Email:
Director of Operations
SDBIF@aol.com
P.O. Box 84601
San Diego, California
92138-4601
(619) 294-6541
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ADVOCACY
Please take time to see the resources available to you at www.nashia.org and www.biacal.org.
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Gifford's Staff Works to get Treatment for all with Traumatic Brain Injury
Read More
California Department of Mental Health - TBI Report is now available on line at:
http://www.dmh.ca.gov/Services_and_Programs/Adults/TBI.asp
The PDF can also be downloaded however the report is 68 pages so be patient!
ADVANCING CALIFORNIA’S TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SERVICE SYSTEM:
NEXT STEPS
News from the Brain Injury Association of America
Brain Injury Association of America
Policy Corner E-Newsletter – April 15, 2011
a weekly update on federal policy activity related to traumatic brain injury
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In This Issue:
Appropriations Update
Health Care Reform Update
Medicare Therapy Caps
Medicaid Block Grants
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The Policy Corner is made possible by the Centre for Neuro Skills and Lakeview Neurorehabilitation Centers & Specialty Hospital. Brain Injury Association of America gratefully acknowledges their support for legislative action.
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Appropriations Update
This week, a fiscal year 2011 spending measure was finally cleared by both the House and the Senate and will be sent promptly to the President’s desk. The White House issued a statement of administration policy soon after final passage that confirmed that President Obama would sign the bill.
Programs authorized through the TBI Act and the TBI Model Systems of care program were preserved in the final package. Now that FY11 has been cleared, BIAA will continue its work on FY12 appropriations soon to be debated in both chambers.
On April 8, 2011, BIAA submitted FY12 written testimony to both the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor Health and Human Services and Related Agencies. Both letters proposed the following funding increases for TBI Act programs and the TBI Model Systems of Care Program.
- $10 million (+ $4 million) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention TBI Registries and Surveillance, Brain Injury Acute Care Guidelines, Prevention and National Public Education/Awareness
- $8 million (+ $1 million) for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal TBI State Grant Program
- $4 million (+ $1 million) for the HRSA Federal TBI Protection & Advocacy (P&A) Systems Grant Program
- $11 million (+ $1.5 million) for theTBI Model Systems of Care Program, and line item status within the broader NIDRR budget
- Grassroots advocates should look for FY12 appropriations alerts in the coming months.
Health Care Reform Update
As reported in a previous edition of Policy Corner, on April 7, 2011, BIAA and the offices of Congressman Pascrell and Congresswoman Giffords called a press conference to announce the submission of two letters to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The letters detail existing coverage variability for brain injury rehabilitation and urge HHS to take the opportunity to solve this access to care deficit by writing regulations that include a comprehensive definition of rehabilitation within the rehabilitative and habilitative services category of the Affordable Care Act essential benefits package.
On April 8, 2011, Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. circulated a Dear Colleague to every member of Congress asking for them to either sign on to his letter to HHS or to send their own similar letter.
BIAA is supporting this effort and working diligently to procure as many letters and/or signatures as possible!
Medicare Therapy Caps
On Thursday, April 14, 2011, Senators Carter and Collins and Representatives Gerlach and Becerra introduced bills to amend the Social Security Act and repeal Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps. As part of the Therapy Cap Coalition, BIAA supports the legislation and signed on to an endorsement of the bill. As of today, bill numbers have not been designated, but look for updates in future editions of Policy Corner for more information.
BIAA will continue to work actively in the coalition and assist the bill sponsors in moving this effort forward.
Medicaid Block Grants
This week, as part of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), BIAA participated in an advocacy push to assist Senator Rockefeller in procuring signatures for a letter to President Obama expressing opposition to any proposals to block grant Medicaid or to move towards a global cap on federal health care spending.
As many of you know, House of Representatives Budget Committee Chairman, Paul Ryan released his budget plan early this week which proposes to cut Medicaid by $771 billion over 10 years by block-granting the program. What this means is that instead of a partnership between the federal government and the states to enroll every citizen who meets the program’s guidelines, Ryan’s proposal would require the federal government to give states a lump sum set by a fixed formula and rely on the states to cover who they can.
If enacted, the funding shortfall would cripple already struggling states and force them to choose between increasing taxes, cutting other state programs, or cutting eligibility, benefits, or provider payments.
Although preliminary reports have stated that both the Democratic Senate and President Obama are not supportive of the initiative, BIAA will continue to monitor the situation closely and alert grassroots advocates if action becomes necessary.
You can retrieve a copy of this message in your inbox by visiting http://www.grasshopr.com
Regards,
The Grasshopr Team. |
