2003 Activities and Priorities
Historically the Health Task Force has been very active on a broad range of legislative and regulatory efforts to improve access to affordable, quality health care. In 2003 many of our efforts focused on saving Medicaid and Medicare. The task force developed a statement opposing attacks on – and the effort to block grant -- the Medicaid program. This statement was used on Capitol Hill and around the country. We orchestrated an advocacy campaign in selected states to target governors participating on an NGA task force developing Medicaid restructure recommendations. The task force was active in supporting the Family Opportunity Act, a Medicaid buy-in program for families with children with disabilities. FOA had strong bipartisan support in Congress but saw no floor action in either chamber. The task force also supported legislation to increase the federal match for Medicaid in the effort to avoid large cuts to the program by states facing financial problems. The task force also supported mental health parity legislation, which despite significant bipartisan support failed to clear Congress. The task force sent numerous letters to the Hill regarding efforts to restructure Medicare and add a prescription drug benefit. These letters opposed privatization; supported improved drug formularies; supporting maintaining the Medicaid wrap; opposed the addition of an asset test; and opposed competitive bidding for durable medical equipment and some orthotics. We opposed changes to the inpatient rehabilitation rules regarding local medical review and what is known as the 75% rule. The Task Force supported repeal of the Medicare rehabilitation therapy caps, changes in the home-bound requirement in the Medicare home health law and an administrative change in the “used in the patient’s home” requirement by Medicare for wheelchair coverage. In the end, CCD was unable to support the final Medicare bill.
2004 Priorities
Medicaid
· Maintain the entitlement to the full range of Medicaid benefits and protections.
· Pass the Family Opportunity Act, a bill to allow families of children with disabilities who earn up to 600 percent of poverty to buy into Medicaid.
Medicare
· Support legislation to fix the Medicaid wrap issue, improve the formulary provisions, provide more generous and affordable benefits, including mental health parity, and other efforts to improve the Medicare bill
Private insurance
· Continue to oppose Medical/Health Savings Accounts and other tax approaches to health insurance expansions that fragment the health insurance marketplace undermining the capacity for risk sharing that is necessary to ensure equal coverage for persons with disabilities;
· Support mental health parity legislation.
· Support universal health care.
· Reduce health care disparities for persons with disabilities.
Co-Chairs Kathy McGinley, NAPAS, 202-408-9514: Liz Savage The Arc & UCP Public Policy Collaboration 202-783-2229:Peter Thomas, AAPMR, 202-466-6550: Julie Ward, Epilepsy Foundation, 301-459-3700.