Policy alerts, briefs, letters & papers

In June ‘03, Maine Gov. Baldacci signed into law the Dirigo Health Reform Act. A major premise behind the law is that successful health care reform must address cost, quality, & access simultaneously & with equal vigor. Named for Maine's motto: To Lead-the program is designed to guarantee health coverage by ‘09 to those who cannot afford insurance. The ME Governor’s Office of Health Policy & Finance (GOHPF) has partnered with NASHP to develop issue briefs keeping states abreast of the reform.

Complete ruling from the 10th Circuit Court for the Olmstead Case. On June 22, 1999, the United States Supreme Court held in Olmstead vs. L.C. that the unnecessary segregation of individuals with disabilities in institutions may constitute discrimination based on disability. The court ruled that the Americans with Disabilities Act may require states to provide community-based services rather than institutional placements for individuals with disabilities.

The attached presentation entitled \"Long-Term Care: Workforce Issues for States in a Changing Society\" which was given by Robyn I. Stone, Dr.P.H. during the annual NASHP conference in Philadelphia from August 4-6. The presentation looks at who the long term care workers are and implications for the field.

On August 13, 2002, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a letter to State Medicaid Directors highlighting promising state practices. It complements the letter Tommy Thompson sent to Governors.

CMS letter allowing coverage of transition costs under 1915 (c) waivers. This letter clarifies some methods by which HCBS waivers under section 1915(c) may aid in the transitioning of individuals from institutional settings to their own home in the community through coverage of one-time transitional expenses. This clarification was promised in the HHS New Freedom Report to the President.

An alert is documented featuring the Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts Online \"This new resource contains the latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation.\" The site link is also provided with information about the states.

Access to assistive technology for people with disabilities is a basic foundation of the President's New Freedom Initiative. The Executive Memo summarized here furthers the President's desire to ensure that all people with disabilities have access to programs and services that promote the opportunity for them to live independently and lead productive lives. Access to the Memo is available from the file included here.

This is The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) report entitled State Assisted Living Policy 2002. This comprehensive report examines current regulations and Medicaid reimbursement policies for assisted living facilities in each of the 50 states. The report includes detailed comparisons of state policy and a summary of each state's assisted living regulations.

This document is an Information Bulletin (# 54) on subsidized housing. The report includes a weblink and information on a \"new\" source of information available that can assist disability advocates find affordable and accessible units.

This article is entitled: \"Mentally Ill Adjusting to Community Settings\". The article describes the personal experiences of people with mental illness who leave institutions to live in the community.