Lifespan Respite Appropriations: August Recess Alert - Schedule Face-to-Face Congressional Visits in Home Districts Today. -July 30, 2007

Current Bills in Congress Will Not Provide 'High-Performing' Health System, Study Says. -July 26, 2007

Sen. Harkin Introduces Bill to Provide Tax Incentives for Healthy Workplace. -July 10, 2007

A State Finds No Easy Fixes on Health Care - Mr. Rendell's "Prescription for Pennsylvania" concluded that a health policy would be unaffordable, and perhaps politically unattainable. -July 10, 2007

No Money in Senate Bill For Lifespan Respite - No Funds for Lifespan Respite in House or Senate Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Bills. -June 23, 2007

UCP Releases New Medicaid Report - 'The Plan for Inclusion,' a menu of policy options and tactics, is designed to work in tandem with 'The Case for Inclusion' and offer suggestions for action. -June 22, 2007

Differences in State Health Care Systems Highlight Substantial Human, Economic Costs. -June 14, 2007

AHRQ's Annual State Snapshots Highlight States' Gains and Lags in Health Care Quality. -June 11, 2007

EMERGENCY ALERT: NO Funding for Lifespan Respite Care Act in House Appropriations Bill -- Call Members of the House Appropriations Committee. -June 9, 2007

Business Group's Reform Principles Include SCHIP Renewal, Health Insurance Tax Parity. -June 7, 2007

Call your Senator to Support Children's Health & SCHIP this Week The Senate Finance Committee will gather soon to determine the fate of health care for millions of kids in this country. -June 5, 2007

States Face Hard Questions About Costs, Political Support When Adopting Health Reforms. -May 31, 2007

Clinton Revisits Health Care and Affordability - Revived that crusade yesterday but in a more measured way offering a plan to reduce costs to make universal coverage affordable. -May 25, 2007

Change at State Level Most Promising For Health Care Reform, Speaker Says. -May 24, 2007

Employees in Consumer-Driven Plans Less Satisfied Than Traditional Plan Users. -May 24, 2007

The "Uninsurables" - Thousands of uninsured people who can't get insurance contact call centers every month. -May 23, 2007

HHS 5 Year Strategic Plan - Comments Due by June 15! -May 23, 2007

Rising Costs Biggest Health Care Concern Of Small Businesses, Federation Survey Finds. -May 22, 2007

CMS Warns That Looming Funding Cuts Could Harm Medicare Advantage Enrollees. -May 22, 2007

Action Alert: Urge Congress to Fund Lifespan Respite Care Act - The new Lifespan Respite Care law cannot be implemented unless Congress appropriates the funding for FY08. -May 22, 2007

Handling House Calls in a Managed-Care World - Doctors treating patients at home disappeared decades ago. -May 19, 2007

Despite Spending More, U.S. Ranks Last In Several Key Health Indicators, Study Finds. -May 15, 2007

Coalition Condemns 75% Rule on Inpatient Rehab, Urges Enactment of Stopgap Legislation. -May 9, 2007

Wyden Announces CEO Coalition to Push For Market-Based, Universal Health Care. -May 8, 2007

Mentally Ill Die 25 Years Earlier, On Average - Adults with serious mental illness treated in public systems die about 25 years earlier. -May 3, 2007

How Many More Disabled People Must Be Injured in Nursing Homes? - The GAO in March 2007 issued a devastating indictment against those nursing homes which have "serious quality problems." -April 30, 2007

Leavitt: Let States Find Ways To Expand Health Insurance - HHS Secretary Leavitt wants Congress to give states the tools to expand health insurance access to Americans. -April 24, 2007

Health Information Technology (HIT) and People with Disabilities - Jenifer Simpson's Remarks at the Stakeholder Roundtable held as part of a policy forum entitled "Connecting Disability Users and Systems to Health Information Networks." -April 19, 2007

Fitness a Struggle for Disabled People - The basics of good health, diet and exercise, often present challenges for people with disabilities. -April 16, 2007

Hill Watch - A summary of key issues in healthcare legislation. -April 9, 2007

New Urgency in Debating Health Care - Top executives of large companies are calling for a national approach to fixing health care. -April 9, 2007

Kaiser Launches New Tracking Poll for the Presidential Campaign Season. -March 29, 2007

