The day that I posted the call (from AHEAD) to write to our elected representatives to ask for support for the ADA Restoration Act, I did just that -- sending 3 very similar emails to my senators and congresswoman.
While I have signed petitions in the past, I believe this is the first time I'd actually written to my elected officials, and was surprised to get a response from each, via email, over the course of the following 10 days.
If you're keeping score, both Senator Barbara Boxer and Representative Anna Eshoo both said unequivically that they were in strong support of the ADA Restoration Act. Eshoo is a co-sponsor of the legislation.
Senator Diane Feinstein said, after saying that she understood my concerns, "Please know I will keep your thoughts in mind should this legislation come before the full Senate." Sounds like a variation of "science is looking into it", and a strong reluctance to make any promises.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tell your Representatives to Support the ADA Restoration Act
In the interest of time, I quote an email I received today (I am a member) from AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability):
"On January 29th, 2008, the Education & Labor Committee of the US House of Representatives held a hearing on The Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act (H.R. 3195). This bipartisan legislation is widely supported by members of Congress and organizations nationwide and holds the promise of restoring the original intent of the ADA.
As an organization committed to the ideals of the Americans with Disabilities Act, AHEAD endorses H.R. 3195 and encourages its members to become informed about this vital, pending legislation and to take action to support its passage (see below). This is particularly important as organizations that oppose the passage of the Restoration Act are coming out with outrageous distortions of its consequences.
The Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act (H.R. 3195), introduced by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), would restore the original intent of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act.
Excerpts from testimony given at the hearing include:
"The bill does not seek to expand the rights guaranteed under the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. Instead, it seeks to clarify the law, restoring the scope of protection available under the ADA," said Hoyer. "It responds to court decisions that have sharply restricted the class of people who can invoke protection under the law. And it reinstates the original Congressional intent when we passed the ADA."
"Despite our progress, the courts—including the U.S. Supreme Court—have narrowly interpreted the ADA, limiting its scope and undermining its intent," Hoyer continued. "We could not have fathomed that people with diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, cancer, and mental illnesses would have their ADA claims kicked out of court because, with medication, they would be considered too functional to meet the definition of 'disabled.'"
Andrew Imparato, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, said that the initial promise of protecting disabled workers under the ADA has largely faded as a result of Supreme Court rulings.
"In 1990, the ADA was heralded as an 'emancipation proclamation' for people with disabilities," said Imparato.
"Seventeen years later, on account of judicial activism, we are far from having a law that can be counted on to safeguard the fair treatment of people with disabilities in the workplace."
The AHEAD Board of Directors encourages members to learn more about The Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act, http://thomas.loc.gov/home/gpoxmlc110/h3195_ih.xml and to contact their representatives in both houses of Congress to support this legislation. To contact your members of congress go to: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ "
I used the site above to get the links to my representatives, and it only took me about 10 minutes (using cut and paste) to send an email to each of them. I kept it short and sweet: people with disabilities are losing ground in many arenas -- support the ADA Restoration Act in an effort to keep us from losing more and more...
"On January 29th, 2008, the Education & Labor Committee of the US House of Representatives held a hearing on The Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act (H.R. 3195). This bipartisan legislation is widely supported by members of Congress and organizations nationwide and holds the promise of restoring the original intent of the ADA.
As an organization committed to the ideals of the Americans with Disabilities Act, AHEAD endorses H.R. 3195 and encourages its members to become informed about this vital, pending legislation and to take action to support its passage (see below). This is particularly important as organizations that oppose the passage of the Restoration Act are coming out with outrageous distortions of its consequences.
The Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act (H.R. 3195), introduced by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), would restore the original intent of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act.
Excerpts from testimony given at the hearing include:
"The bill does not seek to expand the rights guaranteed under the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. Instead, it seeks to clarify the law, restoring the scope of protection available under the ADA," said Hoyer. "It responds to court decisions that have sharply restricted the class of people who can invoke protection under the law. And it reinstates the original Congressional intent when we passed the ADA."
"Despite our progress, the courts—including the U.S. Supreme Court—have narrowly interpreted the ADA, limiting its scope and undermining its intent," Hoyer continued. "We could not have fathomed that people with diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, cancer, and mental illnesses would have their ADA claims kicked out of court because, with medication, they would be considered too functional to meet the definition of 'disabled.'"
Andrew Imparato, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, said that the initial promise of protecting disabled workers under the ADA has largely faded as a result of Supreme Court rulings.
"In 1990, the ADA was heralded as an 'emancipation proclamation' for people with disabilities," said Imparato.
"Seventeen years later, on account of judicial activism, we are far from having a law that can be counted on to safeguard the fair treatment of people with disabilities in the workplace."
The AHEAD Board of Directors encourages members to learn more about The Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act, http://thomas.loc.gov/home/gpoxmlc110/h3195_ih.xml and to contact their representatives in both houses of Congress to support this legislation. To contact your members of congress go to: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ "
I used the site above to get the links to my representatives, and it only took me about 10 minutes (using cut and paste) to send an email to each of them. I kept it short and sweet: people with disabilities are losing ground in many arenas -- support the ADA Restoration Act in an effort to keep us from losing more and more...
Sunday, January 27, 2008
I Approve this Political Message...
February 5th is just around the corner, and last week, I found a reason to pick a specific candidate.
I have known for a long time that I would be voting for one of the Democratic candidates, but was having a difficult time deciding between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, for a variety of reasons.
The reason I found was that Obama was the only one of the two candidates that addresses and acknowledges disability issues on his campaign website. To be precise, he has a 9 page PDF position paper which you can read for yourself, found at http://www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities/. There is also a beautifully captioned video on this page which is worth watching, particularly if you don't feel like reading the position paper.
Vote!
