Please join the DBTAC - Southwest ADA Center at ILRU for a FREE webcast on"The ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) and Its Implications for the Future of theADA."
Arlene B. Mayerson, Directing Attorney of the Disability Rights andEducation Fund (DREDF) will present the webcast on "The ADA Amendments Act(ADAAA) and Its Implications for the Future of the ADA" on Wednesday,November 19, 2008 at 2:00pm Central.
About the Webcast
On September 25, 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law a measure(S. 3406) that significantly amends the definition of "disability" in theAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Effective January 1, 2009, the ADA-AAsignificantly changes the current law.
This amendment was necessary because Supreme Court cases under the originaldefinition excluded large groups of people with disabilities from the law'scoverage. The primary difficulty was the requirement that an individual be"substantially limited in a major life activity". Supreme Court cases foundthat individuals that mitigate the affects of their impairments by takingmedication or using devices or aids were not "substantially limited" andthat individuals that could accomplish daily grooming and self care were not"substantially limited". The result of these decisions was that ADAplaintiffs were either considered "too disabled" to be qualified but "notdisabled enough" to be covered by the ADA.
=-=-=-=-=-=
To link to this webcast and download accompanying materials visit:http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/calendar.html
For instructions on how to access a webcast visit:http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/instructions.html
Please visit this site ahead of time to test and ensure your computer isconfigured and updated to participate in the webcast.
For technical assistance, please check out our FAQs (frequently askedquestions) at: http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/FAQ.html orcontact a webcast team member at swdbtac@ilru.org or 713.520.0232 (v/tty).
Find us on Facebook!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Kentucky governor seeks to enroll more kids in health insurance program
Following through on a promise he made in September, Gov. Steve Beshear today launched an initiative to enroll more children in the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP), including a new Web site, easier enrollment, improved efforts to retain children currently enrolled and significant education and outreach efforts. The plan hopes to enroll more than 35,000 children in KCHIP or Medicaid by the end of 2011.
The new initiative meets a goal set by Gov. Beshear to make enrollment easier by eliminating the need to meet face-to-face with a caseworker to apply for KCHIP. Parents now can complete, print and mail an application available at www.kidshealth.ky.gov; request a mail-in application by calling 1-877-KCHIP-18 (toll-free); or return a postcard mailed to them by the KCHIP program.
Read more.
The new initiative meets a goal set by Gov. Beshear to make enrollment easier by eliminating the need to meet face-to-face with a caseworker to apply for KCHIP. Parents now can complete, print and mail an application available at www.kidshealth.ky.gov; request a mail-in application by calling 1-877-KCHIP-18 (toll-free); or return a postcard mailed to them by the KCHIP program.
Read more.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Governor Beshear Announces Creation of Kentucky Prescription Assistance Program
Program will aid needy Kentuckians in locating free or reduced cost prescription drugs
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Gov. Steve Beshear has announced a new program to aid eligible Kentuckians in locating free or reduced cost prescription drugs. The Kentucky Prescription Assistance Program (KPAP), an innovative initiative to utilize and coordinate existing assistance programs offered by pharmaceutical companies, will be coordinated by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS).
“It is vitally important that we provide all the assistance we can to Kentucky citizens who are unable to afford the prescription drugs they need, especially in these tough times,” said Gov. Beshear. “The new program will be an important step toward empowering and expanding community-based efforts to make it easier for Kentuckians who qualify to obtain free or reduced cost sources of prescription drugs that may prevent or manage illnesses, and even save lives.”
The General Assembly appropriated $400,000 in fiscal year 2008-2009 and $600,000 in fiscal year 2009-2010 to consolidate and coordinate existing efforts around the state aimed at connecting needy individuals — such as those near the federal poverty level or seniors in the so-called “doughnut hole” of Medicare Part D — with prescription medications. After reviewing existing programs across the state, CHFS identified a model program run by HEART USA, a 501(c)3 volunteer organization in Paducah. The KPAP expands this model program statewide, adding enhanced computer-assisted technology to allow for reduced paperwork and a streamlined process to increase public access to sources of free and low-cost medications.
“Not only will we saves lives, but we also will avoid the higher cost of caring for those individuals who are unable to buy their medications and do without them until they become so sick they must seek medical care through our emergency rooms,” said Rep. Jimmie Lee, D-Elizabethtown, who was instrumental in securing funding for KPAP. “This coordinated program will become, in my view, a national model for other states to follow.”
