LEAP: Advocacy Activities
Participate in your government! Go to the " Elected Officials Guide" to find your state and federal representatives. Here is a pocket guide to your Ohio representation in the federal and state governments. Research bills on your own!
There are some issues that may be resolved in the lame duck sessions of both the federal and state governments. Please continue your advocacy efforts through the rest of 2008.
| Ending the Medicare Waiting Period Act of 2007 |
 Currently, individuals with disabilities who qualify for SSDI must wait 24 months (2 years) before they are eligible for Medicare. This bill would eliminate the waiting period (phased in over a period of years) and would also add individuals with life threatening conditions besides ALS and End-Stage Renal Disease.
S. 2102 is co-sponsered by President-Elect Obama and Senator Sherrod Brown. Ask Senator Voinovich to become a co-sponser and/or to support this change in the Medicare program to allow persons who qualify for Medicare earlier access to health care coverage. (11/08)
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| County Board Membership |
 SB 165 would add two membership slots on local county boards of MR/DD, with one membership slot to be dedicated for a person eligible for services. LEAP is one of eight organizations on record as supporting this legislation. Contact your State Senators and urge a hearing on this bill. (11/08)
DD Council Fact Sheet
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HB 620 & HB 621
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These two bills would basically remove the term "mental retardation" from the name of the Department of MRDD and all other state affiliates and change the name of the county boards of MRDD to the County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
This bill was just introduced and it is hoped that it will move forward during the lame duck session. Contact your local representative and ask them to support this change in language. (11/08)
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| Mental Health Parity |
Finally, Congress has passed (as part of the finincial bailout package) the Mental Health Parity Law that had been stalled in Congress. Read the Ohio.com editorial here. |
| Ohio's Medicaid Buy-In |
Medicaid Buy-In for Workers With Disabilities went into effect on April 1, 2008.
Or you can call the Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline 1-800-324-8680 (voice) TTY/TTD 1-800-292-3572 . Aplications are being sent out the last week of March and first week of April.
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Issue
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Legislative Action
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| Community Choice Act of 2007 |
Please educate our NorthEast Ohio Representatives (LaTourette, Sutton) on the importance of this act to the disability community and encourage them to sign on as co-sponsors to HR 1621, The Community Choice Act of 2007. Representatives Kucinich and Kaptur have signed onto this bill. Only one of our Senators, Sherrod Brown has signed onto S. 799 the Senate version of the bill. Senator Voinovich needs to be encouraged to sign on also. Please read the talking points on why the act is important.
If this act passes it will be the first time that home and community based services will be treated by the Medicaid program as equal to nursing facility or institutional care. Right now if a person qualifies for Medicaid and need long term care that can be provided in a nursing home Medicaid has to provide you with that care.
Senators Obama and Biden (Democratic nominees for President and Vice-President) are both co-sponsors of the bill. Senator McCain (Republican nominee for President) stated at the July National Forum on Disability Policy that he will not support the bill, citing cost as the key reason. (9/08)
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| Money Follows the Person: Ohio Home Choice Project |
The goals of Home Choice are: 1) to initiate balance in Ohio's long-term care services and supports system, and 2) to relocate 2200 people from institutions to home & community-based settings. Transition coordination and case management will be an important part of this process. (4/08) |
| CLASS Act |
 The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act was introducted in July by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ). It is time to build support for the CLASS Act by adding co-sponsors to the Senate and House bills. Thanks Rep. Kaptur for co-signing this bill. Contact your Senators and Representative to ask him or her to show thier support for bill. (11/07) |
| Direct Service Support Professional Bill |
One of the biggest issues facing persons with disabilities that need assistance to remain in the community is the availability of good, dependable aides. Keeping the same aide is also very important. Thank Rep. Kucinich and Kaptur for co-signing HR 1279. Contact Rep. LaTourette and ask him to do the same. (11/07) |
| Complex Rehab Products |
HR 2231 has been introduced in the House to exempt complex rehabilitaion products (specially designed wheelchairs or other living devices) from Medicare's "lowest bidder" procedure. Please thank Rep. Betty Sutton for co-sponsoring HR 2231 and contact the other Northeast Ohio representatives to ask him or her to support this bill as well. (6/07) |
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HR 1809 has been introduced in the House. The purpose of the bill is to eliminate Medicare's "in the home" restriction on mobility devices and your help is needed to secure original co-sponsors. Contact your Representative to ask him or her to support this bill. (5/07) |
| Lifespan Respite Care Act |
The Lifespan Respite Care Act is designed to provide respite services to family caregivers. Now the Act needs to be funded. Urge congress to provide funding in the next federal budget. (1/07)
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Celebrate the moment by reading Justin Dart's " ADA: Landmark Declaration of Equality” written in the Fall, 1990. Justin Dart Jr. was a leader of the international disability rights movement, human rights activist, and recognized as “the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act”. Also read " What is Independent Living" by LEAP's founder Doris Brennan. She is considered a pioneer in disability rights and the independent living movement and was invited to Washington DC to witness the signing of the ADA. The most significant and postive overhaul of the ADA has passed Congress and has been signed into law by President Bush.
Bill to Restore the Intent & Protections of the ADA of 1990
"The day, 18 years ago, when President Bush’s father signed the original Americans with Disabilities Act into law was the proudest day of my Senate career. But this day comes close, because this new law overturns Supreme Court decisions that have taken away the rights of people with disabilities, and restores the original promise and protections of the ADA. ... As chief Senate sponsor of both the original ADA and this new ADA Restoration act, I am deeply gratified that we could work in a bipartisan fashion to ensure that all Americans have the right to equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.” Sen. Tom Harkin
Thanks to the Road to Freedom Bus Tour for highlighing this issue across the country.
Events
Go to AudioConference webpage to see the topics scheduled for the 2007-08 season. Contact Gary Edler at 216-696-2716 x101 or gedler@leapinfo.org if you’d like to attend. There is no cost to attend, just please RSVP.
Other Issues
= Federal Issue
= State Issue
 = Local Issue
Translate this page into Spanish made available by http://www.freetranslation.com
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