Fwd: NDSC Governmental Affairs E-Brief

[Guest guest]

Date: Sunday, March 15, 2009, 12:14 PM----- Forwarded message from susan@... ----- Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:48:49 -0400 (EDT) From: National Down Syndrome Congress <susan@...>Reply-susan@... Subject: NDSC Governmental Affairs E-Brief info@...You're receiving this email because of your relationship with National DownSyndromeCongress. Please confirmhttp://visitor.constantcontact.com/c.jsp?t=1102504515918.450.321071033.2 & m=1101343243561 & wl=Fyour continued interest in receiving email from us. You may

unsubscribehttp://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001_D6q8SmIH1oFPmJ9_nihIhLI0k4kxy-XyPsxGhWNqXG911KWRkd3jcX7RCzI4vhj & p=unif you no longer wish to receive our emails.National Down Syndrome CongressGovernmental Affairs E-BriefMarch 13, 2009In This IssueHealth Care Reform~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear Affiliate Leaders,On March 3, 2009 the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing onlong-termservices and health care reform. Health care reform is a high priority thisyearfor Congress and the Administration this year. Our major challenge is to seethathealth care reform includes reform of the long-term services and supports forpeoplewith disabilities. Below are talking points that are being used to promote theproper consideration of long-term services in legislative

initiatives:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Talking Points*While over 45 million Americans do not have medical insurance, over 200 millionAmericans lack any insurance protection for the costs of long-term services.*Nearly half of all funding for long-term services is provided through Medicaidthatrequires individuals to impoverish themselves to receive supports.*There is an institutional bias within Medicaid that does not provide Americanswithequal choice for home and community services.*Hundreds of thousands of individuals with disabilities and their families areon waiting lists for Medicaid home and community-based services.*There is a crisis in the availability of professionals to provide directsupports,which jeopardizes the health, safety, and ability of individuals withdisabilitiesto be active

members of society.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~This is a critical issue for individuals with Down syndrome and families. Whilewe strive to ensure that our children get the best education possible, we alsoshouldbe thinking about the time at which special education services are no longeravailable(age 21 in most states).We are encouraging affiliates to become active in state and federal efforts toreformthe way in which long-term services and supports are delivered to families. Oneway in which this can be done is by getting involved in the waiting listinitiativesin several states. The national ARC has begun a stop the waiting list

campaign.http://www.stopthewait.org/index.aspx[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102504515918 & e=001MrCYvsYe5RGNmOnryy0gRNDNTHf1_VmqjUZ8zAjivN9TG-oUbpNqmddiF6xZg8B3b6cL9ira3a5fahoJ2Day4gn1UDv9h7r8d9KQpCen0e1qdSEdoBz_bdAkrgypYc8c].This is a great initiative for affiliates and members.Additionally, it is very important for legislators to hear from the grassroots.Please widely disseminate the Action Alerts when you receive them.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you need more information, please contact me at susan@...[mailto:susan@...]or susang1961@... [mailto:susang1961@...].~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GoodmanDirector, Governmental AffairsNational Down Syndrome

Congress~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~One More Thing...In our last Affiliate E-Brief, we told you Soper had review copies ofhernew book to give to affiliates. She has extended the deadline until March 20,so if you want a free copy for your organization, contact kathrynsoper@...[mailto:kathrynsoper@...].It's a great read and is reviewed in our next issue of Down Syndrome News.Thanks,Sue Joe~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Forward emailhttp://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1101343243561 & ea=info@... & a=1102504515918This email was sent to info@... by susan@....Update Profile/Email

Addresshttp://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001_D6q8SmIH1oFPmJ9_nihIhLI0k4kxy-XyPsxGhWNqXG911KWRkd3jcX7RCzI4vhj & p=ooInstant removal with SafeUnsubscribehttp://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001_D6q8SmIH1oFPmJ9_nihIhLI0k4kxy-XyPsxGhWNqXG911KWRkd3jcX7RCzI4vhj & p=unPrivacy Policy:http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jspEmail Marketing byConstant Contact®www.constantcontact.comNational Down Syndrome Congress | 1370 Center Drive | Suite 102 | Atlanta | GA| 30338----- End forwarded message -----

You're receiving this email because of your relationship with National Down Syndrome Congress. Please confirm your continued interest in receiving email from us. You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails.

National Down Syndrome Congress

Governmental Affairs E-Brief

March 13, 2009

In This Issue

Health Care Reform

Dear Affiliate Leaders,

On March 3, 2009 the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on long-term services and health care reform. Health care reform is a high priority this year for Congress and the Administration this year. Our major challenge is to see that health care reform includes reform of the long-term services and supports for people with disabilities. Below are talking points that are being used to promote the proper consideration of long-term services in legislative initiatives:

Talking Points

While over 45 million Americans do not have medical insurance, over 200 million Americans lack any insurance protection for the costs of long-term services.

Nearly half of all funding for long-term services is provided through Medicaid that requires individuals to impoverish themselves to receive supports.

There is an institutional bias within Medicaid that does not provide Americans with equal choice for home and community services.

Hundreds of thousands of individuals with disabilities and their families are on waiting lists for Medicaid home and community-based services.

There is a crisis in the availability of professionals to provide direct supports, which jeopardizes the health, safety, and ability of individuals with disabilities to be active members of society.

This is a critical issue for individuals with Down syndrome and families. While we strive to ensure that our children get the best education possible, we also should be thinking about the time at which special education services are no longer available (age 21 in most states).

We are encouraging affiliates to become active in state and federal efforts to reform the way in which long-term services and supports are delivered to families. One way in which this can be done is by getting involved in the waiting list initiatives in several states. The national ARC has begun a stop the waiting list campaign. http://www.stopthewait.org/index.aspx. This is a great initiative for affiliates and members.

Additionally, it is very important for legislators to hear from the grassroots. Please widely disseminate the Action Alerts when you receive them.

If you need more information, please contact me at susan@... or susang1961@....

Goodman

Director, Governmental AffairsNational Down Syndrome Congress

One More Thing...

In our last Affiliate E-Brief, we told you Soper had review copies of her new book to give to affiliates. She has extended the deadline until March 20, so if you want a free copy for your organization, contact kathrynsoper@.... It's a great read and is reviewed in our next issue of Down Syndrome News.

Thanks,

Sue Joe

Forward email

This email was sent to info@... by susan@....

Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy.

Email Marketing by

National Down Syndrome Congress | 1370 Center Drive | Suite 102 | Atlanta | GA | 30338