Spinal Cord Advocates

The Senate is planning a rare Christmas Eve vote on Thursday, December 24, on its comprehensive healthcare reform bill.

The Senate has garnered the required 60 votes to prevent a filibuster from taking place. We have been working hard for the last year to advocate for and secure disability provisions within healthcare reform. After the Senate has its final vote on Thursday, the healthcare reform bill will move to a Conference Committee between the House and Senate. We will continue to advocate for affordable health care that meets the needs of people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities.

The Senate bill, although not perfect, has many provisions that will help people with disabilities and other pre-existing conditions, including:

• Major insurance market reforms that will generally prohibit health insurers from discriminating on the basis of pre-existing conditions (with some Health and Human Services-approved exceptions for nonessential services until the permanent provisions go into effect in 2014) and prohibit annual or lifetime caps on health insurance benefits that are considered essential services;
• Coverage of rehabilitation and habilitation services and devices (meant to include wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment) in the essential benefits package for the new insurance exchanges that will be established;
• Expanding Medicaid eligibility to people with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level;
• The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program, whereby people with disabilities will have a fund to pay for needed services if they have participated in a new national, payroll deduction insurance plan for five years. They will be able to continue working and keep Medicare or Medicaid benefits. Services could include help with bathing, dressing, meal preparation, managing household expenses, adding a wheelchair ramp or modifying a vehicle or bathroom.
• The Community First Choice (CFC) Option–to enable state Medicaid programs to choose to make comprehensive home and community-based services rather than institutions the first choice for services.
• Requiring the U.S. Access Board to develop standards for accessible diagnostic and other medical equipment such as for accurate weight measurement, mammograms and exam tables.