Partners Through Public Policy Coalitions

To more effectively move towards achievement of our public policy goals and objectives, the American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) collaborates with numerous non-profit organizations; state departments of health, disabilities, developmental disabilities, and mental health; universities; and sometimes private entities, including health plans. Washington, DC is a city of public policy communities and working coalitions – multiple organizations collaborating together to pursue unified public policy goals and objectives. Our coalition work is focused on the following priority areas:

The needs of persons with disabilities
Promoting health and wellness for disability communities.
Federal programs, such as Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
Occupation advocacy, such as for community health workers, mental health and substance use peer workers, or direct support professionals
Funding for distinct agencies or programs of the federal government
Support activities, such as the Medicaid home-and-community-based services (HCBS) programs

AAHD’s engagement varies over time depending on the issue status and dynamics. We are consistently and actively engaged with a core group of coalitions. We are members of coalitions and support their products and activities but are not regularly actively engaged. We also support coalitions and occasionally join statements but are not members. We list our involvement in these categories of coalitions here:

Coalitions – Active AAHD Participation

Census Disability Touchpoint; and, Census Disability Workgroup Committee on Disability Data Strategy. The AAHD Director of Research is a member of the Disability Data Equity Research Working Group. These are two separate coalitions working for inclusion, consistency, and completeness in U.S. Census disability survey and data work.

Coalition for Whole Health (CWH) – A coalition whose purpose is to integrate mental health, mental illness, and substance use disorder services and supports.

Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) – A coalition whose purpose is to promote health and wellness for persons with disabilities in current and emerging national health policy issues. The AAHD Public Policy Director is a CCD co-founder in 1973. AAHD is involved in the following working groups:

Task Force on Health (active)

Task Force on LTSS (active)

Task Force on Social Security

Disability and Aging Collaborative (DAC) – A coalition whose purpose is to promote home- and community-based services and supports needed by persons with disabilities and who are aged.

Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC) – A coalition whose purpose is to promote the mission and agenda of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR/ NIDILRR) and the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) at Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The AAHD Executive Director serves on the DRRC steering committee.

Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) – A coalition whose purpose is to promote health and wellness of persons with mental illness and those facing mental health challenges. MHLG was founded in 1968; AAHD’s Public Policy Director has been engaged with the MHLG since 1971. AAHD serves on the health policy committee; the workgroup on bi-directional behavioral health integration; and the workgroup on peer supports.

National Health Council (NHC) – An umbrella forum of health sector multi-stakeholders, led by voluntary health agencies representing discrete health conditions, diseases, and disabilities, operating since 1920.

Supporting Coalitions

Beyond our core coalition work, AAHD stays connected to the following coalition networks and supports their work:

American Heart Association Physical Activity Alliance. This alliance is focused on physical activity assessment, prescription, and referral in U.S. health care. AAHD’s partner, Lakeshore Foundation is a member.

American Public Health Association (APHA) – The AAHD Executive Director is a member of the Intersectional Council Steering Committee and a former chair of the Disability Section.

Behavioral Health IT Coalition – National organizations working to strengthen health IT capacity and practice in behavioral health organizations.

CDC Coalition – National organizations promoting the funding/appropriations stability of the CDC.

Chronic Illness and Disability Partnership Group – A network of organizations promoting the cross-section between disability and chronic illness.

Coalition for Health Funding (CHF) – National organizations promoting the funding/appropriations of federal health programs.

Coalition on Human Needs– National organizations focused on the entire federal government effort to assist individuals’ human needs.

Coalition To End Social Isolation and Loneliness – National network developing strategies to deal with social isolation and loneliness.

Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR) – A coalition whose purpose is to maximize rehabilitation services and supports for persons with disabilities through Medicare and Medicaid.

Core Quality Measure Collaborative (CQMC) – Membership effort staffed by AHIP and Battelle; CMS partially funded. The CQMC mission is to align quality measures across health payers.

Friends of AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) – National organizations promoting the funding/appropriations stability of AHRQ.

Friends of the All of Us Research Program (Friends of AOU) – National organizations promoting the funding/appropriations stability of the NIH All of Us Research program.

Friends of CDC National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) – National organizations promoting the funding/appropriations stability of the CDC NCBDDD. AAHD has served as the Friends chair and the Friends advocacy committee chair.

Friends of CDC National Center on Health Statistics (NCHS) – National organizations promoting the funding/appropriations stability of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s NCHS.

Friends of PCORI (Patent-Centered Outcomes Research Institute) – National organizations promoting the funding/appropriations stability of the PCORI. Co-administered by Alliance for Aging Research and PIPC.

HAB Coalition (Habilitation Benefits Coalition) – A coalition focused on public health insurance coverage of habilitation benefits.

Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA) Coalition – A coalition promoting stronger and more comprehensive federal resources targeted to health equity. Created with the passage of H.R. 9161 – Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2024.

Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition – A coalition whose purpose is to ensure that assistive technology, including durable medical equipment (DME) are adequately financed through the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Kidney Care Access Coalition – A coalition focused on restoring Medicare Kidney Treatment coverage.

Medicaid Coalition – A coalition convened by Families USA to ensure that Medicaid meets the health needs and objectives of persons eligible for Medicaid

Medicaid Waiver Coalition – A Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) & Georgetown University Center on Children and Families led coalition to track, study and comment on federal Medicaid waiver policies and practices.

Medicare Access for Patients Rx Coalition (MAPRx) – A coalition of national organizations advocating for Medicare beneficiary access and affordability to prescription medications.

Modern Medicaid Alliance – AHIP organized effort to promote communication among those interested and supportive of Medicaid.

National Academy of Medicine, Strategies To Improve Access to Behavioral Health Care Services Through Medicare and Medicaid. The AAHD Public Policy Director was appointed a member of the time-limited committee, July 2023-August 2024. Resulted in publication of the Consensus Study Report “Expanding Behavioral Health Care Workforce Participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace Plans.”

National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) – The AAHD Public Policy Director is a member of the Consumers Advisory Council and Disability Equity Project focus group.

National Community Health Worker Policy Working Group – A National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW) and Partners in Health facilitated network to promote communication between and support Community Health Workers (CHWs).

National Quality Forum (NQF) – CMS contracted with the NQF to administer the Measure Application Partnership (MAP) program. The AAHD Public Policy Director served on various MAP committees, 2012-2023, including most recently the MAP coordinating committee.

Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies – Network promoting disability access in disaster prevention and recovery activities.

Partnership To Align Social Care – A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation project promoted by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) focused on the integration of health care and social supports to promote health and wellness.

Partnership To Amend 42 CFR Part 2 – 20 organization partnership, led by the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, to promote integrated health services delivery for persons with substance use disorder.

Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC)- A coalition whose purpose is to promote citizen engagement, access, and inclusion in health policies. PIPC co-chairs the Friends of PCORI Reauthorization Patient Group.

Primary Care Collaborative (PCC): – A coalition whose purpose is to promote primary care including the health/medical home and bi-directional integration of behavioral health and primary care. Formerly the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC).