AdvocacyDenver says goodbye to past board member, dear friend
The staff of AdvocacyDenver sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late Mrs. Frances Verhulst, who, along with her husband Joe, was a long-time member, past board member, and ally of the organization. Both Frances and Joe previously received the Shenkein award, an honor presented annually to a person or organization who has made a significant contribution to AdvocacyDenver.
In the words of executive director Aileen McGinley, “She will be sorely missed.”
Follow this link for information regarding services for Mrs. Verhulst.
2013 Colorado Legislative Committee Schedule
Follow the link below for a PDF of the 2013 House Committee schedule:
Follow the link below for a PDF of the 2013 Senate Committee schedule:
Kyle Frohne, long-time friend and self-advocate
AdvocacyDenver mourns the loss of friend and ally Kyle Frohne. Our deepest condolences go to his family and all those grieving the loss of an inspirational life.
“Kyle Alan Frohne, 41, died peacefully in his home on Sunday, November 4th 2012. Kyle will be lovingly remembered by his mother, Gerrie Frohne; his father and stepmother, Jim and Sharon Frohne; his sister Erica (Frohne) Conner, her husband John Conner and their son Grant; and his brother Alex Frohne, his wife Jackie Frohne and their children Molly and Wesley.
Kyle was born in Evanston, Illinois on May 15th, 1971. In 1978 Kyle and his family moved to Lakewood Colorado. Kyle’s childhood was rich growing up with his sister Erica and his brother Alex. He graduated from Golden High School in 1992 and attended Red Rocks Community College. Kyle went on to enjoy working at the Golden Public Library, sponsored by The Golden Optimist Club. He was also employed at Sun Bright and other dry cleaners in Lakewood and Golden throughout his adult life. Kyle loved engaging with people creating countless genuine friendships in his work and personal life. He was an avid sports fan, to say the least, always rooting for his Denver teams and attending several games and events a year with his brother. Kyle treasured his weekly activities including swimming at the Easter Seals warm water therapy pool and Feldenkrais® therapy led by Ginger Mitchell. Kyle enjoyed many family vacations including trips to Alaska, Illinois, and Washington state. Kyle accepted Christ with the loving support of his life-long friend Becky Blondin and was baptized in 2004. He valued his time as part of the Praise Team and young adult bible study within his home church. To know Kyle is to know how unmistakably captivating his personality was, permanently overcoming any pre-conceived notions about his disability.
Donations may be made in his honor to Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (www.ccdconline.org/get-involved/donate 655 Broadway, Suite 775, Denver, CO 80203).”
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!
Calabrese Life Opportunities Fund open to grant applications
The Arc of Colorado is a support and advocacy organization for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. The Arc believes in self-determination by empowering people to make informed choices. We believe that children with I/DD should have the supports and services they need to live in their family homes, to succeed in school and to partake in all of the experiences of childhood. Adults with I/DD should have the opportunity to lead lives of their own choosing, to be free from poverty, to be employed, to reside in the community, and to live independently with ready access to whatever services and supports they need. The Arc is known as a responsive nonprofit organization, constantly evolving to meet the changing needs and circumstances of people with I/DD and their families. Based on the values of The Arc and the need to be responsive to the needs of our community The Arc of Colorado has created The Calabrese Life Opportunities Fund. The fund is named in honor of Elizabeth Calabrese – a longtime Colorado advocate and supporter of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.
The Calabrese Life Opportunities fund is designed to help people with developmental disabilities of all ages in a variety of areas – including, but not limited to:
∙ Self-determination – The Arc strives to empower people to get involved in their community, become more independent, and experience authority over their own lives. This fund will assist self-advocates to purchase items to live more independent lives, such as assistive technology devices, accessibility equipment, as well as, attendance at conferences and other educational programs intended to enhance independent living.
· Family Preservation – families are being stretched beyond their capabilities caring for family members. The fund will provide resources to keep families together and well cared for. Examples include extra behavioral supports, counseling for parents and siblings, conferences, educational opportunities, and respite.
· Emergency – funding for unexpected situations not covered by publicly funded programs such as anesthesiology for dental care – or the cost of emergency housing when a self-advocate becomes homeless.
Any individual with an intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in The State of Colorado is eligible to apply for assistance through a grant application to the Calabrese Life Opportunities Fund. For more details and to access the grant application please visit http://www.thearcofco.org
Please contact Cassidy Dellemonache at The Arc of Colorado with any questions.
