rely upon, bemoan and celebrate multiple attributes and services of Minnesota every day. But no one likes the person who criticizes the food they didn’t help make or brags about the clean park they didn’t help clean – so let’s be sure we all exercise our civic responsibility by heading to the polls on Tuesday Nov 2 to do our part to support candidates that will make Minnesota the kind of place we want it to be.

The November Elections will be here before we know it … be prepared!

Each and every Minnesota Legislative seat is up for grabs, so its a great time to get prepared, get involved and start thinking about who you want to vote for. 

To save time and stress on Election Day, REGISTER TO VOTE BY OCTOBER 12.  Click here to check if you are pre-registered or to access a voter registration application.   

The next step is start thinking about who you want to vote for.  To get folks started on this, the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) has hosted a number of legislative candidate forums across the state.  The events provided many folks with the opportunity to meet their candidates and find out where they stand on issues important to them. 

MN-CCD will be concluding its successful candidate forum season in Marshall, Minnesota, this Thursday October 7.  If you live in the Marshall area please join us so we can conclude our candidate event season with a bang:

District 21 Legislative Candidate Forum / Marshall, MN / Thursday, October 7 from 6pm to 7:30pm / Adult Community Center / 107 South Fourth Street

If you were unable to catch a MN-CCD candidate event this year, many other Minnesota non-profit organizations have worked hard this Election Season to bring legislative and gubernatorial candidates to your community.  Visit the Minnesota Participation Project  to access a list of candidate events yet to be held across the state. 

If you are unable to find a candidate event near you and want to learn about the candidates in your area visit the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota’s Election Guide and type in your address.  From this site you can access your candidate’s web pages and/or contact them directly about issues that are important to you.     

In addition to pre-registering and doing your candidate homework:  make sure you know where to go vote on November 2nd (your polling place) and how you are going to get there .

Things to keep in mind as you plan for Election Day: polling places are open from 7am – 8pm, you have the right to take off work at any point during the workday for the purpose of voting and you have the right to ask for help (a friend, family member, election judge) when filling out your ballot. 

Determine your transportation needs and enlist loved ones or neighbors for a ride if need be.  If you live in the metro area, you can access a free accessible ride to and from your polling place on November 2^nd.  Reserve your free metro ride at 1-866-50-RIDES. 

To find answers to other questions about participating in 2010 Minnesota Elections; including applying for an absentee ballot if you are faced with barriers that make it hard to get to your polling place on November 2^nd, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

Make your voice heard this Election Season and prove that Minnesotans with disabilities are no longer the most underrepresented voters on Election Day!

A season of candidate events….

The MN-CCD Grassroots and Communications committee worked hard over the summer months to plan a series of 10 candidate events for this fall.  To date, we have hosted three candidate picnics and five candidate forums across the state of Minnesota. Each event has been a great opportunity for disability community members to learn about and connect with those candidates running to represent them in the state legislature  – and not to mention a lot of fun.

The final days of summer found MN-CCD grassroots committee members grilling hot dogs and talking policy with legislative candidates at our three outdoor picnics at Boom Island, Kingsley Commons and Powderhorn Park.

Soon after the picnics wrapped up, we hit the road for a candidate forum in Duluth Minnesota, where all seven candidates for District 7 answered questions ranging from how they would address the issue of disability employment in Duluth to what ideas they have for improving public transportation.

On Sept 16th the two candidates running for the position of MN Secretary of State met and answered questions regarding the disability community and voting, and touched on many other interesting issues along the way. Coverage of this event can be found here.

Candidates for the House and Senate in District 28 met on Tuesday September 21 at Jordan Towers in Red Wing for a Candidate Forum focusing on disability and aging issues. This well attended event touched on the state budget deficit, unemployment and how candidates see the coming age wave of baby boomers.  Other cosponsors for this event in Red Wing included REM MN, ProAct, Opportunity Services, and Potters Ridge Assisted Living.  The event was highlighted in the local newspaper in Candidates square off on taxes, jobs. On this same night, candidates for the House and Senate in District 15 also met,  this time at the Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud. Coverage of this forum is available here.

Most recently, on Thursday Sep 23 candidates for District 41 met on a very wet night in Edina. The weather and traffic may have made it difficult for some to attend the forum, so luckily the forum is available on video. Sit back, grab a bowl of popcorn, and enjoy!

Only 2 more MN CCD Candidate Forums remain – September 30^th from 6 – 7:30, Lake Elmo- District 56  at Lake Elmo Inn Event Center & October 7 from 6 – 7:30, Marshall-District 21 at the Adult Community Center. More details are available here. Join us if you are able – it’s a great way to become a more informed voter on Nov 2nd!

Update on Minnesota’s ability to pursue federal healthcare reform grants

Many of you are already aware that last Tuesday, Aug. 31,  Governor Pawlenty announced an executive order requiring all state agencies to send any federal grant requests related to federal healthcare reform through his office, noting that he would likely not allow these grant requests to move forward unless they are required by law.  The federal healthcare reform legislating that was passed this past year contains a variety of opportunities for states to apply for specific healthcare reform grants from the federal government. At this point it is unclear exactly how much this action will cost the state of Minnesota, but some estimates place this number as high as tens of millions of dollars in lost potential grant money. You can view a Star Tribune story on the decision here.

