April 23, 2012 Legislative Update

April 23, 2012

Your Monday Morning Update:

You’ve heard it said that “good things come to those who wait.” Let’s change it up a bit and say “good things come to those who wait AND advoCATE.”

Because of your great support, two extremely good things happened last week.  So good in fact, that I’m giddy with delight!

  1. The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners approved and adopted a resolution urging the Governor to exclude developmental disability services from the KanCare proposal.  Johnson County joins nearly 35 counties in raising concerns about this issue and doing something about it.
Below is an excerpt from the April 19, 2012 Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting:
Medicaid or Healthcare Provision Changes
Commissioner Peterson moved to Approve and Adopt Resolution No. 017-12 thereby encouraging the governor of the state of Kansas to carefully consider any change in the Medicaid or health care provision for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities; to remove long-term care services for said persons from the proposed privatized managed care plan; and to continue present state/county-appointed community developmental disabilities organization administration of this service delivery system. Commissioner Allen seconded the motion.
Passed 7- 0-0

We owe Ed Eilert, Chairman of the BOCC our heartfelt thanks for endorsing this resolution.  We appreciate his hard work and dedication on this issue.  We are also very grateful for the support of our six other commissioners.

  1. House Majority Leader Arlen Siegfried is in the process of preparing a proviso which would exclude developmental disability long term care services from KanCare until January 2014.  This would provide the state as well as the DD community, time to evaluate concerns and answer questions about effects of the inclusion of long-term care.
A proviso is a clause inserted in an act of a legislation (in this case the budget bill) containing a condition that a certain thing shall or shall not be done (not including DD long term services); in order that an agreement contained in another clause (KanCare) shall take effect.
We are hopeful that it won’t meet any huge roadblocks on its trip through the legislative process. Representative Siegfried (Olathe/Gardner) holds a powerful position as Majority Leader and is well-respected. We owe him our deepest appreciation for listening and responding to your concerns.  You can thank him at arlen.siegfried@house.ks.gov.
By the way…he heard YOU!
Wednesday, our legislators head westward to complete their lengthy list of unfinished business.  Hoards of “red shirts” will greet them as InterHab Push Day coincides with their return.  It is slated to be beautiful weather so I hope to see each and every one of you pacing the grounds of the Statehouse.
Warm and giddy regards,
Lurena Mead
Share Helpers, Inc.
  • email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • del.icio.us
 

CPR/First Aide Training

CPR/FIRST AIDE TRAINING
Offered by The American Heart Association
Friday, May 11th
8:30-12:30
ARCare, Inc.
8417 Santa Fe Dr, Ste #107
Overland Park
6-8 people
Providing a light breakfast
R.S.V.P. Stacy McNeill
648-0233 ext 19

The American Heart Association is offering a four hour class that will cover adult and child CPR; First Aide; and how to use an AED Defibrillator. Participants will receive a certification of participation that will be good for 2 years. The cost is $50 per person. Please make checks payable to The American Heart Association. ARCare, Inc. is sponsoring the class. Our space will accommodate up to 8 people. Please contact Stacy to reserve your space. Thanks!

Share Helpers, Inc.
  • email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • del.icio.us
 

YMCA Young Adult Game and Swim Day

Young Adult

Game and Swim Day

Spend an afternoon with your friends at the Olathe Family YMCA!  Bring your favorite board games and puzzles to share while enjoying music, fun contests, prizes, Nintendo Wii, refreshments and much more.  There will be time to swim for those who would like to, and are able to change and swim on his/her own- lifeguards and deck supervision will be on hand at all times!

Saturday, April 21, 4 – 6:45pm.

Ages 13+    (Inclusive)

Olathe Family YMCA, 21400 W. 153rd Street, Olathe, KS  66061

Deadline to register: Thursday, April 19.    Fee:  $10 Class code:  79001

Program Line-up:
4:00 – 4:15pm   Arrival- Participants please check in at front desk.

4:15 – 4:45pm    Introductions followed by facility tour (if desired).

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

4:45 – 5:30pm    Swimming for those that would like to use the pool. Games and Wii Home Run Derby

5:30 – 6:30pm   Karoke, Snacks, Wii bowling tournament

6:30 – 6:45pm    Clean up, participant dismissal.

Drinks and refreshments / light snacks (sandwiches) will be provided.  Please contact Raegan if you would like to bring a snack to share- or if you have food allergies.  (no peanuts or nut-products, etc.) raeganschurr@kansascityymca.org 913-642-6800

Must pre-register for this event by deadline, Aapril 19. By phone or in person at any YMCA; online at www.kansascityymca.org/adaptive.

Bring a friend, spread the word.

Hope to see you there!

