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Urgent! Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. has issued a Statewide Call to Action.
Statewide Call to Action
Wednesday, November 1, 2011
Tell Congressman Jeb Hensarling, "My Medicaid Matters!"
Medicaid funding is under attack. Medicaid is a program funded by the U.S. federal and state governments that pays the medical expenses of people who are unable to pay some or all of their own medical expenses.
U.S. Representative Hensarling from Dallas, Texas, is co-chair of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the "Super Committee"). The "Super Committee" is charged with reducing the budget deficit by making over $1.2 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years!
Did you know?
Medicaid is on the chopping block! Medicaid Matters! Medicaid supports health, independence, families and jobs for over 58 million Americans.
What Can I Do?
Call Rep. Jeb Hensarling's Offices
In Washington, DC: 1-888-497-3114
In Texas: 1-888-715-2384 (Dallas)
*REMEMBER MEDICAID IS A FEDERAL & STATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM. IF THE FEDERAL MEDICAID PROGRAM BUDGET IS CUT, IT WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE TEXAS MEDICAID PROGRAM BUDGET. CONGRESSMAN HENSARLING IS ON THE SUPER COMMITTEE AND HE NEEDS TO HEAR HOW MEDICAID MATTERS TO YOU!!!
Talking Points
• "PROTECT THE MEDICAID PROGRAM"
Ask Rep. Hensarling to protect the Medicaid Program because it matters to you and millions across the country.
• "MY MEDICAID MATTERS"
It helps the economy, and is important to all Texans. Describe why the Medicaid Program is important to you and your family.
• "CUTTING MEDICAID HURTS PEOPLE"
Describe what would happen to you or your family if you lost your Medicaid benefit.
Who is Medicaid Serving? Enrollment Groups (2009)
• Blind & Disabled, 35%
• Aged (Elderly 65 & over), 24%
• Children (1-18), 17%
• Newborns & Infants, 10%
• Pregnant Women, 6%
• TANF & TANF related, 4%
• Foster Care & Adoption Subsidy, 2%
• Emergency Medicaid, 2%
Thank you for taking action!
Let us know about legislative issues that are important to people with disabilities and their families. For information on state and federal bills go to http://bexar.tx.networkofcare.org/aging/legislate/index.cfm. Search by bill number or topic and sign up for email updates. If you would like information on a bill highlighted on this page, email us at info@disablitysa.org with a brief description of the issue and why you think it is important.
Click here to find out who represents you in the Texas and U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Download tips from The Arc of Texas that help you tell your story.
Learn about writing letters to elected officials and how to communicate when you visit the state capital.
Submit a Video Testimony to your Legislator. Shine On Group Homes is offering free Video Testimony services for individuals who are not able to make it up to Austin to visit with their state legislators. Contact Sheila Koeppen at (210) 646-7805 or sheila@shineongh.com for information about your video testimony today.
Urgent! Texas Forward is calling for support for a bill that offers a balanced approach alternative to cuts-only proposals for balancing the state budget.
House Bill (HB) 658 by Rep. Mike Villareal would provide $10 million for Texas’ general fund by repealing a classic example of an outmoded and wasteful tax exemption. Here’s the background: When property tax abatements to companies were prohibited, businesses lobbied for a transitional program to help them adjust to the new rule and the legislature created such a program in 1995. Unfortunately, more than 15 years later, the program is still disbursing funds to companies at a cost of $10 million annually to the state. The payments are made under the guise of a "refund of state sales and franchise taxes," and they are unearned – as long as the company received a city or county abatement and met certain payroll or investment qualifications, the state has no discretion in determining whether to grant the refund.
HB 658 terminates this outmoded program. The money saved would be enough to, for example:
1. Restore funding for middle school physical education grants, which fight obesity and diabetes in middle
school students o;r
2. Restore funding for Life Skills Teen parenting programs or;
3. Restore funding for the Student Success Initiative for limited-English-proficient students or;
4. Restore funding for School Bus Seat Belt Grants.
…which are all on the chopping block in the House and Senate budget proposals.This is an opportunity for lawmakers to use revenue, rather than relying only on deep cuts to necessities to address our state’s economic crisis.
What can you do?
1. Most effective: Testify at the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday, February 28, 2011. The
Committee will be considering HB 658 and other bills after adjournment and by 2:00pm in room E2.014.
2. Don't have time to sit in the hearing? You can drop a card in favor of HB 658 letting the Committee
know you support it. You'll need to stop in E2.014 to fill out your card.
3. Can't make it to the Capitol on Monday? Call and email members of the House Ways and Means
Committee in support of HB 658.
For more information contact Kymberlie at quongcharles@cppp.org or 512-968-1560 x 115.
Medicaid Waivers Could Be Next On Chopping Block
By Michelle Diament
October 12, 2010
Years-long waiting lists for Medicaid waiver services are all too common, but in a new twist, budget constraints may force Texas officials to rescind benefits from some who now receive them.
A Hole in the Safety Net
By Emily Ramshaw
October 12, 2010
Advocates say the Department of Aging and Disability Services’ baseline budget request eliminates financing for more than 13,000 people — the majority waiting to receive Medicaid waiver services. Agency officials will only say that an "unknown number" of people already receiving the services could lose them. It's unclear if lawmakers can make these cuts without risking losing federal funding; federal health care reform requires states to maintain coverage at the same level it was when the Affordable Care Act became law in March.
Rosa's Law passed unanimously by U.S. House of Representatives
By Michelle Diament | September 23, 2010
The House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill Wednesday evening paving the way for the term “mental retardation” to be replaced with “intellectual disability” in many areas of federal law. The legislation known as Rosa’s Law now goes to President Barack Obama who White House officials say intends to sign the measure.
Under the bill, the terms “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” would be stripped from federal health, education and labor policy. “Intellectual disability” and “individual with an intellectual disability” would be inserted in their place.
The changes would occur as laws and documents come up for revision over the next several years. Since the alterations would be implemented gradually, the legislation is not expected to incur any cost.
“For far too long we have used hurtful words like ‘mental retardation’ or ‘MR’ in our federal statutes to refer to those living with intellectual disabilities,” said the bill’s sponsor Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., in a statement Wednesday. “Rosa’s Law will make a greatly-needed change that should have been made well before today — and it will encourage us to treat people the way they would like to be treated.”
The language swap would not alter the rights that individuals with disabilities have, but would merely bring the federal government more in line with a trend toward using the term “intellectual disability.” Already the term is used by most states and some federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Rosa’s Law is named for Rosa Marcellino, a Maryland girl with Down syndrome.
Direct URL: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/09/23/house-approves-rosas-law/10346/
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