Action Alert: Urge Co-Sponsorship of the Community Choice Act of 2007 - Would increase access to community-based services and other supports for Americans with disabilities and older Americans. -March 26, 2007

Justices to Hear Case on Wages of Home Aides - Labor Department regulations that say home care attendants, who number 1.4 million, are not covered by federal minimum-wage and overtime laws. -March 26, 2007

Your Checklist for Health - New Checklists Help Men and Women Know Which Medical Tests Are Needed To Stay Healthy at Any Age. -March 22, 2007

Action Alert: Help Preserve Patient Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation - The American Health Care Association (AHCA) believes the best place to receive rehabilitation services is in a nursing home. -March 22, 2007

New Analysis of Congressional Health Care Proposals - Many of the healthcare reform proposals, if passed, could significantly reduce the number of uninsured Americans. -March 19, 2007

Action Alert: Ask Your Rep. to Co-sponsor "In the Home" Legislation and an original cosponsor of the Medicare Independent Living Act. -March 15, 2007

Urgent Alert: Lifespan Respite Care Act - Get US Reps to Sign Funding Letter. -March 7, 2007

Without Health Benefits, a Good Life Turns Fragile - The ranks of the uninsured have been swelling; federal figures show an increase of 6.8 million since 2000. -March 6, 2007

HHS Initiative to Assist Hospitals in Effective Communication - A new program, Effective Communication in Hospitals, will assist hospitals in meeting the communication needs of individuals who do not speak English as their primary language. -March 6, 2007

Most Support U.S. Guarantee of Health Care - A majority of Americans say the federal government should guarantee health insurance to every American. -March 2, 2007

NOW is the time! Call-in March 6-8, 2007 - Budget Committees of both the House and Senate are going to be making early decisions. -February 26, 2007

Health Care Spending to Double by 2016 - Despite Slight Slowdown in 2006, CMS Says. -February 21, 2007

Baucus Pledges Interim Funds For States' SCHIP Shortfalls - If the State Children's Health Insurance Program is not agreed upon, Senate leaders will attach the bill to an Iraq supplemental spending bill. -February 15, 2007

New Online Report Examines Implication of Basing Eligibility for Subsidized Health Coverage on the Federal Poverty Level. -February 15, 2007

Bipartisan Group of Senators Wants To Work With Bush on Health Care Reform - A group of senators led by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has asked President Bush to work with them to "fix the nation's health care system." -February 15, 2007

New on the Web - Several new reports and other resources available on the Web that is interesting and useful. -February 14, 2007

Those with Genetic Conditions More Likely to be Denied Health Insurance - A new study published in the February 2007 issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics reveals. -February 13, 2007

A Silent Epidemic - An unrecognized problem known as low "health literacy." -February 20, 2007

Warnings Over Privacy of U.S. Health Network - No clear strategy to protect the privacy of patients as it promotes the use of electronic medical records throughout the nation’s health care system. -February 18, 2007

Dept. of Labor Announces $2.5 Million in Grants for Health Care Worker Programs. -February 16, 2007

Bush Health Tax Plan Would Hurt Old, Sick - Without Slowing Cost Inflation, Analysts Say. -February 12, 2007

States and U.S. at Odds on Aid for Uninsured - Governors and state legislators around the country are transforming the nation's healthcare system, putting affordable health insurance within reach of millions of Americans. -February 12, 2007

A Chance to Pick Hospice, and Still Hope to Live - Hospice programs and private health insurers are taking a new approach so patients can get hospice care for the last months of life. -February 10, 2007

Bush's FY 2008 Budget Proposal Calls for Reducing Growth - Most of Medicare and Medicaid Savings in Bush's FY 2008 Budget Proposal Come From Reducing Growth in Medicare Provider Payments. -February 6, 2007

URGENT CALLS NEEDED for Lifespan Respite Care Act Funding - Signatures Needed by Feb. 7. -February 6, 2007

Vets Group: Keep 24-hour Disability Coverage - Service members fall under the military’s criminal code 24 hours a day, and they should have 24 hour coverage for disabilities. -January 23, 2007

ACTION ALERT: Opportunity to Submit Comments about Budget Proposals for HHS - A hearing on President Bush’s budget proposals for the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) fiscal year 2008 will be heard next Thursday. -February 2, 2007

The Older Americans Act: Consumer Choice and Control over Long Term Care. -February 1, 2007

