Institute for Disability Studies
Family Health Notes
January 2013
Inside this issue:
1) Sonbeams Night Out – Jan. 11, Ridgeland
2) Statewide Parent/Professional Advisory Committee Meeting – Jan. 24, Jackson
3) KidsWell Provides Timely Health Care Reform News
4) Ensuring Meaningful, Affordable Health Coverage
5) Public Insurance Programs and Children with Special Health Care Needs
1) Sonbeams Night Out – Jan. 11, Ridgeland
Sonbeams Night Out, a ministry of the Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church of Ridgeland, provides respite care for parents of special needs children as well as their siblings. It’s also a fun night out for adults with special needs. The next Sonbeams Night Out will be a tropical luau on Fri., Jan. 11, from 6:30 until 9 p.m. at the church at 750 South Pear Orchard Road in Ridgeland. To reserve a spot, RSVP by Mon., Jan. 7, to Martie Kwasny at 601.919.8605.
2) Statewide Parent/Professional Advisory Committee Meeting – Jan. 24, Jackson
The Statewide Parent/Professional Advisory Committee (SPAC) of the Children’s Medical Program at the Mississippi Department of Health will meet on Jan. 24. The meeting is from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Resource Library in suite 480 at the Jackson Medical Mall at 350 Woodrow Wilson Ave. in Jackson. The SPAC, which meets quarterly each year, also serves as the Parent Advisory Council for the Family to Family (F2F) Health Information and Education Center program. For more information, call Jackie Washington at 1.888.33.1718.
3) KidsWell Provides Timely Health Care Reform News
KidsWell is a national advocacy campaign focused on successful health care reform implementation on behalf of children. KidsWell provides timely, easy-to-understand health care reform news and analysis to ensure that children’s advocates, stakeholders, policymakers, and the general public have the tools they need to (1) understand health care reform and how it will impact states and children; (2) help families and children get coverage; and (3) build a lasting child advocacy infrastructure for children’s health. In addition to providing timely health care reform information, KidsWell coordinates over 30 children’s advocacy organizations who are working to increase health insurance coverage for the nation’s children and families. By helping advocacy organizations work together, and by using this website as a health reform information hub, KidsWell is building a lasting legacy of healthy children. At the KidsWell website, viewers can
· Track health reform by state or topic using the health reform hub
· View national comparison maps that show how states match up on health care reform implementation
· Access weekly newsletters that summarize health reform news highlights in all 50 states
· Get resources developed by KidsWell’s partners
· Get children's health and data and health care reform facts in each state
· Join the KidsWell community on Facebook and Twitter to get daily #KidsFacts and children's health information
For additional information, visit http://www.kidswellcampaign.org/.
4) Ensuring Meaningful, Affordable Health Coverage
The health care law, the Affordable Care Act, contains a number of provisions that ensure that Americans have access to quality, affordable health insurance. On Nov. 20, 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a proposed rule that helps consumers shop for and compare non-grandfathered private health insurance options in the individual and small group markets by promoting consistency across plans, and protecting consumers by ensuring that plans cover a core package of items and services. Specifically, this rule outlines health insurance issuer standards related to the coverage of essential health benefits (EHB) and the determination of actuarial value (AV), while providing significant flexibility to states to shape how EHB are defined. Additionally, the rule proposes a timeline for when issuers offering coverage in a Federally-facilitated Exchange or State Partnership Exchange must become accredited. The rule also proposes an application process for accrediting entities seeking to be recognized to fulfill the accreditation requirements for issuers offering coverage in any Exchange. For more information, visit http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2012/11/ehb11202012a.html.
5) Public Insurance Programs and Children with Special Health Care Needs
“A Tutorial on the Basics of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)” gives a broad overview of Medicaid and CHIP, the many different populations these programs serve, the changes they are undergoing under health reform, and some detail to help readers think about opportunities to improve access to coverage for CSHCN through communication and collaboration with Medicaid and CHIP staff. The tutorial starts with an overview of how definitions of CSHCN may vary by agency or program, followed by eight major topic areas and then recommendations for steps Title V programs can take to build successful partnerships with public insurance programs. For more information, visit http://www.hdwg.org/catalyst/medicaid-tutorial.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Family Health Notes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Family Health Notes is sponsored by the Institute for Disability Studies (IDS), Mississippi’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at The University of Southern Mississippi. IDS provides university training, community service activities, research and information that promote the independence, productivity, and community inclusion of individuals with disabilities and their families. For more information about IDS, visit www.usm/edu/ids or call 1.888.671.0051 (TTY). To make a tax-deductible gift to IDS, visit www.usm.edu/ids/supportus.html.
The Family-to-Family Health Information and Education Center (F2F) is a family-focused, family managed resource center that empowers families of Mississippi children with special health care needs to be partners in the decisions made concerning the health of their children. F2F is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (GR#H84MC07948).
The Mississippi Integrated Community Systems (MICS) for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs project is working to create a seamless system of family-centered, community-based, culturally competent services and supports for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). MICS is funded by the Maternal and Child Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (GR#D70MC12841).
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