When the 2012 Minnesota Legislature gavels into session Jan. 24, the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) will have its legislative agenda set. Despite cautious optimism about a recently announced $876 million state surplus, members expect a difficult legislative session.
Member organizations’ representative will meet Dec. 14 to set the agenda and choose the organization’s ...
Legislative
Legislative priorities are being chosen
Explore, prepare for Special Needs Basic Care changes
Beginning Jan. 1 through July 2012 Minnesota adults and children with disabilities receiving Medical Assistance (MA) will be asked to join a Special Needs Basic Care (SNBC) health plan by Department of Human Services (DHS). This is a result of state legislation passed in 2011. The new law provides that people may choose to opt out ...
20 percent cut – Relatives who provide care are focus
Cuts to medical assistance reimbursement rates, made behind closed doors during the 2011 Minnesota Legislature’s July special session are at the center of a lawsuit against the State of Minnesota. The lawsuit was filed Oct. 25 in Ramsey County District Court on behalf of eight home health care agencies, employees and their clients with various ...
Federal survey standards will better measure health care disparities
Federal efforts to collect health care data, including data on people with disabilities, are changing. These changes could ultimately bring improvements in how health care is delivered. The federal Department of Health and Human Services released final standards Oct. 31 to measure race, ethnicity, sex, primary language, and disability status more consistently. This will improve the ...
Regional News in Review – November 2011
Caregivers stage protests Caregivers from Dellwood Place and Bethesda Care Center, two Cerenity nursing homes slated for closure in November, rallied Oct. 12 at Dellwood Place with community supporters from across the Twin Cities to stand up for seniors, the disabled, and long-term care workers. During a week that the Congressional “Super Committee” was expected to discuss ...
November 2011 Issue
Do you prefer to read the .pdf on your computer or e-reader? Here's the .pdf copy of the November 2011 issue. Enjoy!
Open season change is here for Medicare Part D plans
Medicare beneficiaries who are considering changes to their Medicare Part D plan should mark their calendars for Oct. 15. The “open season” will run from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. This is a change from 2010 open season, when it was Nov. 15 to Dec. 31. The Medicare Part D prescription drug program is available ...
October 2011 Issue
Here's the .pdf of the October 2011 Issue. Enjoy!
Parentectomies may be needed in medical visits
Editor’s note: At a time when many parents of children with disabilities have been going through the annual round of back-to-school medical visits, this guest commentary is appropriate. It can be difficult for parents to step back as their children get older. This is especially the case if the child has a complicated medical history. As a ...
Town hall forums announced
The Minnesota Consortium for Citizens for Disabilities (MN CCD) hosts a series of town hall forums this fall to explain the various state budget impacts, and to gather information from the public. Policymakers will be on hand to listen to concerns. Weeks after the 2011 special session of the Minnesota Legislature, advocates that serve people with ...
The September 2011 Issue
Here's the .pdf version of the September 2011 Issue. Enjoy!
Health and human services budget has mixed impacts on community
When the 2011 Minnesota Legislature’s special session adjourned July 20, Minnesotans with disabilities and their families faced a dizzying array of changes in the adopted health and human legislation and budget. For the short term, many people will see cuts to services or changes in how services are delivered. Over the long term, Minnesotans can ...
Not in Kansas any more- Challenges created by shutdown, budget decisions
For organizations that serve Minnesotans with disabilities, the historic state shutdown and its aftermath have created a flurry of activities that for some, are far from over. For agencies that had to shut down and then start up, the complications have been many and varied. A few of the complications were unintentionally humorous.
One agency that ...
Minnesota: Budget balancing or a lack of due process? -A historical perspective on past state impasses
During the government shutdown in July, Ramsey County District Court Judge Kathleen Gearin ruled that certain government functions must be provided and paid for even though the Minnesota Legislature and the governor had not agreed on an appropriation act. Years earlier, in a different context, U.S. District Judge Earl Larson issued a similar order in ...
Editor’s Column – August 2011
The state shutdown was truly a catastrophe. Although disappointing, Gov. Dayton made the right decision. He did what had to be done to get the state back to work, even though he knew he was accepting a budget that will not solve any of our financial woes but only put them off for another budget ...
State government shutdown/special session: The end of the end
Here is an overview from Courage Center of the 2011 Minnesota Legislature special session. The end of the longest shutdown in state history and the conclusion to the 2011 legislative session brings some relief. At Courage Center it’s not a return to business as usual. The agency has difficult work ahead to provide clients with the ...
Berglin leaves legacy of service on health, human services issues
Sen. Linda Berglin, DFL-Minneapolis, is calling it quits. The longtime state legislator, considered to be the most knowledgeable state lawmaker on health and human services issues, announced last month that she is stepping down. Berglin has represented some of south Minneapolis’s most ethnically and economically diverse neighborhoods for 39 years, starting in the House ...
The August 2011 Issue
Here's the entire August 2011 Issue in .pdf format. Enjoy!
State Shuts Down
Minnesotans with disabilities and many of the services they rely faced an uncertain future when state government shut down July 1. While some key state agencies and functions continued, others were closed or suspended pending appeals.
The situation has been very fluid. State leaders are expected to meet as Access Press went to press right after ...
Use of restraints at state facility prohibited
Families whose developmentally disabled loved ones were restrained at the Minnesota Extended Treatment Options (METO) facility will share in a $3 million settlement. U.S. District Court Judge Donovan Frank signed an order June 23 approving the comprehensive class action settlement agreement. The settlement finalizes a tentative agreement reached last fall that bars the state from ...
Still remaining in the shadows with their future uncertain
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families have many unmet needs and inadequate opportunities to lead productive lives in their communities, according to a national survey. Sixty-two percent of caregivers surveyed reported a decrease in services for their family member with a disability. State budget proposals threaten this further. “Fifty years ago, President Kennedy called ...
July 2011 Issue
Here's the .pdf of our July 2011 Issue. Enjoy!
Legislative uncertainty continues
All eyes are on the state capitol as Gov. Mark Dayton and state lawmakers decide how to handle Minnesota’s plus-$5 billion budget deficit. As Access Press went to press, state leaders were still divided on the state’s budget woes. Unless a special legislative session is held in June, state government will largely shut down July ...
State shutdown impacts are still unknown
If the Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton cannot reach agreement on a state budget by July 1, parts of state government would shut down. That’s because the state’s fiscal year ends June 30. What a shutdown could mean is still being sorted out. But the impacts for Minnesotans with disabilities could be very serious. Not ...
Not everything was vetoed – New laws affect youth sports concussions, parking, crime
Out of more than 1,700 bills introduced this legislative session, the House and Senate sent 117 on to the governor. More than a dozen of those faced a veto pen by Gov. Mark Dayton before or right after the session ended. But still, Minnesotans with disabilities, their family members and advocates did see some important ...
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- Jane McClure is looking for folks from Greater Minnesota to interview about how the 2012 Minnesota Legislature's... http://t.co/F3NOgB1o
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