Action Alerts

Ongoing:

• None.

Major Events Last Week

Health Care Reform

By a vote of 14-9, the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), passed the America's Healthy Future Act of 2009. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) joined all Democratic members in voting for the bill. This is the first expression of bi-partisan support for a health care reform package this year and marks a major step forward in securing passage of comprehensive health reform legislation this year.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senators Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Max Baucus (D-MT) and senior White House officials continued negotiations on merging health care reform bills produced by the Senate Committees on Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP).

In the House, meetings continued on merging the Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor and Ways and Means Committees' bills. In addition the House Democratic leadership met with moderates in an effort to address their concerns about controlling costs and the public plan option for the new health insurance Exchange.

2009 H1N1 Flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that there is a delay in disseminating the vaccine for the H1N1 flu. Persons with cognitive impairments, neurological and respiratory conditions, and their paid or unpaid caregivers are, according to CDC guidance, among targeted populations to receive the vaccine. For information on vaccine dissemination in your state, visit:
www.flu.gov

Social Security

Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) - The Social Security Administration announced that monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will not automatically increase in 2010 because there was no increase in the Consumer Price Index from the third quarter of 2008 to the third quarter of 2009. This will be the first year without an automatic COLA since they went into effect in 1975. In the SSI program, the maximum federal payment for an individual will remain at $674 per month. For couples, the maximum federal payment will remain at $1,011 per month. SSI resource limits will remain at $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples.

However, some changes will take effect in January in areas that are not tied to the COLA adjustment, including an increase in the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level for people with disabilities and an increase in the amount of earnings required to earn quarters of coverage, or work credits. The SGA level is used in determining whether an individual is disabled. The SGA level for people with disabilities will rise from $980 per month in 2009 to $1,000 per month in 2010. The SGA level for people who are blind will remain at $1,640 per month in 2010 because it is tied to the COLA adjustment. Quarters of coverage are used to determine whether an individual has contributed enough to the Social Security system to be eligible for disability, retirement, and survivor benefits. The earnings needed to earn a quarter of coverage will rise from $1,090 in 2009 to $1,120 in 2010. For more details, see SSA's Web site:
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/pr/2010cola-pr.htm

Additional Payment for Social Security and SSI - President Obama announced his support for an additional $250 Economic Recovery Payment to the seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who are struggling to make ends meet and who face no COLA for benefits in 2010. An estimated 57 million people would benefit from this proposal, including 49 million Social Security beneficiaries and 5 million SSI beneficiaries. The benefit would be $250 - or equivalent to a 2 percent increase in benefits for the average Social Security retiree beneficiary. Under the rules, no person could "double dip" and receive a $250 Economic Recovery Payment through more than one program. The White House believes the total cost of the proposal would be $13 billion and would not hurt the solvency of Social Security. Some Members of Congress also expressed support for a one-time payment to those hit with the flat Social Security benefits for 2010. A one-time payment would assist beneficiaries in making ends meet while leaving the long-standing formula for determining annual COLAs intact. Many Republicans support this increase so long as the funding comes from the ARRA stimulus fund.

Education

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, in a speech to the National Association of State Boards of Education, stressed his view that the federal government has a larger role than providing funding to state and local education agencies. He committed to work with state and local education agencies to define "success" in schools and to close the achievement gap for minority and special education students.

ARRA Stimulus Funding Reporting

The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board began releasing data on October 15 on the first round of spending from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Federal contracts, grants and loans are covered. ARRA funding included spending on many disability specific programs, such as IDEA, vocational rehabilitation, and independent living. See:
www.Recovery.gov

Major Events Ahead

Health Care Reform

Senate leadership negotiators continue to merge the two Committee bills. Majority Leader Reid has stated that his goal is to send a merged bill to the Congressional Budget Office this week for an estimate. Senate floor debate on the merged bill could begin during the last week of October.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also intends to send the merged House health reform bill to CBO this week. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announced that House floor action would not occur until sometime in November.

TARP Spending/Health Care Reform

Last year, the Congress passed a $700 billion bailout called the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) for banking institutions in serious financial trouble. All but $63 billion of that amount has been spent. Banks have already paid back over $80 billion. The TARP law requires that monies returned be paid back to the general fund of the Treasury to reduce the federal debt. Since the Congress continues to struggle in addressing key issues such as health care coverage, the housing foreclosure crisis and unemployment, some Members are beginning to consider the use of TARP funds to address these needs. Congressional conservatives are pushing back, insisting that the returned TARP funds be used to reduce the deficit. This debate is bound to continue into the future.

2009 H1N1 Flu

On Wednesday, the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), will hold a hearing on "Monitoring Response to H1N1 Flu". Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan are scheduled to testify.

Announcements

Flu Shots

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants all beneficiaries to be immunized against the various forms of influenza threatening Americans this fall and winter. Medicare, a health insurance program for the elderly and people with disabilities, and Medicaid, which covers low income individuals and families, pay for the regular seasonal flu shots and immunization for the new H1N1 flu strain, sometimes referred to as "swine flu." Most people will need both shots, although children and pregnant women are high priority for the H1N1 vaccine and for the seasonal flu vaccine. As part of this concern, CMS is distributing a fact sheet for Medicare beneficiaries and another for those enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's' Health Insurance Program (CHIP). See:
http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11440.pdf and
http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11439.pdf

Transportation

The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) is offering a free, two week long web-based dialog on increasing access to affordable transportation and improving transportation coordination from November 2-13, 2009. CCAM includes 11 federal departments responsible for providing transportation for people with disabilities, older adults, and people with lower incomes. Participants will be asked to submit comments and rate ideas to increase transportation access for people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals with limited incomes. To register visit:
www.UWRdialogue.org

Respite Care Grants

Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging in the Department of Health and Human Services, recently announced Lifespan Respite Care grant awards to 12 states (Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Washington, DC, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas). The awards of up to $200,000 were the first made under the Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006 and will help states develop and enhance coordinated, accessible, community-based respite care programs for caregivers of individuals of any age and any disability. In announcing the awards, Assistant Secretary Greenlee said, "Respite is a key component of the long-term care system which relies heavily on the work and dedication of informal family caregivers." To qualify for a federal Lifespan Respite Grant, a state agency is required to partner with a state respite coalition or other state respite organization. State coalition contacts can be found at the ARCH National Resource Center for Respite Web site. See:
http://chtop.org/ARCH/State-Respite-Coalitions.html

Please note that you can view previous issues of the Capitol Insider, at UCP.org anytime by choosing "Capitol Insider" under "Public Policy."

Read previous Capitol Insider issues now.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at acosta@thedpc.org.

Sincerely,

Annie Acosta
Director of Communications and Grassroots
Disability Policy Collaboration