May 2011

White House Appointments 

On May 10th, President Barack Obama announced the following appointments to the Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities:  James T. Brett (Chair), Peter V. Berns, Clay Boatright, Micki Edelsohn, Ann Hardiman, Alison A. Hillman de Velásquez, Carl M. La Mell, Annette McKenzie Anderson, Carol Quirk, Susana Ramirez, Deborah M. Spitalnik, Lillian Sugarman, Liz Weintraub, Carol Wheeler and Sheryl White-Scott.  In making the appointments, the President stated:  “These fine public servants both bring both a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles.  Our nation will be well-served by these men and women, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.” 

The Chair, Mr. Brett, is the President and CEO of The New England Council, a position he has held since 1996.  Prior to leading the Council, Mr. Brett served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for 15 years.  He currently serves as the Chairman of the Massachusetts Governor’s Commission on Intellectual Disability, and sits on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, and the Advisory Councils of the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps and the New England Center for Children.  Mr. Brett has been honored with several awards for his advocacy for the disabled, including receiving the Action for Boston Community Development’s Lifetime Public Service Award, the Massachusetts Special Olympics’ Distinguished Leadership Award, and the Hospice of Boston’s Humanitarian of the Year Award. In 1996, Bay Cove Human Services of Boston named a new community home for disabled adults "Brett House" in his honor.  Mr. Brett is a graduate of American University in Washington, DC, and holds Masters Degrees in Public Administration from Suffolk University and from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Health Care Premiums 

Effective September 2011, a new regulation from the United States Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) will require additional review of requests by health care insurers proposing increases of more than 10%.  To aid in these reviews, HHS is sending states $244M.  However, if costs can be justified the rate increases will likely be approved.  The regulation applies to health policies covering individuals and small groups, both of whom routinely see increases of more than 10% annually.

Federal Budget

The United States Senate defeated a bill from the FY2012 Budget Resolution that had passed the House of Representatives  by a vote of 57 to 40.  If passed, the budget proposal would have made devastating cuts to people with disabilities via discretionary budget items including Medicaid.  Some of the programs in danger include: health care, housing, transportation, education, employment and other wrap-around services.  Many individuals with developmental disabilities do rely disproportionately on government services to live, learn and work in their communities. These services assist many people with disabilities to live independently in the community, thereby avoiding costly institutional care.  An additional $3B is likely to be provided for disaster recovery following the rash of bad weather across the country from tornadoes and flooding.  Expect some members of Congress to push for cuts in other areas to pay the tab; in reality, the federal deficit is going to continue to climb.

Federal Budget Initiatives

A proposal passed by the House of Representatives would enable states to reduce Medicaid program, something many state Governors have requested as a way to help them manage escalating Medicaid costs.  National advocates fear such proposals could jeopardize services for those with developmental disabilities, many of whom rely on Medicaid for health care coverage and other support services that enable them to live in their communities.

According to a report published by Families USA, cutting Medicaid’s long-term care coverage would also have an adverse impact on Ohio’s economy.  Based on the latest statistics available, there were 138,500 direct-care workers providing long-term care services in Ohio, many of whom would lose their jobs if Medicaid cut back eligibility for long-term care services. Additionally, this direct loss in jobs would have an adverse multiplier effect throughout Ohio’s economy. Based on the latest data available, in Ohio there were almost 2 million informal caregivers – typically family members and friends – who provided help for citizens in need of long-term care. If Medicaid’s long-term care coverage is diminished, the burden on these caregivers’ lives would increase exponentially. A copy of the report is obtainable at:  http://familiesusa2.org/assets/pdfs/long-term-care/Cutting-Medicaid.pdf.

The Economy

According to research conducted by Kiplinger in Washington, DC, consumer prices are likely to climb 3% this year.  They are likely to be higher for visible products such as gasoline and food, but not as high for items such as rent, telephone service, clothing and other apparel.  The country saw an increase of 244,000 jobs during the month of April, with 8,600 of those jobs being in Ohio. The growth - both nationally and in Ohio - was primarily in the private sector as state and local government payrolls continue to shrink.  However, unemployment for the month was still 9%, with Ohio actually coming in under the national average at 8.6% (i.e., that still represents over 500K unemployed Ohioans). Income levels, however, are not expected to increase at the same rate as inflation because overall unemployment is still high and many new jobs do not have the same level of benefits, including health insurance.  So, there is both good and bad news when it comes to the national economy - not all that different for the economic situation in Ohio.

National Perspective is a publication of the Ohio Association of County Boards of DD, designed to update Association members on national and federal issues of interest.