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Hello everyone, we made it through another busy and
productive Legislative Session. CDRC had an important amendment added to a piece
of legislation. We will be updating
you on legislation that CDRC has followed along with much more.
CDRC is saddened to say that we had a death in our family.
Long time CDRC member, Gerry Lonergan lost his battle with cancer.
Gerry passed away on April 2nd.
We will MISS Gerry.
Legislative
Report
HB 218
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - Living at Home Waiver Program
This House Bill passed the House 137 -0 with CDRC’s
amendment to expand the upper application age limit to 65.
When HB 218 was set for hearing March 27th in Senate Finance,
CDRC members, were ready to testify in support to protect our expansion
amendment, but the Department testified they supported our expansion too! All
CDRC had to say was “ME TOO”. That
was the easiest testimony ever. Now the Governor will sign it into law. Mostly
the bill just changes names of things to what they are anyway for the Living at
Home Waiver (LAHW.) CDRC and MDLC's Sun Shine Folks asked for several changes,
including the age increase for applicants, and Del. Hubbard worked for the age
65 to come out of committee to the floor were it passed.
This
is an outcome of policy work by people who have been struggling with outreach
and efforts to get "young" elders, 60-65, into their own homes or just
out of nursing facilities into the Older Adult Waiver without much to show for
it. This means that many more
people, because of CDRC’s Money Follows the Individual Act of 2003, will have
access to the most effective program for deinstitutionalizing people from
nursing facilities in
Maryland
, The LAHW! This program expansion
is cost neutral and goes into affect in July, long before the new transition center for the Money Follows the Person Demonstration (MFPD)
grant opens. This will be a great "new" tool in the SunShine Folks and
Peer-to-Peer mentor contractors under the MFPD grant.
CDRC has chosen Thursday, May 22nd as the date for our celebratory
bill signing. We hope all who have
struggled with waiver access for young seniors will join us for this great
event, especially those who may be able to apply for the first time in July!
CDRC would like to thank Mr. Bryce and Secretary Raggio for working with CDRC on
dates for bill signing for our bills.
HB 1234 State
Residential Centers and State Facilities - Study - Services for Developmentally
Disabled Individuals
As we mentioned in the March newsletter, this bill requires
the (DHMH) to appoint an independent consultant to study and make
recommendations on issues related to the provision of services for
developmentally disabled individuals in
State
Residential
Centers
and State facilities.
CDRC opposed HB 1234. You might have heard “been there,
done that” if you had been hanging around the halls. This bill did not pass.
Another victory
HB 785
Rosewood
Center
- Closure - Transfer to State Park System
It would require
the DHMH to transfer the property known as the
Rosewood
Center
to the Park System. We like
parks, but we think that the property can earn more money for people waiting for
services if it is sold to a good buyer. CDRC worked hard on re-directing this
bill to something possibly useful. This bill did not pass. Another Victory
SB 242 Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene - Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health
Services - Cost-of-Living Adjustment
This bill requires
that beginning in fiscal year 2008, the Department adjust for inflation
specified fees paid to a community developmental disabilities services provider
or a community mental health services provider using the update factor
recommended by the Community Services Reimbursement Rate Commission; .The
Community Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) was still being negotiated over the
weekend between a 2% (House) or a 3% increase (Senate) COLA.
We just learned on Saturday, April 4th the House and the Senate reached agreement to provide community providers
with a 3% COLA in the FY 09 budget. It
is important to note that these funds will be available as long as the lottery
over-attainment reaches $13 million. Lottery officials have advised the
Senate Budget and Tax Committee that these funds are expected to be available,
but we will know for certain later in this fiscal year.
Another Victory
HB
1391 Kids First Act
CDRC is very glad about passage of the Kids First
Act (House
Bill 1391), even though we were only monitoring it, to start Maryland on the
road to full health care coverage for all children. Right now, we have 140,000
uninsured kids in our state, of whom 90,000, including children
with disabilities, are already eligible for public health insurance coverage
but remain unenrolled.
By matching family responsibility with renewed
State commitment, the Kids First Act will get health insurance for thousands of
eligible children, including kids with disabilities. As the lead sponsor, Del.
Heather Mizeur said, “We are the wealthiest state in the nation, and there is
no excuse for ten percent of our children to go without quality health care. The
Kids First Act will change that.” Most CDRC members have had disabilities
since childhood and all of us know children with disabilities.
Family inclusion, and access to quality health care and needed services,
makes all the difference between a person with developmental disabilities having
a self-determined, community integrated life and not having a life of ones own.
Congratulations
Del.
Mizeur and
Maryland
!
What’s going On? ADAPT
Fun Run and 25th Anniversary Celebration
Once
again the ADAPTers are lacing their jogging wheels to earn your support in the
ADAPT Fun Run for Disability Rights 2008 event to
support Maryland ADAPT. The Fun Run will be held on Sunday,
April 27, 2008
in Upper Senate Park in Washington D.C. from
noon
to
4:00 pm
. Come on over and join the fun! For more info, www.adaptfunrun.org
is the site. Also, join ADAPT for it’s 25th Anniversary May 1st
for a day of bar-b-que and too much fun, including history, memorials, dancing,
and more! Check this out at www.adapt25.org.
CDRC Meeting and Training
CDRC combined its March monthly membership meeting with a
training. The training was about
“how to manage your Personal Care Attendant, how
to be an effective boss, how to act with employees and how to hire and fire”.
Lori Baskette from Making Choices for Independent Living (MCIL) was
gracious enough to take a portion of her Sunday to train CDRC members.
CDRC
Membership Meeting
CDRC usually has its monthly membership meeting on the 4th
Sunday of the month, but due to the event ADAPT is having, CDRC will be having
its monthly membership meeting on May 4th.
That is the first Sunday in May.
CDRC Meeting
Next CDRC Membership Meeting: Sunday,
May 4, 2008
Time: 1:00 – 4:00
Location:
Anne
Arundel
County
North Branch
Library 1010 Eastway
Glen Burnie
,
MD
21060
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