LSA Washington – October 13, 2008
A regular publication from the LSA Public Policy Office
Proposed Changes Would Impact Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Waivers
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is expected to issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) that would impact Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based waivers. One of the proposed changes would allow states to include multiple target populations in a single waiver. Some current target groups include MR/DD, technology dependent, mentally ill, aged and physically disabled. CMS would also require person-centered planning and service provision based on the needs of an individual, which would promote additional flexibility for states. The other proposed change would allow states to define "home and community" in an attempt to ensure that living arrangements, especially residential settings, are focused on the individual and are home-like environments. An ANPRM on this matter may be issued by the end of October.
-Heather Ansley, JD, MSW and Kirsten Jensen, MSG, MPA
Congress Adjourns For Election Recess
After passing the economic rescue plan on Friday, October 3, Congress adjourned to allow members to campaign ahead of the election on November 4. Congress has not adjourned sine die, which allows them to reconvene ahead of the newly elected Congress' convening on January 3, 2009. It is anticipated that the Senate will return for a "lame duck" session in mid-November to allow passage of bills left unfinished. House Democratic leaders have also indicated they plan to reconvene the House as early as late October to work on a second economic stimulus package.
--Lisa Hassenstab, MSW, MA
LSA Gathering at AAHSA Conference
LSA will host a reception today at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging conference in Philadelphia. The gathering will take place at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Room 411/412 on Monday, October 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 or so for some light refreshments and a chance to see old friends and make new ones. Last year nearly 200 people attended. Please be sure to pass this message along to your staff members who may be attending the conference and encourage them to meet with colleagues from other Lutheran organizations.
-- Lisa Carr, MSW
LSA Public Policy Conference Calls to Focus on E-tools, Election Results and Health Care
On October 16, LSA will host a public policy conference call on new tools for e-advocacy for social ministry organizations. Lisa Hassenstab, Associate Director of Public Policy, will offer tips and tricks for easy-to-use tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Ning, and how you can incorporate them into your advocacy efforts.
The November 20 conference call will feature an analysis of the election results and what LSA members can expect from the new Congress and Administration. LSA public policy staff members will present information gained from research and from their interactions with others in the nation's capitol.
On December 18, the call will focus on what will most likely be one of the most significant issues for the new Administration and new Congress: health care. Presenters will offer their view of the current legislative, political and economic environment and will offer insight into what health care providers and advocates can expect in 2009.
All of the public policy conference calls are at 2:00 pm Eastern (1:00 pm Central, noon Mountain, 11:00 am Pacific). To register for any of these calls, please e-mail advocacy@lutheranservices.org and specify which call(s) you would like to register for.
--Lisa Hassenstab, MSW, MA
LSA-DN October 30 Public Policy Call to Focus on Recent Medicaid Waiver Proposals
On October 30 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Judy Solomon, Senior Fellow with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, will discuss the status of recent Medicaid waiver proposals and the renewed effort for greater transparency in drafting and approving these types of waivers. To register, please e-mail advocacy@lutheranservices.org and specify "Medicaid Waivers" in the subject line.
-Heather Ansley, JD, MSW
Update on LSA-DN's New E-Advocacy Website
On October 1, the Lutheran Services in America Disability Network (LSA-DN) launched a new e-advocacy website, www.lsadnadvocacy.org. LSA-DN hopes to use this site to connect with individuals affiliated with social ministry organizations and representatives and staff members of the ELCA and LCMS. Through this connection, LSA-DN can provide information that these individuals and organizations need to know to effectively impact the lives of people with developmental disabilities who rely on critical Medicaid services and supports.
The LSA-DN e-advocacy website is interactive and features a blog, discussion forums, videos, articles and other resources. As of October 10, the site has approximately 60 members who represent a wide variety of audiences. To join the site, please visit www.lsadnadvocacy.org and sign up.
-Heather Ansley, JD, MSW
Save the Date: LSA Annual Conference April 29-May 1, 2009
Washington, DC will be the site of the 2009 LSA Annual Conference, offering great opportunities for LSA members to engage with the new Congress and visit our nation's capital. Please be sure to mark your calendars now for April 29-May 1, 2009, and look for information to come in the next few months. We also invite you to check LSA's website for more details.
--Lisa Hassenstab, MSW, MA
