News

Want to know about a hip magazine for active wheelchair users? Check out New Mobility. You can order a subscription but they also have a number of interesting articles right on theirwebsite.

Hi Everyone,

The WI Board for People with Developmental Disabilities is pleased to announce the second round of Request for Proposals through the Lets Get to Work grant. Lets Get to Work is seeking up to four Wisconsin high schools interested in a professional development project focused on improving the employment outcomes of their students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) ages 15 to 17. Successful applicants will receive a grant of up to $15,000 in the first year (with an option of continuing on a step-down payment basis for up to three years) and will work closely with a Coaching Team that provides training and technical assistance in a variety of employment-related areas.

Our first round of participants are already seeing results in community employment opportunities for their students for the summer! School transition staff, Special education directors, Special Education teachers are all encouraged to apply.

Application Deadline: May 23, 2012

For more details, please review the RFP, which is attached or can be found at

http://www.wi-bpdd.org/Docs/2012/Lets%20Get%20to%20Work%202012%20RFP.pdf

Thank you,

Beth Moss, Interim Project Coordinator

Beth.moss@wisconsin.gov

Comments:

Make It Work Milwaukee Coalition Transit Survey

At the last Make It Work Milwaukee Coalition meeting, Coalition members reviewed a proposed survey to be completed by people with disabilities and older adults in Milwaukee County who use transit services. The purpose is to better understand how the transit services in Milwaukee County meet their needs and to understand if access and quality are changing. Survey findings will be compiled and results will be shared with the disability and aging community and policy makers to help guide our transportation advocacy work.

There is an online format survey that can be filled out by clicking on the link. Make It Work Milwaukee Coalition Transit Survey

We need your help!

If you are a person with a disability or an older adult who uses transportation services in Milwaukee County, please complete this survey and return ASAP.

Please share this survey with your friends, colleagues, and clients who use transportation services in Milwaukee and ask them to complete the survey.

Our graduate student Kim Brown is coordinating the survey, and can also visit meetings, program sites, etc, to explain the survey, and, if needed, assist consumers with completing the survey - contact me if you would like to schedule a visit from Kim! barbarab@drwi.orgor 414-773-4646

Thanks for your help in ensuring we get a great response to the survey!

Thanks to Cathy Steffke from DRW for sharing this information with us!

Hi Everyone,

The WI Board for People with Developmental Disabilities is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals through the Lets Get to Work grant. Lets Get to Work is seeking up to four Wisconsin high schools interested in a professional development project focused on improving the employment outcomes of their students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) ages 15 to 17. Successful applicants will receive a grant of up to $15,000 in the first year (with an option of continuing on a step-down payment basis for up to three years) and will work closely with a Coaching Team that provides training and technical assistance in a variety of employment-related areas.

Application Deadline: May 23, 2012

A Question and Answer Call will be held on April 19^th from 3:30 to 4:30 pm.

For more details, please review the RFP, which is attached or can be found at http://www.dawninfo.org/news4/assets/content//Lets%20Get%20to%20Work%202012%20RFP.pdf

Thank you,

Beth Moss, Interim Project Coordinator

Beth.moss@wisconsin.gov

The following information about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was sent out by the US Dept of Health and Human Services (HHS)Intergovernmental and External Affairs:

Update from HHS on Anniversary Week:

We here in HHS Intergovernmental and External Affairs have some new updates and resources to share with you as you and your organization prepare for the week-long celebration of the ACA 2nd Anniversary.

ACA State-by-State Numbers

Two years after the passage of the ACA, it has continued to provide thousands of Americans with insurance protections, preventive benefits, and resources to improve care. For more information on the benefits of the law in a particular state, please go to http://www.healthcare.gov/law/resources/index.html.

ACA PowerPoints

We have recently posted educational PowerPoints about the ACA online. Please go tohttp://www.hhs.gov/intergovernmental/acaresources/ to find these PowerPoints. There are both PowerPoint versions which include a presentation guide in the notes section as well as a PDF version. The PDF version does not yet include the presentation guide but that information will be coming shortly, please check back in the next few days if you need it.