Applications are due by Friday, September 17th Please email completed applications to cdellemonache@thearcofco.org or via mail The Arc of Colorado Attn: Cassidy Dellemonache 1580 Logan Street Suite 730 Denver, CO 80203
The Arc Reacts to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision on the Affordable Care Act
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been waiting for generations for the insurance reforms put in place by the Affordable Care Act. Today’s ruling removes any doubts that the law Congress enacted should stand and will benefit millions of people with and without disabilities. It ends discriminatory insurance practices and makes health coverage more affordable and accessible – important protections which too many people with disabilities have been deprived of for too long. Go to our blog for the top reasons why The Arc supports the law.
But the ruling is not perfect for people with I/DD. The Arc is concerned that disallowing the federal government the ability to withhold Medicaid dollars from states that don’t expand their program to cover more of the uninsured might mean that people with I/DD who would have benefitted from the expansion could be left behind. Medicaid is an incredibly important lifeline for people with I/DD, providing health care and long term services and supports.
We will carefully watch how states react to this development and encourage our advocates across the country to put pressure on their state leaders to do the right thing and expand their Medicaid program.
-Marty Ford, Director of Public Policy for The Arc
Bill Strengthens State’s Medicaid Fraud Prosecution
Senate Bill 60, sponsored by State Senator Ellen Roberts, and passed with nearly unanimous bipartisan support, will put some teeth into the prosecution of Medicaid fraud across the state. Currently, the Attorney General’s office prosecutes provider fraud. But recipient fraud is handled through the counties, who often lack the personnel to conduct the investigative process.
In an interview with Catherine Strode, Coordinator of the Health Care Advocacy Program, State Senator Roberts said the bill’s main intent is to create a stronger system of tracking Medicaid fraud carried out by both health care providers and benefit recipients.
Why is this bill good for the state of Colorado?
“Because it will give us good information. Currently we don’t have any streamlined system to inform the legislature as to how much it’s occurring, who’s doing it, provider versus recipient. I think we have people out there saying one thing or another as if there’s strong data to back up their claims. When I went after getting that strong data, I couldn’t locate it.”
How will it be implemented?
“Medicaid fraud is handled in two different ways in Colorado. Grantee or recipient fraud is handled through the counties. The Departments of Human Services at the county level, when they see something that they’re concerned about, are to investigate it. If it rises to the level of abuse, then they are to turn it over to District Attorneys to prosecute the case. If it’s provider fraud, a physician or a hospital, then the Attorney General’s office is supposed to investigate and prosecute. So we have a split system which is why we don’t know at the State Legislature who’s doing what. How much Medicaid fraud is occurring? What’s being pursued? What I have heard from folks is there’s wild speculation both in terms of who’s doing it, how much money is involved, and how many people who actually deserve Medicaid benefits are being deprived because money is being filtered off the system by those who aren’t entitled to it.”
Are there statistics on Medicaid fraud in Colorado?
“No. That’s the point. There are some people who say it’s rampant. And yet last fall when I was trying to get a handle on this, nobody could give me accurate numbers. HCPF has data for what they cover but it’s not the state agency’s responsibility to pursue it on the recipient side. The Attorney General’s office has a Medicaid fraud control unit which has several million dollars a year that they recover. But that is only providers, not recipient fraud. What happens at the county level, because often the dollars involved are much smaller, there’s not really a strong pursuit of going after Medicaid fraud because it takes more time and personnel than they think they will actually recover. The way the statute currently reads is that even if a county were to recover Medicaid fraud proceeds, they have to turn it over to the state (the state being Health Care Policy and Financing) so there’s no incentive for the counties to really pursue it because they have to help pay for the District Attorney to actually prosecute. If they recover any money, they don’t even get the cost of prosecution.”
What is the effect you want the implementation of this bill to have?
“With the huge increase in Medicaid eligibility, the system is going to be overwhelmed for awhile, as we have more and more people enrolled both because we at the legislature expanded eligibility but also depending on what’s happening at the federal level. So I just want to make sure that those entitled to receive Medicaid benefits actually get them. That we don’t have a siphoning off of state money to people who aren’t entitled, or are abusing the system, whether they be providers or recipients of the benefits. There’s so much money at stake in Colorado’s Medicaid budget. That’s why I think we need to get to the bottom of this.”