Share Helpers, Inc.
  • email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • del.icio.us
 

Summer Horsemanship Camp

Share Helpers, Inc.
  • email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • del.icio.us
 

KanCare: Vote Denied By House Leadership

Advocating & Communicating for Kansans with Developmental Disabilities

KanCare: Vote Denied By House Leadership

Thursday was a day full of action and debate regarding KanCare and carving out DD services.  A bill was carried to the floor by Rep. Brenda Landwehr (R-Wichita) to create a joint legislative oversight committee to monitor KanCare.  During the discussion, Rep. Jim Ward (D-Wichita) carried forward an amendment to “carve out” DD services from KanCare.

During the debate, we received widespread bipartisan support.  Local representatives who spoke fearlessly on our behalf are: Pat Colloton (JO), Mike Kiegerl (JO), John Rubin (JO), Ron Worley (JO).  House leadership spoke out against the amendment while the Administration sent staff in to stop the carve out.

The debate was brought to a screeching halt when a procedural motion was made to send the original bill back to the Appropriations committee.  House leadership used parliamentary procedure to stop the amendment from being voted on because they were seeing that we might win.

Your advocacy brought this debate to the floor and caused legislators to invoke procedural ruling in order to bury this amendment temporarily.  The House has noticed your hard work.  Keep it up!

Local representatives who voted NO to keep Ward’s amendment alive and address our issue are: Barbara Bollier (JO), Pat Colloton (JO), Mike Slattery (JO), Sheryl Spalding (JO), Kay Wolf (JO), Ron Worley (JO), Bill Feuerborn (MI), Stan Frownfelter (WY), Louis Ruiz (WY), Tom Burroughs (WY), Valdenia Winn (WY), Broderick Henderson (WY), Kathy Wolfe Moore (WY).  Be sure to personally thank those who supported us on this issue.

Those who voted YES to send the bill back to committee and chose not to address our issue are: Representatives Anthony Brown (JO), Rob Bruchman (JO), Jim Denning (JO), Owen Donohoe (JO, WY), Amanda Grosserode (JO), Brett Hildabrand (JO), Lance Kinzer (JO), Marvin Kleeb (JO), Kelly Meigs (JO), Bob Montgomery (JO), Charlotte O’Hara (JO), John Rubin (JO), Scott Schwab (JO), Arlen Siegfreid (JO), Greg Smith (JO), Jene Vickrey (MI).  Mike Kiegerl (JO) abstained from voting and can still be persuaded.

If your representative is listed as voting YES please write them and ask why they voted to stop debate on our most important issue.  Let them know that we are watching and we expect a different outcome.  Don’t forget to keep us in the loop with their responses!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

PUSH DAY 2012 is Wednesday, April 25th at the Statehouse in Topeka.

Stay tuned for more details.

Share Helpers, Inc.
  • email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • del.icio.us
 

April 25, 2012 – Push Day Rally – Topeka, KS

Interhab will host its annual Push Day Rally on Wednesday April 25, 2012 at 10:30am on the South apron of the Kansas State Capitol.  We invite you, the persons you serve, parents/families, and non-member providers from your area to join us!  The day of our event marks the first day back for legislators as they begin work on a massive “omnibus” appropriations bill.   This rally is a critical opportunity for us to send a strong message to our legislators and to the Administration to carve out long-term DD services from KanCare.  Our most effective message will be one that is backed by a massive turnout– we want it to be our biggest rally yet!  So please review the details that are below, the information attached, and begin planning your trip to the Statehouse today!

Schedule Overview:
10:30am              Welcome Address
10:45am               “Don’t Gamble with Our Lives” Demonstration
11:30am               Rally Address
12:00pm              Lunch
1:00pm                Visit legislators, deliver advocacy materials, and fill the House & Senate galleries

About the “Don’t Gamble with Our Lives” Demonstration: – We need your help! We want this rally to emphasize our message that KanCare is a high-stakes gamble with the lives of thousands of persons with developmental disabilities, their families and the professional staff who support them.  So we’re encouraging everyone to anti up!  We are requesting that every rally participant bring a personal item to share.  This item should represent their personality, their daily life, personal accomplishments, etc.  Then we’ll offer participants to step up to a microphone, share why their item is important to their life and then place the item on the steps of the Capitol.  By the end, we’ll have a massive collection of items representing the thousands of lives that are affected by KanCare. (see overview for more details)

About Lunch, T-shirts, Contributions and other details… ·         Boxed lunches are available for $6.25/lunch.  Lunches come with a sandwich, chips, pasta salad, cookies, condiments on the side and a beverage.  Lunches must be ordered by Wed. April 18th! ·         Rally participants are encouraged to wear their red “Not Worth the Gamble!” t-shirts or any red shirt ·         All InterHab members will be requested to submit a recommended contribution of $75 to defray costs of the event ·         There’s tons more information in the attached documents: details on lunch, ordering shirts, and parking are all included

Sign up by April 18th!

www.pushday.eventbrite.com

Thank you in advance for helping us to create a successful event – please call the office if you have any questions!