Toolkit: President Bush's Health Plan - The Alliance for Health Reform has compiled a toolkit. -January 31, 2007

Psychiatric System Crunch Worsens - Waits for Beds Increasingly Exceed Md.'s Legal Maximum. -January 29, 2007

Universal Health Coverage Attracts New Support - Onetime Foes Become Unlikely Advocates, Citing Rising Costs and Tougher Access. -January 22, 2007

Survey Finds Medical Equipment Is Not Accessible - Users with disabilities are experiencing lack of accessible medical equipment. -January 22, 2007

No Room At the Inn - The scandal of Misty Cargill - she needs a kidney transplant. -December 25, 2006

Chairman Rangel Outlines New Priorities For Ways-Means Oversight of Health Care. -January 19, 2007

Coalition Proposes Tax Credits, Expanding Public Programs to Cover Poor Uninsured. -January 19, 2007

Redistribution of $271 Million Provides Temporary Solution to States With Shortfalls. -January 18, 2007

Bipartisan Group in House, Senate Pushes Grants for States to Expand Health Insurance. -January 18, 2007

Supporters Renew Push for Mental Health Care - Bills that could expand access to mental health care for Americans stand a better chance of passing with the new congressional leadership. -January 8, 2007

Human Needs News & Resources - Call for Screening of All Pregnant Women. -January 8, 2007

Why Some Patients Get No Help After Brain Injury - Many Insurance Firms Doubt Therapy's Uses; Ms. Schrimpf's Dream. -January 8, 2007

A Hidden Shame: Death In Georgia's Mental Hospitals - Sarah Crider was among 115 patients in the state's care who might have lived. -January 7, 2007

Healthcare Debate to Heat Up in 2007 - Lots of reform plans expected as control of Congress shifts. -December 19, 2006

HHS Launches New Website Promoting Long-Term Care Planning - Essential Planning Tool to Help Americans Own Their Own Future. -December 19, 2006

Congressional Aides Predict Busy Year for Health Care Initiatives in '07. - December 14, 2006

CMS Publishes Final Patients' Rights Rule on Use of Restraints and Seclusion - Better, More Extensive Training of Staff Required. - December 8, 2006

Learning From Innovative State Health Coverage Approaches - New America Foundation's Health Policy Program Releases Report Looking at Innovative State and Local Efforts to Expand Health Coverage Across the Country. - November 20, 2006

Medicaid Wants Citizenship Proof for Infant Care - Children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants will no longer be automatically entitled to health insurance through Medicaid. - November 3, 2006

Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones Against Influenza - A CDC 2006-7 Influenza Campaign. - November 3, 2006

Former HHS Secretary Thompson Says States Will Take Lead on Health Care Reform in the absence of federal action. - October 27, 2006

Clinicians, Advocates Assail CMS Undermining of Wheelchair Access - Clinicians and advocates charged CMS with "dismantling" the Medicare benefit for power mobility equipment. - October 11, 2006

Lifespan Respite Alert - House Leadership will help bring the bill to the floor during the November session. - October 6, 2006

A Healthcare Television Series All Americans Should See - PBS stations around the country will begin airing the television series 'Remaking American Medicine.' - October 4, 2006

NGA Releases Issue Briefs on State Health Coverage Expansions and Premium Assistance Programs. -September 29, 2006

A message from the ITEM Coalition - Medicare published final local coverage determinations (LCDs) for power mobility devices (PMDs) that has three major problems. - September 27, 2006

Medicare Issues Harmful New Mobility Device Rules - Medicare published final local coverage determinations (LCDs) for power mobility devices (PMDs) that will severely restrict access to appropriate PMDs for individuals with mobility impairments. - September 14, 2006

Mental Health Consumer/Survivors Create National Coalition - A national coalition to ensure a major role in the development and implementation of health and mental health care and social policies at the state and national levels. - September 6, 2006

We're Giving Kids a Voice on Health Care - Announces the launch of our national essay contest for children and young adults: 'When an Apple a Day Isn't Enough' that ends on Tuesday, October 31st. - September 5, 2006

2007 Grant Announcement - Community Alternatives to PRTF Demonstration Grant Program. -August 21, 2006

Community Alternatives to PRTF Demonstration Grant Program - Medicare Seeks Proposals for Senior Risk Reduction Demonstration as Part of Agency's New Focus on Prevention. -August 21, 2006

