CEC Policy Insider

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Key Provisions of Affordable Care Act

Today, the United States Supreme Court upheld most provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This ruling will have significant impacts on many individuals with disabilities. Most importantly, the ACA ensures that individuals cannot be denied healthcare due to a pre-existing condition or discriminated against based on their health status, two provisions essential to providing fair access to services for individuals with disabilities.

Today’s decision is particularly critical for individuals who access Medicaid services.  While the Court did not entirely affirm the law’s Medicaid expansion, importantly, it affirmed the right to grant. In short, the Court allowed states to choose to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid services, if states comply with new federal conditions, set forth in the ACA. The Court also held, however, that if a state does not want to join this Medicaid expansion, it can refuse to accept the additional funds slated for the expansion and thus, will not have to comply with any of the new conditions.  It is unclear at this time how many states will choose to participate in the Medicaid expansion. But, under this ruling, states have the option to open Medicaid eligibility to all individuals and families with income up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. In 2010, as many as 3.5 million adults with disabilities living in the community have household incomes between 100 and 133% of poverty and therefore may qualify for Medicaid under the expansion.  Finally, the Court ruled that even if a state does not choose to participate in the expansion, it can continue to participate in Medicaid as it exists currently – meaning there will be no impact on current services.

For more information on this ruling and what the ACA means for people with disabilities click here.

CCD Press Release

For information and analysis of today’s decision click here.

To read the full decision click here.

 

 

To read how this  might impact your state go here:

 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/downloads

 

CEC White House Event Attendees Share Their Reactions

On Wednesday, February 22, CEC was invited to participate in a special White House event where our members met with top officials in the Obama Administration to discuss special education policy issues. To read more about CEC's visit to the White House, please click here.

Following Wednesday's event, several of the attendees volunteered to share their reactions with us. Check out the videos below or visit CEC's YouTube page to view.

 

Special education teacher and member of CEC’s Board of Directors Donna Sacco from Arlington, Va., on her participation in a White House dialogue on Feb. 22 with leaders from the White House Domestic Policy Council and the U.S. Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.

 

CEC member Vivian Correa, professor of special education and child development at the University of North Carolina former member of CEC’s Board of Directors and current President Elect of CEC’s Teacher Education Division (TED), on her participation in a White House dialogue on Feb. 22 with leaders from the White House Domestic Policy Council and the U.S. Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.

 

Special education teacher, member of the CEC Board of Directors, and former Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year Matti Rodriguez-Walling, from Miami, Fla., on her participation in a White House dialogue on Feb. 22 with leaders from the White House Domestic Policy Council and the U.S. Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.

 

CEC student member Julie Farbman, who is studying at the University of Maryland to become a special educator, on her participation in a White House dialogue on Feb. 22 with leaders from the White House Domestic Policy Council and the U.S. Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.

PBS Airs New Documentary on the Struggle for Civil Rights in the Disabilities Community

On Thursday, October 27, PBS will air the newest segment of its Independent Lens series, entitled Lives Worth Living. This documentary series will profile the struggle for civil rights endured by millions of Americans with disabilities. It begins in the early years after World War II, when thousands of veterans with disabilities came home to find that they no longer had the access and mobility that they took for granted. The documentary follows the advancement of rights for people with disabilities, focusing on the social movement and eventual legislation, such as the monumental Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

HHS Announces New Flexibility for Medicaid

Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services announced four initiatives to give states more flexibility to adopt innovative new practices and provide better, more coordinated care for people with Medicaid and Medicare while helping reduce costs for states and families. 

CEC Made a Difference! $10 Billion for Educator Jobs and $16 Billion for FMAP

 After months of advocacy by CEC, other education groups, and individuals across the nation, the House and Senate have both passed legislation that will save educator jobs and extend Federal Medicaid funding.  Importantly, and of concern to many, this funding is fully paid for, meaning it will not add to the deficit. Indeed, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, in addition to providing schools and states the  money that they critically need - it will actually lower the deficit over the next 10 years.

Last week, as we reported in the Policy Insider blog, the Senate approved this critical funding by a vote of 61-39. In response to this action and the impending beginning of the school year, Nancy Pelosi,(D-Calif.) Speaker of the House of Representatives, took the historic action of calling House members back from their August recess to vote on the measures approved by the Senate. This quick action will allow the U.S. Department of Education to begin distributing this funding to states as soon as September. Money will be distributed to states using a formula based on population figures. It will go directly to a state's governor, who will then send it on to local school districts according to state formulas or the federal formula for Title I aid.  

The Center for Budget Policy and Priority has created a chart identifying what each state is expected to receive of both jobs and FMAP monies. Notably, the Center estimates that at least 160,000 educator jobs will be saved.  Click on this chart to see where your state stands.  

In addition to critical funding to save jobs, the legislation extends a phased-down version of Medicaid support for another six months, worth about $16 billion to states. This money is especially important to the 25 states that created their budgets assuming the Federal government would extend these funds.

All of CEC worked to pass this legislation. Throughout the summer, CEC's Washington D.C. based policy and advocacy staff, its national membership and especially its CAN Network met with members of Congress, wrote countless letters, emails and made phone calls to Senators and Representatives explaining the very real impact educator layoffs have on local school districts, teachers, administrators and students.  CEC and its members want to thank Congress for its support of this legislation.