Erin Roberts
Marketing & Membership Coordinator InterHab

785.235.5103

Share Helpers, Inc.
  • email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • del.icio.us
 

April 2, 2012 Legislative Update

Drat, Darn, Rubbish, Jeez, Gosh, Crap, Dang-it, Shucks, Rats, Phooey, Dad-gum-it!
I feel so much better now, thanks for letting me fly into a g-rated rage!
In a surprise move on Thursday as the House was debating the bill which would create a KanCare Oversight Committee, Representative Jim Ward from Wichita threw out an amendment to exempt DD from KanCare.  Wow – talk about a jaw dropping attempt!
When Ward’s amendment was first made, there were questions as to whether the bill was “germane” (relevant to the bill to which it is attached.)  After a short recess, the administration stepped forward said that it was indeed germane and could be debated.
Johnson County representatives Colloton, Worley, Rubin and Kiegerl fearlessly went to the podium and spoke eloquently on our behalf.  House leadership spoke against the amendment using fairly outlandish, manipulative and inaccurate information.
Representative Crum from Augusta offered an amendment to send the original bill (the KanCare Oversight bill) back to the Appropriations committee to be worked. Interestingly enough, House leadership had to resort to parliamentary rules in order toshut down the vote on Ward’s amendment!  The House voted and approved Crum’s amendment. The opportunity to vote on Representative Ward’s amendment was ambushed (the reason for my ranting and raving.)  Politics at its finest….
We were so close!  If that vote actually was allowed to happen—we most likely will have won.  It was a much easier vote for many legislators to send the original bill back to committee than vote for Ward’s amendment.
YOUR ADVOCACY is the reason that legislators had to resort to such drastic measures. Pat yourself on the back.
Johnson County legislators supporting Ward’s amendment were Bollier, Colloton, Slattery, Spalding, Wolf and Worley.  Please send them an email of appreciation.  BothRubin and Kiegerl spoke up on the House floor to support the amendment, but then voted to send it back to committee.  I’m still scratching my head on that one. They get half-a-thanks.
Those that need to be put on notice that you expected something different from them are: Brown, Bruchman, Denning, Donohoe, Grosserode, Hildabrand, Kinzer, Kleeb, Meigs, Montgomery, O’Hara, Schwab, Siegfreid and Smith. Send them an email asking themwhat the heck were they thinking? Oops, now don’t get me started!

Your To Do List:

  1. Go to www.invisiblekansans.com (we know it is working.) I spoke with one Senator last Wednesday who told me he got 20 emails from that site in one day!
  2. Write a letter to your legislators at HOME…just what they won’t be expecting!  Home addresses are in the attached word document.
  3. Now that legislators are home for three weeks, find out if they are hosting a forum. If so, attend and ask questions. If they are one responsible for my bad language, put them on the spot (respectfully of course.)  They need to know that as YOUR legislator, their responsibility is to listen to YOU!

  4. Circle Wednesday April 25th on your calendar.  It is InterHab Push Day and we’d love to rock the Statehouse. Plan on joining us.
Warm regards,
Lurena Mead
Share Helpers, Inc.
  • email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • del.icio.us
 

April is Autism Awareness Month

Share Helpers, Inc.
  • email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • del.icio.us
 

March 26, 2012 Legislative Update

My 91-year old father has always prided himself on being a handyman able to repair anything.  Once I got my own house (and before I knew better) when I needed something fixed, I’d always call my Dad for help.
Dad would never admit it, but I discovered that sometimes he wasn’t exactly “skilled” in what I’d ask him to do. When his best didn’t quite meet my expectations and I’d make the mistake of telling him so, he’d say “it’s good enough for who it’s for.”  Most people would take that as an insult, but not me.  I knew that it wasn’t meant in a malicious way, it was meant to remind me that my needs were met.
One year, I had a problem; I needed an additional bedroom so I asked Dad to build me one. Easy as pie…all he had to do was put up one wall.  As most of you know, putting up a new wall takes great skill and patience, because you have to tape, mud and sand the seams on the drywall otherwise it has the terrain of a roller coaster.  You can see where this is going…Dad did his “it’s good enough for who it’s for” job, and I could never get a picture to lie flush on that wall.  It was then I realized that sometimes “OK” just isn’t good enough.
Similarly, Kansas has a problem.  We need to control the increasing cost of Medicaid.  In response, the Administration built KanCare.  The premise is good, but this solution needs definite sanding.  We need to sand the DD waiver right out of this plan!
This is one case when “it’s good enough for who it’s for” isn’t the right response.  Like my Dad, the Administration isn’t malicious in their intent but we are seeking what is best for our sons and daughters, friends, neighbors or loved ones with developmental disabilities. KanCare won’t just be a gentle reminder that our needs are met; it will destroy the effective and efficient system that already has been built.
Now let’s shake off that dust and move on to something more positive than home maintenance:

  • Senate Resolution 1831 (the document which petitions the Governor to delay the implementation of KanCare until July 2013) is viable but lonely. We are still trying to gather enough support from the House to create a twin resolution.  Lt. Governor Colyer has told legislators that if KanCare is postponed, it will cost the state millions of dollars.  The House tends to be much more conservative than the Senate; so many representatives support the Administration’s stance and have not signed on.  We continue to work on this.

  • Last week, our own Senator Terrie Huntington introduced SB 464 into the Ways and Means Committee.  This bill would prohibit the implementation of a managed care program for folks on the DD waiver until a thorough evaluation has been made of its potential impact for at least one year.  I spoke with the Senator on Saturday, and she is hopeful that it will get a hearing but it will not be until after the Legislature returns from their spring break (April 25th.)  Since the Administration hasn’t been willing to give an inch, this might be just the perfect tool to buy us a little time. If this bill passes, Administration wouldn’t be throwing in the towel (or trowel) it would just postpone the DD portion for a later date and provide time to sand out all the bumps.

  • The Kansas House passed HB 2764 which would mandate insurance coverage for behavioral therapy and other treatments for children up to age 19 who are clinically diagnosed with conditions along the autism spectrum. This solidly passed the House 92 – 30. Johnson County representatives voting against this bill were Donohoe, Meigs and Schwab.  Many thanks go to Representatives Arlen Siegfreid, John Rubin and Mike Kiegerl for pushing this bill.  It now moves on to the Senate.
Your To Do List:
Mark your calendars! The Johnson County Transition Council, Disability Rights Center of Kansas and the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training are partnering to present a KanCare forum on April 3rd at 6:00 pm.  This event will be held at the KU Edwards Campus at 12610 Quivira at the Reigner Hall Auditorium. A panel of experts will be at your beck and call to answer questions about what you might expect from KanCare.  It’s a “DO NOT MISS”opportunity to gather information!
Now back to find some grittier sandpaper…..
Warm Regards,
Lurena Mead

Share Helpers, Inc.
  • email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • del.icio.us
 

March 21, 2012 ACTION ALERT – Second House Vote Today!

ACTION ALERT – Second House Vote Today!

Our first attempt to get an autism insurance reform bill through the Kansas House of Representatives did not succeed today. But we get a second chance tomorrow, Wednesday!

The original Kansas Autism Insurance Reform Bill, HB.2764, will be called for a vote. Contact your Kansas House Representative again and ask them to vote YES for HB.2764 with NO amendments.

We’re coming down to the wire! Every phone call and email counts!

Here is How YOU Can Help:

1) CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND ASK THEM TO VOTE YES FOR HB.2764 WITH NO AMENDMENTS

Call your Representative here Rep. Marvin Kleeb
Phone: (785) 296-7680

Say, “I am a constituent of Representative [name] and I am asking that he/she votes YES for HB.2764 to help Kansas children with autism. Please reject any other amendments that may be offered. Thank you!”

2) EMAIL YOUR HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE:
Even if you emailed them yesterday, send another here. We get you started, but add one short paragraph explaining why this is so important to you, and to the person you love with autism.

3) GET YOUR FRIENDS TO HELP. Post the following, or something like it, on your favorite form of social media including Facebook and Twitter.

“Attention Kansas Friends! I need your help. The Kansas House of Representatives will vote again on WEDNESDAY for a bill to expand autism insurance reform to help kids all over Kansas. Take action on the link below and write DONE so I can thank you!”

LINK TO: http://www.autismvotes.org/KansasRound2

The Kansas Autism Insurance Reform bill will improve on our 2010 law which provides autism insurance coverage to state employees. HB.2764 will extend the same coverage to all state-regulated group plans for individuals with autism through age 18. We know autism is treatable – and passing HB.2764 will help more children with autism here in Kansas gain appropriate access to the medical treatments and therapies they need to lead more independent lives!

Keep up the calling and emailing!

Share Helpers, Inc.
  • email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • del.icio.us
 

Testimonials

I feel as though I have a friend in my back pocket when it comes to Helpers, Inc.
We are an extremely fortunate community to have an organization like Helpers, Inc. I do not know where I would be without them!

Rebecca

Connect With Us!

Contact Us!