Medicare Posts Ambulatory Surgical Center Transparency Info - Medicare Posts Ambulatory Surgical Center Transparency Information Important Step toward Transparency in Health Care Costs and Quality. -August 21, 2006

Urgent Lifespan Respite Care Act Legislative Alert - Iowa's housing Finance Agency has a number of innovative housing proposals. -August 11, 2006

Comments Due Aug. 11 on Medicaid Proof of Citizenship Rules - CMS published the interim final regulations to implement the new law that U.S. citizens applying for and receiving Medicaid show "satisfactory documentary evidence" of their citizenship. -August 10, 2006

Iowa Pool to Lower Medicaid Drug Costs - Gov. Vilsack says joining Maine and Vermont will save $11 million a year. -August 3, 2006

CHALK IT UP! - National Day of Health Care Action - August 22nd - CHALK IT UP! is coordinating A National Health Care Day of Action on Tuesday August 22, 2006. -July 28, 2006

CMS News: Effort to Combat Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Launched - Unprecedented Effort to Halt Diversion of Critical Funds. -July 18, 2006

Horse-and-Buggy Health Coverage - Tough-minded CEOs who make billions for shareholders are stuck in the 20th century, and resort to drastic cost cutting when offering healthcare to employees. -July 17, 2006

Georgia Settlement Will Give People with Disabilities More Home Care - The state created opportunities and funding for thousands of disabled people to live in their homes and communities. -July 4, 2006

NYS Legislature News Release on Timothy's Law Agreement - Legislation that would provide parity in insurance coverage for mental illnesses. -June 27, 2006

Appeals Court: Missouri Medicaid Policy Appears Unreasonable - Federal appeals court suggested it was unreasonable of Missouri to deny coverage of certain medical equipment to most low-income adults. -June 27, 2006

Help Us Find Stories About Uninsured Children - According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than nine million children in the United States have no health insurance. -May 16, 2006

Cover The Uninsured Week 2006, May 1-7 - The organizers plan to alert millions of people to the pressing needs of those living without health insurance. -April 27, 2006

UHCAN Health-e-Action: Survey Deadline Extended to May 15 - The Working Group will issue recommendations after all surveys are compiled that will be the subject of a congressional hearings in 2007. -April 25, 2006

Attend a Citizens' Health Care Working Group Meeting Near You - The Working Group is holding community meetings throughout the country, and we'd like to urge you to attend a meeting close to you. -March 23, 2006

UHCAN Health-e-Action: Online healthcare survey responses needed now! For the first time, our federal government is asking all of us what we think is important for health care to work for everyone. -March 20, 2006

National Consensus Statement on Mental Health Recovery Outlined principles necessary to achieve mental health recovery. -February 24, 2006

Agency pitches plan to pay medical costs -December 2005

FMLA Labor Day Letters to the Editor. Raising awareness about potential FMLA roll backs. -September 2005

News, an update from the ITEM Coalition. CMS issues new regulation on power mobility devices. -August 2005

Action Needed: Share Your Story To Protect the Family Medical Leave Act. The FMLA is currently being threatened. -August 2005

Special Olympics Athletes have unmet health needs and are not being addressed in a competent, comprehensive fashion. -August 2005

"75% Rule" will force people with disabilities into Nursing Homes and less intensive settings of rehabilitation care. -July 2005

Social network's healing power is borne out in poorer nations. People with schizophrenia, typically do far better in poorer nations. -June 2005

Patients' diversity is often discounted alternatives to mainstream medical treatment call for recognizing ethnic, social differences. -June 2005

New Report--Paying a Premium: The added cost of care for the uninsured. -June 2005

Experts Meet Secretly to Discuss Recommendations for the Uninsured. The efforts of some experts in the health care industry, trying to come to a consensus on how to provide health coverage to the uninsured. -June 2005

Study: U.S. Leads In Mental Illness, Lags in Treatment. One-quarter of all Americans met the criteria for having a mental illness within the past year, according to a survey. -June 2005

Force of Privacy Rule Significantly Weakenend by Justice Department. Under the new ruling, only covered entities, such as hospitals, doctors, and health plans, can be held accountable. -June 2005

