NEWS: CLASS Act stays in health care reform, and estimate of the Congressional health care reform legislative calendar

Easter Seals sent out a notice today announcing that the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act has been retained in the current U.S. Senate health reform bill [HR3590: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] ,

and gave an estimate of where the health reform calendar might be going in the next month or so,

"Looking Ahead to 2010

The Senate will continue to debate various details of its health care legislation through the next two weeks. After a final vote, a House and Senate committee will then work out any differences between their bills

House:
HR3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act
Senate:
HR3590: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

and the committee bill will return for floor votes in both chambers.

A final agreement could be sent to the President as early as January 2010."

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Website: Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG
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Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG or SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body.
For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org

NEWS: Federal H.R. 2688: Empowered at Home Act would assist home and community-based services for disabilities

On June 3, 2009, H.R. 2688, the Empowered at Home Act of 2009, was introduced in the U.S. House and has been sent to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (Chairman: Rep. Henry Waxman).

Federal News Long Term Services and Supports

"Representatives Frank Pallone [Jr.] (D-NJ) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) introduced the Empowered at Home Act [of 2009], H.R 2688. This bill would remove barriers to providing home and community-based services (HCBS) under the Medicaid State plan amendment option for individuals in need by
1) increasing the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP);
2) revising the income eligibility to up to 300% of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit rate; and
3) giving states the option to provide HCBS waiver services to prevent, delay, or decrease the likelihood of institutionalized care."

From the Capitol Insider, Volume 14, Issue 22, June 8, 2009
Disability Collaboration: A Partnership of The Arc & United Cerebral Palsy
To sign up for the Capitol Insider

Open Congress tracking on HR 2688


Other blog posts on HR 2688,

HR2688, To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to improve ...
HR 2688 would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to improve the State plan amendment option for providing home and community-based services under the Medicaid Program....

Source: Washingtonwatch.com

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June 02, 2009 H.R. 2688: To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ...
A bill inthe US Congress: To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to improve the State plan amendment option for providing home and community-based services under the Medicaid Program, and for other purposes.

Source: Active Legislation -- Tracked by GovTrack.us

Did you find this article useful? Your opinion counts - together, we're finding the very best news and blog coverage about Congress available on the web.

Other resources:

• The Clearinghouse for Home and Community Based Services
• Technical Summary of Medicaid Program General Information
• Title XIX of the Social Security Act

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Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG
-----------
Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website,