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HCPF Bids Farewell to Medicaid Director Gretchen Hammer

Gretchen Hammer, Former Medicaid Director, Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)
Gretchen Hammer, Former Medicaid Director, Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)

An Interview with Catherine Strode

Gretchen Hammer is recognized as one of the state’s most respected leaders in healthcare. Formerly the State’s Director of Medicaid, she recently left the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. For the past four years, Gretchen has overseen the Department’s Health Programs Office which administers the state’s public health insurance programs for low-income Coloradans including Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+). Prior to HCPF, she served as the Executive Director of the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved (CCMU). As she looks back over the years of her tenure, Gretchen Hammer cites progress for the state’s Medicaid members in that they have reported satisfaction with the delivery and quality of their care.

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Webinar Recording: Dream, Plan, and Build with ABLE Accounts

Colorado ABLE LogoABLE Accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities and their families. Eligible individuals can contribute up to $15,000 a year, and income earned by the accounts is tax-exempt.

In this webinar, Mike Keglovits of Colorado ABLE describes the benefits of using an ABLE Savings account, how ABLE accounts work with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid, and recommendations for maximizing the benefits of your ABLE account.

Haga clic aquí para ver este seminario en español.

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Conecta, Planea y Prospera: Su hijo y su Transición a ser un adulto

Colorado ABLE LogoLas cuentas ABLE son cuentas de ahorro con ventajas impositivas para personas con discapacidades y sus familias. Las personas elegibles pueden contribuir hasta $ 15,000 al año, y los ingresos obtenidos por las cuentas están exentos de impuestos.

En este seminario web, Mike Keglovits de Colorado ABLE describe los beneficios de usar una cuenta de ahorro ABLE, cómo funcionan las cuentas ABLE con Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario (SSI) y Medicaid, y recomendaciones para maximizar los beneficios de su cuenta ABLE.

Watch this presentation in english.

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“Vote4Medicaid” Movement Ramps Up for 2018 Elections

Julie Reiskin, Executive Director, Colorado Cross Disability Coalition
Julie Reiskin, Executive Director, Colorado Cross Disability Coalition

An Interview with Catherine Strode

A movement is underway across the state to build a broad coalition of people who will register to vote and elect pro Medicaid and pro disability candidates. The goal is to elect candidates, both at the state and national level, who will not cut vital supports that enable community living for people with disabilities.

Julie Reiskin, Executive Director of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC), has helped implement solutions in the state for a sustainable Medicaid program. A respected advocate and health policy analyst, she championed consumer direction as a care delivery model.

In an interview with Catherine Strode, she explains how the “Vote4Medicaid” movement got started and why it is essential for all Coloradans to support it.

 

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Community Services Embraced in Medicaid Through Managed Care Plans

 

Merrill Friedman, Senior Director of Disability Policy Engagement, Anthem
Merrill Friedman, Senior Director of Disability Policy Engagement, Anthem

An Interview with Catherine Strode

Merrill Friedman leads the national Disability Policy Engagement team and advocacy strategy for Anthem and its affiliate health plans. She works with advocates to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in the company’s managed health care plans.

In an interview with Catherine Strode, she explains how the health care industry is embracing a Community First philosophy in delivering its Medicaid managed program services.

 

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National Health Expert Optimistic About Medicaid’s Future Services

Alan Weil, Editor-in-Chief, Health Affairs
Alan Weil, Editor-in-Chief, Health Affairs

An Interview with Catherine Strode
Health Affairs is the leading health policy journal in the country.  The journal’s Editor-in-Chief, Alan Weil, recently gave a presentation in Denver on an overview of the evolution of the country’s Medicaid program. An elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, and an appointed member of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Alan is recognized nationally as an expert in health care policy.

In an interview with Catherine Strode, he explains why he views the future of Medicaid services optimistically for individuals in vulnerable populations.
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Coverage Gains and Medicaid Satisfaction: Big Takeaways From CHAS

Joe Hanel, Manager, Public Policy Outreach, Colorado Health Institute
Joe Hanel, Manager, Public Policy Outreach, Colorado Health Institute

An Interview with Catherine Strode

The Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS) is the leading source of information on health insurance coverage, access to health care and use of health care services in the state. Since 2009, over 10,000 Colorado households have been surveyed every two years on changes impacting health policy.

In an interview with Catherine Strode, the Colorado Health Institute’s Manager of Public Policy Outreach Joe Hanel, says this year the survey included new questions about satisfaction of care. Results show the state’s Medicaid program fared well with recipients’ responses.

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Self-Advocates Join Medicaid Protest Rally

Colorado State Representative Dave Young (D), House District 50
Colorado State Representative Dave Young (D), House District 50

An Interview with Catherine Strode

AdvocacyDenver Board Member and Self-Advocate Mitch McKinney was one of over 400 individuals to protest the proposed cuts to Medicaid in the GOP health bill in a rally held in front of Senator Cory Gardner’s downtown office. Several Colorado legislators also participated in the Medicaid Protest Rally, including State Representative Dave Young. Representative Young spoke at the rally calling the proposed cuts to Medicaid a ‘civil rights issue.’

Mitch McKinney, AdvocacyDenver Board Member/Self-Advocate
Mitch McKinney, AdvocacyDenver Board Member/Self-Advocate

In an interview with Catherine Strode, Representative Young who serves on the Joint Budget Committee said Colorado would not be able to accommodate the cost shift from federal to state funding.

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2012 Voter Guide on Disability Issues

Follow the link below to access the 2012 Voter Guide which outlines issues ranging from Medicaid, to juvenile justice, to pending federal legislation that all affect the community of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Use the guide to contact candidates for both Colorado legislature and U.S. Congress to raise awareness about these issues.

2012 AdvocacyDenver Voter Guide

Don’t forget to vote on Election Day on November 6th, 2012! Our voices count!

The Waiting Period

“How much of human life is lost in waiting.”  — Ralph Waldo Emerson

In order to enroll in Medicaid waiver programs in Colorado, adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) must meet certain criteria in determining their eligibility.  This criterion, determined by the Colorado Division of Disability, is also used to determine the level of support needed by the individual in order for him or her to lead an active, quality life in our Colorado communities.  
    Medicaid waiver programs enrollment for individuals with I/DD in Colorado are in great demand.  Advocates at AdvocacyDenver oftentimes support clients with enrolling in these programs.  Once applied and approved as eligible, clients can anticipate varying wait periods for actual enrollment..  If an individual with I/DD does not apply for enrollment at age 14 –and this can be the case for a plethora of reasons- he or she will end up experiencing a waiting period where access to Medicaid services and supports is limited.  
    During this waiting period, individuals with I/DD oftentimes refer to natural supports such as friends or family to help them participate within their communities.  Community organizations can play a role in helping individuals waiting for Medicaid enrollment too.  AdvocacyDenver has a long track record of supporting such individuals with I/DD in locating safe and affordable housing, access to health care, and accommodations in employment.  Mission Supports, a new non-profit organization in Denver, is also working to specifically alleviate the barriers experienced by those waiting for Medicaid program enrollment.  The organization provides on-going monthly check-ins with adults to identify areas in daily life that they may need support.  It also is working towards providing educational opportunities to improve skills such as money management.  
    While there may not be any imminent decreases in waiting list periods in the near future we, as a community, can continue to be aware of the waiting list for Medicaid disability waiver program and provide our friends, neighbors, and family with support they need while they are waiting.