House Minority Leader Rates Jobs Bills As Success
House Minority Leader Mark Ferrandino rates the passage of bills that have supported small businesses as the most significant ‘hallmark’ action of the Democratic caucus during the 2012 legislative session. Bills which have been proposed by the Democratic caucus to support job growth, but have failed, he rates as his greatest disappointment.
In an interview with Catherine Strode, Coordinator of the Health Care Advocacy Program, Minority Leader Ferrandino discussed his personal accomplishments and goals of the 2012 session. What does he consider as his greatest personal accomplishment of the session: state personnel reform. What is his greatest goal: passage of a bill to support Civil Unions.
What do you view as your greatest success of the 2012 session?
“You know getting a budget to pass 64 to 1 is a huge success for both parties. I think that’s a significant success. I think sticking on the message of jobs and the economy and the bills that we’ve pushed forward to help small businesses, to help entrepreneurs, really has been a strong hallmark of the Democratic caucus in the House. Some of those bills are still alive, some of them have passed and become law, and we’re still working with Republicans to try and find common ground on those. On a personal issue, I’ve worked hard on the personnel reform that the governor was pushing. That’s the bill that I’ve spent hours negotiating with both state workers and department heads to try and come to a good balance. I think we have that balance and it passed the House unanimously and just passed the Senate unanimously and it’s coming back to the House for consideration. I think that will be a significant piece of legislation. You know one thing that I’m just, personally, very hopeful for, it’s still in the process but, is civil unions. It’s going to be an uphill battle but if we can get that passed – that will be a significant victory for Colorado.”
And what’s your greatest disappointment so far?
“I think a lot of the jobs agenda that we’ve been pushing. Some of the things like (Representative) Max Tyler’s investment in small business development centers. (Representative) Dave Young’s tech transfer incentives, (Representative) John Kefalas’ angel investors. All those don’t seem as of right now that they’ll be moving forward and those are good, smart job creations with proven incentives, and investments. And, so unfortunately, we weren’t able to find bipartisan support for some of those. Maybe it will change in the next couple of weeks because some of them are still alive. I think some of my disappointment has been around places where we all agree we need to focus on job creation but we weren’t able to come together – Democrats and Republicans – to compromise and find the right vehicle to get those smart investments done for our economy and investments. And, so unfortunately, we weren’t able to find bipartisan support for some of those. Maybe it will change in the next couple of weeks because some of them are still alive. I think some of my disappointment has been around places where we all agree we need to focus on job creation but we weren’t able to come together – Democrats and Republicans – to compromise and find the right vehicle to get those smart investments done for our economy.”
What do you think are the most significant pieces of health care legislation to come out of the 2012 session?
“Representative Young and now Representative Gerou have a bill, 1281 on Medicaid Payment reform, which I’ve been involved with, on a pilot program and then opening it up to looking at global payment methods, and paying for performance, and outcomes versus fee for service. It could have a significant change in the way we deal with health care in the public sector. So I think that’s the most significant. I think that it has a very good chance of becoming law this year. Outside of that, I think the budget is always a significant health care bill because it deals with a lot of the funding for health care. Not having to cut provider rates at all this year, helping to put some more money into DD slots, some of those things I think were good in health care.”
And what is your opinion of the health care Long Term Services Relocation bill being proposed?
“When I was on the budget committee, I spent a lot of time raising concerns about how the Department of Human Services was managing the finances of the DD line items. And so I was pushing for people to look at should we move this to HCPF – given that a lot of the funding comes from HCPF because it goes through Medicaid. HCPF is a Department that’s much better at handling money – they’re kind of like an insurance company – where the Human Services is more of a service provider. So it might make sense to move more of the controls and financing to HCPF. That being said, there a lot of concerns that have been raised– what is this going to do to people with developmental disabilities? Are we going to make sure at the end of the day we’re not harming that population? And that’s the biggest key. I don’t think anyone wants to have a negative impact on that population. So we have to be very careful and diligent. The question is – is this the right way to do it? My hope is that they do it in a deliberate, systematic way that builds upon community input to try and do it. And if it moves forward – keep an open door through the process – to make sure that community concerns are addressed as both the bill moves forward and if the bill passes – then as the transition actually happens.”
Report Debunks High Salaries For Insurance Execs