CMS releases Wheelchair National Coverage Rule. From the Weekly Washington Wire on Health Care Policy. -May 2005

ITEM Coalition disappointed by CMS' perpetuation of "In the Home" restriction; says new guidelines will not improve community access. -May 2005

Statement of Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the introduction of the Family Opportunity Act of 2005. -January 2005

Companies set program to cut prices of 275 prescription drugs. Millions of Americans went without life-saving drugs because they lacked health coverage. -January 2005

NGA Resolution Letter to Governor Warner on the long-term care reform resolution. -January 2005

Executive Order S-18-04 by the Governor of the State of California to evaluate the May 2003, California Olmstead Plan. -September 2004

New report shows Health Care is far less affordable then it was four years ago. -September 2004

Justice Department finds State Of California contributes to unnecessary institutionalization at Laguna Honda Nursing Home. -July 2004

PFIZER: announces Prescription Drug initiative for uninsured aimed to provide prescription drugs at discounts to an estimated 43 million uninsured U.S. residents. -July 2004

Smithsonian Polio project in need of true stories about navigation and access problems and how they were resolved (or not). -July 2004

NGA to assist states develop community-based care options at Policy Academy. Eight states to participate in rebalancing long-term care systems. -July 2004

Social Security Administration (pdf). More effort needed to assess consistency of disability decisions. -July 2004
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Brand name drug price increases accelerate AARP study finds 3.4 percent increase in First Quarter. -July 2004

The iInjuries in America is indeed among the leading causes of death. -July 2004

One In Three: non-elderly Americans without health insurance. People under 65 years of age, including many in the middle class- were uninsured at some point of time during 2002-2003. -June 2004

Health lobby blocks mental health parity. Insurance companies have blocked legislation to make them provide equal coverage for mental and physical illnesses. -June 2004

Cover The Uninsured Week. This week-long nationwide campaign is designed to raise awareness about the plight of Americans who have no health coverage. -May 2004

Ask CMS Chief Mark McClellan about Prescription Drugs. ACT NOW: "What Will You Do to Lower My Drug Prices?" -March 2004

New head of Medicare/Medicaid. President Bush announced that he would nominate Dr. Mark B. McClellan, the food and drug commissioner, to run Medicare and Medicaid. -March 2004

Nursing home MDS data offer will provide MDS data for YOUR State's nursing home population. -March 2004

National Call-In Day for Respite Care Act. Join in a National Call-In Day to Congress in support of the Lifespan Respite Care Act (S. 538, HR 1083). -February 2004

NYT Op-Ed on State of U.S. Health Care. According to a recent Gallup poll, 82 percent of Americans rank health care among their top issues. -February 2004

Health and Wellness for Women with Disabilities. As many as one in five women in the United States are living with disabilities. -January 2004

MR/DD, MI and nursing facilities ensure that persons with MR/DD or MI diagnoses received appropriate services. -December 2003

New Federal Medical Assistance Funds. Your state, this year and next, will have a huge federal Medical Assistance grant to allocate as it wishes. -July 2003

New initiative for mediators in their practice of determining a party's capacity to mediate. -April 2003

A population-based study on measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination and Autism. -November 2002

Spending too much on mental illness in all the wrong places. -November 2002

Better health care for all Americans. The Health Care Safety Net Amendment of 2002. -November 2002

President takes action to lower prescription drug prices. -October 2002

Remarks by the President on prescription drugs. This is a significant advancement for people with disabilities and others to afford prescription drugs. -October 2002

Money Follows the Person. Whatever amount your state pays the nursing homes should "Follow the Person" to be used in the community. -September 2002

Pennsylvania's adult basic health plan. The program is open to uninsured, non-Medicare-eligible adults between 19 and 65 with incomes under 200% of poverty. -August 2002

Improving access to quality mental health care. The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. -May 2002

Bionic Retina gives six patients partial sight. -May 2002

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center Website. A portal for locating information on paralysis across the Web. -May 2002

Health care cost containment. -January 2002

State health insurance profiles. -January 2002

Racial and ethnic disparities in health status. -January 2002

State budget pressures and health coverage. -January 2002

Task Force Principles regarding disaster preparedness and Homeland Security. -November 2001

Free e-mail newsletter for the blind. -2001

Invitation to join FCC disability rights mailing list. -2001

Transportation I. G. seeks public comment. -August 2000