Wheelchair Users Can Face Hefty Costs Not Covered By Insurance

 The right wheelchair can cost thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars, and private insurance only covers so much. Now, a federal class-action lawsuit claims the situation is discriminatory. Read More >

States Pressured To Remove Disability Bias From Medical Care Guidelines

 In what's being called a national precedent, yet another state is agreeing to change its approach to providing medical care during the pandemic in order to prevent disability discrimination. Read More >

With Self-Direction, People With Disabilities Gain Control

A model known as self-directed Medicaid benefits shifts the balance of power away from insurers and government bureaucrats, empowering individuals with disabilities to make their own choices. Read More ;

Medicaid Change Prompts Worries About Disability Services

Disability advocates are decrying a Trump administration plan to alter Medicaid that they say could ultimately compromise services that people with disabilities rely on. Read More;

Autism Insurance Mandates Increasingly Extend To Adults

Nearly every state requires insurance companies to cover autism therapies for children. Now, some states are moving to mandate coverage for adults too. Read More >

Trump Rollback Of Disability Rules Can Make Doctor's Visits Painstaking

Standards have been proposed to address what are often viewed as disparities in medical treatment for people with disabilities, but the Trump administration has declined to enforce them. Read More;

Behavior Therapy Services In Limbo For Military Families

A massive overhaul of the military's health insurance system is leaving behavior therapy services in question for children across the country. Read More >

As Medicaid Managed Care Proliferates, So Do Complaints

Thirty-eight states have radically changed the way they run their Medicaid programs, but questions remain about whether people with disabilities are receiving adequate care as a result. Read More;

Autism Insurance Mandates Boost Access To Care, Study Says

Kids with autism who live in states that require insurers to cover treatment for the developmental disorder are receiving significantly more services, researchers say. Read More;

Study: Health Care A Struggle For Those With Special Needs

A new study finds people with developmental disabilities struggle to get adequate medical care and physicians are often unprepared to treat them. Read More;

Insurance Giant Offers Pro Bono Legal Aid To Those With Disabilities

Unable to keep up with demand, a disability rights group is teaming up with one of the nation's largest insurers to help people with disabilities navigate the Medicaid appeals process. Read More >

Study Finds Law Boosted Services For Kids On The Spectrum

Children with autism are receiving more services at no added cost to their families thanks to a federal law that requires expanded mental health coverage, researchers say. Read More ;

In First, Insurer To Offer ABA Coverage Nationwide

The nation's largest health insurer says it will soon include coverage of applied behavior analysis in every group plan it offers. Read More >

Webinar on Affordable Care Act & Persons with Disabilities

You are invited to join the Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living (CHRIL) for a webinar on what the Affordable Care Act (ACA) means for persons with disabilities and some of the opportunities and challenges the law will present. The webinar is scheduled for May 4 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time.
The webinar will also outline the research objectives and planned work of the CHRIL over the next five years. In addition, the webinar will present an overview of the National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative (NDNRC) project and its Resources. The NDNRC is an initiative aimed at providing cross-disability information and support to Navigators and other enrollment specialists thereby ensuring people with disabilities receive accurate information when selecting and enrolling in insurance through the ACA Marketplaces.  There is no charge to participate, but registration is required. To register & reserve your space at the webinar, take the following steps:     Complete the registration form at www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2724225/May-4-2016      Add ilru@ilru.org to your email's approved senders list.  Watch your email on May 3rd for connection information.

Autism Therapy To Become Mandatory Benefit For Federal Workers

In what advocates are hailing as a major step forward, the nation's largest employer will require that all of its health insurance plans cover ABA for kids with autism beginning next year.  https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2016/03/01/autism-mandatory-federal/21985/

Narrow Marketplace Plans Pose Problems For Those With ASD

The move away from health insurance policies that allow families to seek out-of-network care is forcing many parents of children with autism to consider covering therapy costs themselves. https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2016/02/12/narrow-plans-problems-asd/21903/

New Fact Sheets on the Affordable Care Act and Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs

In collaboration with The Catalyst Center, the National Center for Medical Home Implementation (NCMHI) has created four fact sheets which describe provisions of the Affordable Care Act which benefit children and youth with special health care needs. Written in plain language, each fact sheet is easy to read and understand. Families will find information related to:  Concurrent Care for Children    Habilitative Services    Home Health Programs and Coordinated Care      Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicaid Coverage for Children

Despite Laws, ABA Therapy Often Hard To Come By

Even in states with laws requiring health insurers to cover autism therapy, parents say they're hitting walls when they try to access such services.   http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/08/12/despite-laws-aba-hard-come/19580/

Feds Clarify Obligations To Kids With Autism

In what advocates are calling a major win, federal officials are for the first time telling states that Medicaid coverage must include treatments like ABA for children with autism.   http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/07/17/feds-clarify-kids-autism/19519/

'Habilitation' Among New Health Care Benefits

The new health care law requires coverage of therapies that help people with disabilities acquire speech, mobility and other skills, but what that will mean in practice remains murky.  http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/10/25/habilitation-health-benefits/18836/