Minnesota’s disability community will feel the impact of this decision. First of all, federal monies that would have come to MN in the form of specific healthcare reform grants would have lessened the strain on Minnesota’s overall Medicaid budget. Secondly, a number of the state grant opportunities outlined in federal healthcare reform legislation were designed to support states in their work to serve individuals with disabilities in their homes and communities, rather than in institutions. The inability of Minnesota to move forward with applying for these grants will negatively impact our state’s progress in this area.

As a specific example, federal healthcare reform legislation included a $200,000 planning grant for a Money Follows the Person program that would have supported states in helping individuals with disabilities to move out of nursing homes and into the community by providing an increased federal Medicaid match for the individual’s first year in community services. A Minnesota state agency’s plan to move forward with applying for this grant was stopped as a result of this executive order.

MN-CCD leaders will continue to meet with state officials and other stakeholders to discuss this issue, so stay tuned for updates.

- Anni Simons

Parking at Boom Island

Please remember to bring a couple of dollars with you when you come to Boom Island on Monday. All of the public parking is pay-only, one dollar an hour. We’ll have volunteers available to help you figure it out and we do have a limited supply of free parking passes if you really need one. See you there!

Boom Island Park – Monday 8/23 – 5-7pm

Our first MN CCD POLICY GRILL is all set for Monday. 

Please come and help us kick-off our fall grassroots events season in style.  Enjoy some summer weather, east some food and meet Minneapolis candidates for the Minnesota Legislature.  Plus,  it’s a great warm up for the State Fair which opens the following Thursday.

On the menu will be:  hamburgers, all-beef hot dogs, chips, pasta salad, fruit, cookies, soda pop and water.  Jeff Nachbar from the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota will be running the grill and we hope to see you there!

The MN-CCD BBQ’ s are here!

2010 is an exciting year, the persons elected to the Minnesota legislature will play an important role in Minnesota’s future. So let’s take advantage of the summer weather, enjoy some great food from the grill, get to know the candidates from your district, and learn where they stand on the issues that matter most to you.

Monday August 23 • Boom Island Park, Area C
724 Sibley St. NE Minneapolis / 5-7pm

Tuesday August 31 • Kingsley Commons
4550 N Humboldt Ave, Minneapolis / 5-7pm

Thursday September 2 • Powderhorn Park
3400 15^th Avenue S, Minneapolis / 5-7pm

Join us so you can make a more informed decision on November 2.

Contact Anni S at 651-523-0823 ext. 112 or asimons@arcmn.org for more information.

NY Times: Cuts in Home Care Put Elderly and Disabled at Risk

Take a look at this interesting article which touches on many of the issues we in the disability advocacy community are currently discussing: New York Times Article

An issue for the disability community to watch…. Petitions for Voter Photo ID

Petitions are now being circulated in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth to put an issue on the November 2, 2010 election ballot that, if passed, will require all registered voters to present a valid photo ID when voting in municipal elections. The measures would apply to city elections only, not state or federal.  They would not apply to absentee ballots. Roughly 10 % of people with disabilities do not have a photo ID that would allow them to vote, and they would face significant barriers to getting one.  People with disabilities who do not drive may have trouble getting to a government office to get an ID.  The petition proposals say that the cost of getting a photo ID will be paid by the cities if the person cannot afford it, but the supporting documents for getting an ID card—Birth Certificate, marriage licenses, etc.—can be costly and time-consuming to track down. The deadline for the ballot petitions to be submitted is July 6, 2010, in all three cities. The Voting Rights Coalition, a non-partisan coalition whose purpose is to promote voting rights and civic engagement,  is working to bring attention to this issue.  If you would like more detailed information regarding the petition process, please contact phoopes@midmnlegal.org , or 612-746-3711.

Some background information on this issue from the Voting Rights Coalition:

Photo ID requirements will not stop voter fraud.

• There are no known cases of voter impersonation in Minnesota.  This is the fraud that photo ID could prevent.  It would, however, stop eligible voters from voting.
• In the 2008 U.S. Senate election recount, lawyers for both candidates looked for fraud in the election.  They found none.
• Creating different requirements for city elections will lead to confusion, not integrity.

Photo ID requirements are an unnecessary expense.

If you don’t have a photo ID, it takes time, money – and other ID – to meet the proposal’s requirement.  Furthermore, the petition says that people who cannot afford a photo ID would be able to get one at no cost.  There are, however, many hidden costs.

• Elderly citizens and voters with disabilities who do not drive may have difficulty getting to government offices to obtain a photo ID.
• The supporting documents for getting an ID card – Birth Certificate, marriage licenses, etc. – can be costly and time-consuming to track down.
• The cost of providing photo ID will be paid by the city and, ultimately, the taxpayers.  This additional expense would provide no benefit to the community.

Many eligible voters do not have photo ID.

• People over 65 – Approximately 18% of older Americans do not have a valid state-issued ID.  They may also have trouble getting to a government service center to obtain one.
• People with disabilities – 10% of people with disabilities do not have a photo ID that would allow them to vote.  Many of these citizens have significant barriers to getting a photo ID.
• Students – Many students attending Minnesota colleges and universities do not yet have a Minnesota ID.  This would make it more difficult and confusing for students to vote.