To launch the program, CHFS will collaborate with medical and social service stakeholders while empowering interested community members to identify resources and determine how the community can best assist citizens with their KPAP needs. Each participating county will have a designated community site where individuals can access the program. The cabinet will provide computer software that determines eligibility and connects individuals with prescription drug sources, training on use of the software, training on volunteer and physician recruitment and program troubleshooting.
Patients will be able to access the community program in their area through referrals by physicians or social services, or on their own. Individuals whose income or resource levels make them ineligible for existing drug assistance programs through pharmaceutical manufacturers will receive consultation about other sources of low-cost prescriptions, such as $4 prescription programs at pharmacies.
The program rollout will begin with a technology training and community organization process later this year. Physician recruitment and volunteer recruitment will occur during January and February, with the full launch of the program in March 2009. Initially, the program is expected to include approximately 90 counties, with more sites being added as CHFS works with communities.
“During these tough economic times, we want to help Kentuckians who are having trouble affording necessary prescriptions as much as we possibly can. We are proud to play a role in creating a network of community resources to tap into existing sources of free and low-cost drugs for eligible Kentuckians who need them,” said CHFS Secretary Janie Miller.
For more information about volunteering and training in the KPAP program, call 1-800-633-8100.
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Gov. Steve Beshear has announced a new program to aid eligible Kentuckians in locating free or reduced cost prescription drugs. The Kentucky Prescription Assistance Program (KPAP), an innovative initiative to utilize and coordinate existing assistance programs offered by pharmaceutical companies, will be coordinated by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS).
“It is vitally important that we provide all the assistance we can to Kentucky citizens who are unable to afford the prescription drugs they need, especially in these tough times,” said Gov. Beshear. “The new program will be an important step toward empowering and expanding community-based efforts to make it easier for Kentuckians who qualify to obtain free or reduced cost sources of prescription drugs that may prevent or manage illnesses, and even save lives.”
The General Assembly appropriated $400,000 in fiscal year 2008-2009 and $600,000 in fiscal year 2009-2010 to consolidate and coordinate existing efforts around the state aimed at connecting needy individuals — such as those near the federal poverty level or seniors in the so-called “doughnut hole” of Medicare Part D — with prescription medications. After reviewing existing programs across the state, CHFS identified a model program run by HEART USA, a 501(c)3 volunteer organization in Paducah. The KPAP expands this model program statewide, adding enhanced computer-assisted technology to allow for reduced paperwork and a streamlined process to increase public access to sources of free and low-cost medications.
“Not only will we saves lives, but we also will avoid the higher cost of caring for those individuals who are unable to buy their medications and do without them until they become so sick they must seek medical care through our emergency rooms,” said Rep. Jimmie Lee, D-Elizabethtown, who was instrumental in securing funding for KPAP. “This coordinated program will become, in my view, a national model for other states to follow.”
To launch the program, CHFS will collaborate with medical and social service stakeholders while empowering interested community members to identify resources and determine how the community can best assist citizens with their KPAP needs. Each participating county will have a designated community site where individuals can access the program. The cabinet will provide computer software that determines eligibility and connects individuals with prescription drug sources, training on use of the software, training on volunteer and physician recruitment and program troubleshooting.
Patients will be able to access the community program in their area through referrals by physicians or social services, or on their own. Individuals whose income or resource levels make them ineligible for existing drug assistance programs through pharmaceutical manufacturers will receive consultation about other sources of low-cost prescriptions, such as $4 prescription programs at pharmacies.
The program rollout will begin with a technology training and community organization process later this year. Physician recruitment and volunteer recruitment will occur during January and February, with the full launch of the program in March 2009. Initially, the program is expected to include approximately 90 counties, with more sites being added as CHFS works with communities.
“During these tough economic times, we want to help Kentuckians who are having trouble affording necessary prescriptions as much as we possibly can. We are proud to play a role in creating a network of community resources to tap into existing sources of free and low-cost drugs for eligible Kentuckians who need them,” said CHFS Secretary Janie Miller.
For more information about volunteering and training in the KPAP program, call 1-800-633-8100.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)