ACA Fact Sheets on Healthcare.gov

We also have a ton of fact sheets onhealthcare.gov that will be helpful to you. I have attached some of the key links below. Here is the link to the general brochure/fact sheet page http://www.healthcare.gov/news/brochures/index.html.

The Top Five Things You Need to Know

• Families with Children (PDF English 7.27 MB,Spanish 1.23 MB)
• Health Care Providers (PDF English 2.71 MB,Spanish 517 KB)
• People with Disabilities (PDF English 2.56 MB,Spanish 931 KB)
• Seniors (PDF English 11.3 MB,Spanish 1.54 MB)
• Small Business Owners (PDF English 4.22 MB,Spanish 646 KB)
• Young Adults (PDF English 6.56 MB,Spanish 919 KB)

Information for Consumers and Small Businesses

• The Health Care Law & You (PDF English 8.99 MB)
• Information for Small Businesses (PDF English 763 KB)

My Care

My Care (#MyCare) is a new initiative we launched today to educate Americans about different parts of the Affordable Care Act through stories from real people. Each day next week (March 19-23) we will be releasing a new video about a different provision of the law, and what it meant for a person or family. Check it out: www.healthcare.gov/mycare

Public Comments on Personal Care Provider Travel Rate Cuts - Due 3/30/12

Agencies providing Medicaid personal care services receive reimbursement for the time it takes direct service workers to travel to peoples homes.

The Department of Health Services (DHS) plans to reduce the reimbursement for travel on April 1, 2012. The reduction in travel reimbursement rates could impact people receiving services because some agencies anticipate that they will have to stop serving some people.

DHS plans to implement the following:

• Pay urban providers half the current rate.
• Cap urban providers at 2 hours of travel time per consumer per day.
• Cap rural providers at 3 hours of travel time per consumer per day. The first two hours would be paid the full rate. The last hour would be paid half rate.
• Rural providers who travel less than 3 hours per person per day would be reimbursed the full rate.

DHS may consider changing their plans based on comments they receive by March 30th. DHS seeks input from individuals receiving personal care services about the impacts of the proposal travel reimbursement cuts. Comments can be submitted to the DHS Secretary at DennisG.Smith@dhs.wisconsin.gov andElizabeth.Scudder@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

Thanks to DAWN,an initiative of the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD), for sharing this information.

See below for more details from the public notice sent out by DHS.

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*Changes to Personal Care Worker Travel Time Reimbursement Rates *

The State of Wisconsin reimburses providers for services provided toMedical Assistance recipients under the authority of Title XIX of theSocial Security Act and ss. 49.43to49.47WisconsinStatutes. This program, administered by the State's Department of HealthServices, is called Medical Assistance (MA) or Medicaid. In addition,Wisconsin has expanded this program to create the BadgerCare andBadgerCare Plus programs under the authority of Title XIX and Title XXIof the Social Security Act and ss.49.471,49.665, and49.67of theWisconsin Statutes. Federal statutes and regulations require that astate plan be developed that provides the methods and standards forreimbursement of covered services. A plan that describes thereimbursement system for the services (methods and standards forreimbursement) is now in effect.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is proposing to implement ahealthcare efficiency project related to personal care reimbursement.This project will not require that the Medicaid state plan be amended,but it will affect provider reimbursement rates. Changes to providerreimbursement rates will be reflected on the maximum allowable feeschedules, available online through the ForwardHealth Portal at:

https://www.forwardhealth.wi.gov/WIPortal/Max%20Fee%20Home/tabid/77/Default.aspx

The project would reduce the separate reimbursement rate paid topersonal care agencies for personal care worker travel time. For travelto recipients who do not reside in "rural" counties, the adjustedreimbursement rate for separate reimbursement of personal care workertravel will be at 50% of the personal care service rate. Thereimbursement rate for personal care services will not change.

