AdvocacyDenver’s Pam Bisceglia, the Coordinator for Child and Family Advocacy and Interim Director of Advocacy, and Scott Utash, advocate for the Children’s Mental Health Program and Interim Director of Operations, visited last week with KGNU’s Tish Beauford on her program “A Public Affair”.
On the program Pam and Scott discussed AdvocacyDenver’s mission of serving children, teens and adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities—as well as their families—throughout the Denver community, including issues relating to education and current legislation that AdvocacyDenver is working to advance through the state legislature.
New Director Set To Take Reins of Colorado Arc

An Interview with Catherine Strode
Effective November 9, Christiano Sosa takes hold of the leadership reins as Executive Director of The Arc of Colorado. He is in the process of completing a statewide tour of the 13 Arc chapters across the state. Christiano brings a strong background to the position in philanthropic and policy leadership roles for nonprofits including: The Denver Foundation, the Northern Colorado AIDS Project, and Mi Casa Resource Center. His professional career experience reflects his commitment and passion to the goal of social justice.
In an interview with Catherine Strode, Christiano says his career experience reflects his commitment and passion to the goal of social justice. He adds that the concepts of inclusion and equity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be a primary undercurrent of all policy and systems change promoted by the Arc of Colorado under his leadership.
[Read more…] about New Director Set To Take Reins of Colorado Arc
Three Perspectives On Late Payments For Medicaid Providers
On March 1, 2017, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) launched a new fiscal agent and “The Colorado interChange”, a new Medicaid Management Information System for claims payment. HCPF says this new system replaced technology that had been in place for over two decades and will allow implementation of audit recommendations made over the past several years.
The system underwent several hours of testing. In fact, the Department reports there were, overall, more than 200,000 hours of system pilot testing. However, the testing did not apparently catch a list of issues. In many instances, claims are being denied due to system processing errors. Since The Colorado interChange launched, Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) providers have complained of reimbursement problems threatening their financial sustainability and services continuation. The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing has instituted interim payments to providers who are facing financial difficulties.
[Read more…] about Three Perspectives On Late Payments For Medicaid Providers
Arc’s Departing Executive Director Gives Final Reflections
An Interview with Catherine Strode

For the past 10 years as Executive Director of the Arc of Colorado, Marijo Rymer has led policy campaigns across the state to shed light on the issues of our community of individuals with developmental disabilities. At the end of this month, she is retiring from her position. However, she is not retiring from advocating for the IDD community.
In a “farewell” interview with Catherine Strode, she says she will be staying involved with the Arc of the US and with the local Arcs in New Mexico. Her policy legacy? She says it’s a call for collaboration.
[Read more…] about Arc’s Departing Executive Director Gives Final Reflections
Coverage Gains and Medicaid Satisfaction: Big Takeaways From CHAS

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.
[Read more…] about Coverage Gains and Medicaid Satisfaction: Big Takeaways From CHAS
AdvocacyDenver’s Advocates and Staff Look Forward To…
Looking forward towards 2018, AdvocacyDenver’s Advocates and Staff have their own individual goals of contribution as this new beginning of the organization unfolds. [Read more…] about AdvocacyDenver’s Advocates and Staff Look Forward To…
AdvocacyDenver Announces New Leadership
Looking forward, AdvocacyDenver will be jointly supervised by Pamela Bisceglia and Scott Utash. Pamela is taking on the role of Interim Director of Advocacy and Scott is taking on the role of Interim Director of Operations.
Together, Pamela and Scott have decades of combined experience working with individuals with disabilities, advocating for better opportunities and outcomes for children and adults, and creating policy and systemic change on a state level with other organizations and government agencies.
Their work, and the work of the other members of the staff of AdvocacyDenver, empowers our clients with confidence and self-respect and strengthens our community of constituents. [Read more…] about AdvocacyDenver Announces New Leadership
Disabilities Fund Executive Cautions Proper Use of ABLE Accounts

An Interview with Catherine Strode
Colorado has now become the 28th state to launch an ABLE program. The ABLE (Achieving A Better Life Experience) Act amends the IRS tax code of 1986. Colorado ABLE will allow individuals with disabilities to save thousands of dollars in an ABLE account without threat of losing their eligibility for benefits from the federal government.
Megan Brand, Executive Director of the non-profit organization ‘Colorado Fund for People With Disabilities,’ administers the state’s largest locally managed pooled trust and oversees a wide range of fiduciary services that protect the finances and benefits for individuals with disabilities.
In an interview with Catherine Strode, she cautions individuals and families to be well-informed about ABLE account usage. She says using the funds improperly can permanently jeopardize their public-funded support.
[Read more…] about Disabilities Fund Executive Cautions Proper Use of ABLE Accounts
Mayor Hancock Prioritizes Improved Mobility in City’s Bond Package

An Interview with Catherine Strode
In November, voters in the city of Denver will decide the fate of a $937 million general obligation bond package proposed by Mayor Michael B. Hancock. The general obligation bonds are designed to fund capital improvements across the city.
Mayor Hancock is targeting better mobility for people with disabilities as a central goal. In an interview with Catherine Strode, the Mayor acknowledges the success of community listening sessions concerning accessibility needs. He also discusses increased bond amounts for accessibility improvements.
[Read more…] about Mayor Hancock Prioritizes Improved Mobility in City’s Bond Package
Self-Advocates Join Medicaid Protest Rally

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.’

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.
[Read more…] about Self-Advocates Join Medicaid Protest Rally