Indiana Family to Family

A Key Medicaid Protection Is at Stake Take Action Now from The Arc of the US:   Every day, Medicaid supports millions of people with disabilities to live independently in their community.   However, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing to significantly weaken an existing rule that makes sure that Medicaid reimbursement rates are enough to allow people to access services and supports that they need. Bac kground:  If reimbursement rates are below costs, providers will not want to participate or will not be able to provide high quality services. This means that  people will not be served or will be put on waiting lists . Inadequate reimbursement rates can also mean low wages and high turnover rates for direct support professionals (DSPs). The work of DSPs is invaluable to the disability community and the service system that relies on their abilities to keep people out of institutions. You can learn more about the proposed rule  here . Sub

By:   Jennifer Lav  and  Héctor Hernández-Delgado All major Democratic candidates agree that the ultimate goal of any health care reform proposal should be universal health care coverage,  but disagree about the best way to get there . Some believe the best option is to add a public option, thereby capitalizing on the coverage and affordability gains achieved by the Affordable Care Act, while others believe that exchanging our current fragmented system of insurance for a new single-payer system is the appropriate pathway to lower costs and increased consumer protections. The remainder of the field have staked out ground along the continuum. The general opportunities and trade-offs inherent in these various proposals have taken center stage, discussed extensively both in policy circles and at kitchen tables across the country. 65 million low-income Americans might be affected As these debates wage, an essential question has often been absent from the conversation: What do these p

Innovation and technology have opened up new avenues to self-employment. However, beginning a self-employment venture can be overwhelming. IIDC’s  Center on Community Living and Careers  is offering an in-depth, 2-day informational workshop this month in Indianapolis, which will feature presentations from Griffin-Hammis Inc., national experts in the field of employment for people with disabilities. During  The Road to Self-Employment  in Indianapolis on September 24-25, participants will learn about business plans, support systems, marketing, financing, and more. People with disabilities, family members, caregivers, employment professionals, Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation staff, and WorkOne staff are encouraged to attend. Please share the  Road to Self-Employment  flyers with interested individuals and families you support! Sponsored by the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, the workshop is free but registration is required. Find information about additional

To: Superintendents and Administrators From: Lisa Truitt, State Attendance Officer Robin LeClaire, Director of School Improvement Date: September 6, 2019 Subject: IAC 7-42-12 Instruction for Students Requiring Homebound Instruction This memo is to clarify the requirements of schools under IAC 7-42-12. All students with injuries and/or temporary or chronic illnesses that preclude their attendance in school, including students who are not eligible for special education and related services, must be provided with instruction. Before instruction for a student unable to attend school can begin, the parent must provide the school corporation with a written statement (from a physician who holds a valid, unlimited license to practice medicine) that the student has a chronic or temporary illness or injury that will require the student's absence from school for a minimum of twenty instructional days. Absences can be consecutively or for an aggregate of at least twenty instructional