Search results for keyword: veterans
Policy Corner: November 16, 2018
Congress Returns to Town After Mid-term Elections This week, Congress returned to the Capitol after the mid-term elections that were held Nov. 6. One critical order of business is to fund seven of the twelve individual appropriations bills prior to Dec. 7 or face a shutdown with regard to agencies and programs that are affected....
Policy Corner: August 3, 2018
President Signs Bill to Delay EVV Requirements On Monday, the president signed H.R. 6042 into law (P.L. 115-222), which delays for one year the reduction of Federal medical assistance percentage for Medicaid personal visits furnished without an electronic visit verification (EVV) system. The 21st Century Cures Act, which passed in 2016, required EVV systems to...
Policy Corner: July 27, 2018
BIAA Pushes for Passage of the ABLE Adjustment Act to Benefit Persons with Brain InjuryAs the days wind down for this current legislative session, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is working with the Senate Finance Committee members to obtain cosponsor for S. 817, the ABLE Age Adjustment Act. The legislation, which has also been introduced in the House of Representatives, H.R. 1874, will benefit many individuals who are injured after the age of 26 by extending the age of onset of disability to age 46 for eligibility purposes. This would allow more individuals with brain injury to take advantage of this important savings tool.It has now become a financial imperative to pass the ABLE Age Adjustment Act. There are currently thirty-eight states that have implemented ABLE programs, yet data collected by the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) shows that the number of ABLE accounts being opened is much lower than anticipated. The long-term sustainability, availability, and affordability of some ABLE programs for individuals with disabilities are in doubt without this expansion of eligibility. Advocates are urged to contact their Representative and Senators to support this legislation and ensure its passage prior to this session ending in December.Lawmakers Send Bill Reauthorizing Career Education to PresidentThe Senate and the House resolve differences in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act this week and sent the final bill to the president for his signature. The last time the bill was reauthorized was in 2006, when the program changed the focus from vocational training to career and technical education. The bill increases funding so that more students can participate; shifts the authority to local states and community colleges and high schools; and makes sure that employers are at the table to validate the skills that are taught. The CTE program offers the potential for students with disabilities to use high school toward preparation for the workforce by encouraging specific career pathways.
Policy Corner: July 20, 2018
Bill Sent to President to Delay Electronic Visit Verification Program for Personal Care Services The Senate passed H.R. 6042 Tuesday. This bill will delay by one year the requirement for states to implement the electronic visit verification (EVV) systems for Medicaid-funded personal care services as called for in the 21st Century Cures Act passed in...
Policy Corner: July 13, 2018
House Appropriations Committee Advances FY 2019 Labor-HHS-ED Funding Bill Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year (FY) Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education spending bill to fund federal programs under those agencies’ jurisdictions beginning Oct. 1, 2018. In total, the draft bill includes $177.1 billion in discretionary funding, basically the same...
Policy Corner: June 22, 2018
Senate Defeats Rescission Bill The U.S. Senate voted down the rescissions package, known as the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act, June 20. The bill included funding cuts to the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), housing program, and other federal programs with regard to the current fiscal year. Overall, the legislation called for...
Policy Corner: June 15, 2018
House Passes Rescission Bill The U.S. House of Representatives passed the administration’s proposal to cut almost $15 billion from the federal spending bill passed in the spring to fund government programs for the remainder of this fiscal year ending Sept. 30. The legislation, Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act, cuts $15 billion from...
Policy Corner: June 8, 2018
President Signs Veterans Bill This week, President Trump signed the VA MISSION Act, which combined a number of existing private care programs, including the Veterans Choice Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and expanded private health care options, The VA Mission Act also expands caregivers assistance to families of veterans with...
Dancing Well: The Soldier Project
The Dancing Well: The Soldier Project in Louisville, Kentucky, brings the healing power of music, dance, and community to veterans and families coping with PTSD and TBI.
Policy Corner: May 18, 2018
House Fails to Pass Farm Bill Today, the House of Representatives leadership failed to garner enough votes to pass the Farm Bill, H.R.2, Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, which among other provisions, included work requirements for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, along with job training and...
Policy Corner: April 20, 2018
President Signs State Veterans Home Adult Health Care Bill On March 27, President Trump signed S.324 (Public Law No: 115-159), the State Veterans Home Adult Day Health Care Improvement Act of 2017, to pay for medical supervision model adult day health care for a veteran for whom the state home is not receiving VA nursing...
Policy Corner: April 13, 2018
Lawmakers Offer Resolution Designating May as Stroke Awareness Month Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), along with 21 co-sponsors, has offered H. Res. 337 to designate May as Stroke Awareness Month. The resolution has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. According to the Centers for disease Control and Prevention, one person in the...