*Proposed Change *

The proposed changes are to adjust reimbursement for personal careworker travel when reimbursed in addition to reimbursement for thepersonal care services. This change is projected to result in savings of$1.713 million all funds (AF) in the remaining quarter of federal fiscalyear 2012 (April 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012), composed of $676,000general purpose revenue (GPR) and $1.037 million federal match (FED). Infederal fiscal year 2013, the savings are projected to be $6.850 millionAF, composed of $2.758 GPR and $4.092 FED. The effective date of theproposal will be April 1, 2012.

*Copies of the Proposed Change: *

A copy of the proposed change may be obtained free of charge by callingor writing as follows:

*_Regular Mail_*

Elizabeth Scudder

Bureau of Benefits Management

Division of Health Care Access and Accountability

P.O. Box 309

Madison, WI 53701-0309

*_Phone

Elizabeth Scudder

(608) 267-9697

*FAX

(608) 266-1096

Attention: Elizabeth Scudder

*E-Mail

elizabeth.scudder@wisconsin.gov

A copy of the proposed change is available for review at the main officeof any county department of social services or human services.

*Written Comments: *

Written comments are welcome. Written comments on the proposed changesmay be sent by FAX, e-mail, or regular mail to the Department. The FAXnumber is (608) 266-1096. The e-mail address iselizabeth.scudder@wiconsin.govRegular mail can be sent tothe above address. All written comments will be reviewed and considered.

The written comments will be available for public review between thehours of 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily in Room 350 of the State OfficeBuilding, 1 West Wilson Street, Madison, Wisconsin. Revisions may bemade in the proposed changed methodology based comments received.

The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation

Public Policy Fellowship Program 2012-2013

The application deadline for the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation Public Policy Fellowship Program is extended to April 30, 2012.

The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation is seeking exemplary professionals and/or family members of persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities who are currently working or volunteering in the field of inclusive services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for an intensive one-year Public Policy Fellowship in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the Fellowship is to prepare both early career and more seasoned leaders to assume leadership in the public policy arena in their home state and/or nationally. During this one year Fellowship, the successful applicant will learn how federal legislation is initiated, developed, and passed by the Congress, as well as how programs are administered and regulations promulgated by federal agencies.

The sole method of application, letters and rsum submission is via an online system that can be found at http://www.aucd.org/app/jpkffellowship2012

Hello,

Here's an opportunity for, well, who knows!!!

City of Madison Community Development Process

Enjoy your day,

Cheryl

WisPACT, Inc. was created in 2003 as a nonprofit organization to create and manage pooled and community Special Needs Trusts for the benefit of individuals with disabilities. It originated from a collaborative effort among ARC Wisconsin, NAMI Wisconsin, Inc., the Wisconsin State Bar- Elder Law Section and the Wisconsin Alzheimers Association. WisPACT currently serves more than 1,600 beneficiaries throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Check them out here: http://www.wispact.org/

Because of the limitations on assets to qualify for means-tested public benefits (primarily Medicaid, SSI), a person with a disability with assets of more than $2,000 only has two choices: immediately spend all the money, or put the money in a SNT. With large sums (e.g., from an injury settlement), it is often impossible to spend all the money and not create an available asset. Gifted assets have a five-year look back restriction. However, by putting their assets into a SNT, a person with a disability can receive public benefits and conserve his or her assets. These assets can be later used to pay for certain expenses which willimprove the quality of their life.

The following programs can be supplemented by a SNT:

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Supplemental Security Income Exceptional Expense (SSI-E)
• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
• Medicaid (aka Medical Assistance, MA, Title 19)
• Medicare
• Many home and community-based services under Medicaid such as Family Care

Maybe you know someone who could benefit. For more information, check WisPACT out here: http://www.wispact.org/

Perhaps this can help someone out there.

Cheryl