The staff of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, on June 23, shared: Senators Casey, Wyden and Schumer, along with Senators Murray, Duckworth, Brown and Hassan, and Representatives Dingell, Pallone, Schakowsky and Matsui will soon introduce the bicameral Better Care Better Jobs Act. The Better Care Better Jobs Act will make President Biden’s bold vision […]
Policy Updates
The American Association on Health and Disability plays an important role in disability policy and advocacy at the national level. AAHD strives to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities receive attention and respect on the national legislative agenda. AAHD is involved in numerous disability coalitions and networks that address the needs of people with disabilities. Please visit the Policy site to learn more about our activities in this area. AAHD staff maintain an active role in Washington, DC to ensure that health promotion and wellness for people with disabilities is on the disability and healthcare agenda. AAHD staff have positions on the APHA, Disability Section, Executive Council; the CDC, NCBDDD, Executive Committee; Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities-CCD and serve on the National Health Council; Coalition for Health Funding; Disability Rehabilitation and Research Coaltion; Coalition for Whole Health, Patient Care Primary Care Collaborative; and other coalitions advocating for policy that works towards reducing health disparities between people with disabilities and the general population and reducing the incidence of secondary conditions in children and adults with disabilities.
Advocating a CDC Core Public Health Infrastructure Program – In the Biden Infrastructure/Jobs Proposal – S. 674
AAHD has joined a coalition led by the Trust for America’s Health asking Congress to include a CDC Core PH Infrastructure Program (S. 674) when Congress considers the Administration’s Infrastructure/Jobs legislation. The June 22 letter to Congress is here: PDF. […]
The ACL Lifespan Respite Program – Funding
AAHD joined the National Respite Coalition requesting annual appropriations funding for the ACL lifespan respite program. The June 16 letter is here: PDF. […]
Biden Administration Recovery Legislation – Disability Community Health and LTSS/HCBS Recommendations
AAHD has joined the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Task Forces on Health and LTSS submitting recommendations to the Congress on recovery legislative provisions. The June 10 letter is here: PDF. […]
COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts – HHS OCR on Persons with Disabilities
Available is the HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) response to the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) on vaccination efforts and persons with disabilities. Available here are the May 28 OCR and April 8 CCD letters. […]
Therapy Reductions in Medicare Funded Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs)
AAHD has joined the Coalition To Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR) sharing field experiences that therapy in SNFs has declined and asking CMS for better collection and publication of utilization and outcome data. The June 7 CPR letter is here: PDF. […]
Patient-Reported Outcome Performance Measures (PRO-PMs) – Disability Comments to NQF
AAHD and the Lakeshore Foundation have endorsed Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) comments submitted to the National Quality Forum (NQF) on their draft PRO-PMs report for public comment. We also encouraged NQF to more effectively utilize their previous reports on person-centeredness and home-and-community-based services (HCBS). Deadline for submission to NQF is June 21. Available […]
Legislative Improvements to the SSI Program – Disability Community Statement to Congress
AAHD has joined the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) recommending to Congress legislative improvements to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. The May 20 CCD letter is here: PDF. […]
Medicaid HCBS – To Congress – Include in Biden Administration Jobs-Infrastructure Proposal
AAHD has joined the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) and Disability and Aging Collaborative (DAC) requesting Congress to include the Medicaid home-and-community-based services (HCBS) enhancements in the Administration jobs/infrastructure legislation. The May 27 letter is here: PDF. […]
Appropriations Funding for NIDILRR, ICD, and Some CDC Programs
AAHD has joined fellow Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC) members requesting annual funding for NIDILRR, ICD, and some CDC programs. The May 26 letters of request to the House and Senate are here: House letter; Senate letter. […]