Whatever you do, vote. Whomever you decide to vote for, do it. Particularly in the General Election, come November. More and more states are making it easier to vote by mail, so whether or not it is a hassle for you to get out to the polls physically, you can still vote.
If you're not already registered, it is too late for a lot of the primaries, but register NOW so you can vote in the General Election.
It matters. People with disabilities have issues that are especially meaningful to us that are being discussed widely in this election, particularly the availability of health care. If the millions of people with disabilities ever made a concerted effort to be heard, we would be.
I have known for a long time that I would be voting for one of the Democratic candidates, but was having a difficult time deciding between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, for a variety of reasons.
The reason I found was that Obama was the only one of the two candidates that addresses and acknowledges disability issues on his campaign website. To be precise, he has a 9 page PDF position paper which you can read for yourself, found at http://www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities/. There is also a beautifully captioned video on this page which is worth watching, particularly if you don't feel like reading the position paper.
Vote!
Whatever you do, vote. Whomever you decide to vote for, do it. Particularly in the General Election, come November. More and more states are making it easier to vote by mail, so whether or not it is a hassle for you to get out to the polls physically, you can still vote.
If you're not already registered, it is too late for a lot of the primaries, but register NOW so you can vote in the General Election.
It matters. People with disabilities have issues that are especially meaningful to us that are being discussed widely in this election, particularly the availability of health care. If the millions of people with disabilities ever made a concerted effort to be heard, we would be.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
2007 Year End Wrap-up, Part I
My extended silence blogside of the last few months is due to a variety of inter-related things: battles with 2 different types of insurance companies, learning more about the ins and outs of DME (durable medical equipment -- aka wheelchairs, crutches, and the like), becoming more disabled, tuning in to the political fray of the Presidential primaries, and turning 50. I've been trying to process these experiences and come out on the other side with some take-away lessons/messages, and am only moderately successful.
First Tale of Insurance -- The Long Term Care Variety
My employer, West Coast Ivy, offers group Long Term Care (LTC) Insurance for its employees at quite reasonable rates, as these things go. Years ago, I read Suzy Orman's advice that the best age at which to sign up for LTC insurance was 55.
In summer of 2006, I went to a local Book Fair, where a woman with a LTC booth told me I should apply for it immediately, and seemed in doubt that I could get it, even though my employer had the group plan.
RE--JECTED!
In an uncharacteristic burst of naivete, I had thought that because of the nature of a group plan, I would not have difficulty being accepted for the LTC policy, and I applied for it in the Open Enrollment period of 2006, which was in November of 2006.
The initial application form asks questions about cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease -- in other words, the big, bad diseases, and whether you've been diagnosed with them. All "no". The only question with a "yes" answer was something like "have you needed mobility assistance in the last 3 years, such as a wheelchair or a walker?"
That "yes" prompted my first rejection -- to make a long story short, I went back and forth with them from 11/2006 to 9/2007, when they finally rejected me with no further opportunities for appeal. They said that they based the final denial of coverage based upon information they received from my primary care doctor and my dermatologist.
Ironic Twist
After the final denial, I was debating about whether or not to request copies of what my doctor's had said -- since the insurance company had already lied to me about what the report of a phone interview had contained, it seemed like it might be worth seeing what was said -- but I was pretty sick of the whole thing by then.
Before I could suck it up and write them yet another letter, my employer announced that for "this year only", all employees would be able to apply for the LTC insurance with no medical review -- i.e., guaranteed acceptance. This "guaranteed acceptance" also occurs within the first 30 days of hire for new employees -- but I was 37 at the time, and totally broke, and hadn't thought that would be my last chance to apply...
So, I applied again, in 2007's Open Enrollment period (for insurance year beginning 2008), and received a letter signed by Jody Ross congratulating me on my acceptance. Ms. Ross was also the signatory of the numerous letters of the past year's struggle, but she did not acknowledge this (it may well be a pseudonym -- I'd certainly use one if I had that job.)
Lessons Available, More Questions to Come
My boss, whom I had kept apprised of my struggle all year actually called me at home when she got the letter announcing this year's special acceptance policy. I spent the next month trying (with much success) to get everyone in our office to sign up.
For me at 50, the cost will be $100 a month, for the highest coverage available currently: $300/day, in an assisted-living facility, and $225 a day in my own home. There is a one-time 90 day waiting period; you must have lost the ability to perform 2 or more ADLs (activities of daily living) without "supervision" (to cover cognitive deficits) or assistance in order to trigger coverage. There is a built-in inflation provision, so that over time, both the premiums and the coverage will increase proportionately.
First Tale of Insurance -- The Long Term Care Variety
My employer, West Coast Ivy, offers group Long Term Care (LTC) Insurance for its employees at quite reasonable rates, as these things go. Years ago, I read Suzy Orman's advice that the best age at which to sign up for LTC insurance was 55.
In summer of 2006, I went to a local Book Fair, where a woman with a LTC booth told me I should apply for it immediately, and seemed in doubt that I could get it, even though my employer had the group plan.
RE--JECTED!
In an uncharacteristic burst of naivete, I had thought that because of the nature of a group plan, I would not have difficulty being accepted for the LTC policy, and I applied for it in the Open Enrollment period of 2006, which was in November of 2006.
The initial application form asks questions about cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease -- in other words, the big, bad diseases, and whether you've been diagnosed with them. All "no". The only question with a "yes" answer was something like "have you needed mobility assistance in the last 3 years, such as a wheelchair or a walker?"
That "yes" prompted my first rejection -- to make a long story short, I went back and forth with them from 11/2006 to 9/2007, when they finally rejected me with no further opportunities for appeal. They said that they based the final denial of coverage based upon information they received from my primary care doctor and my dermatologist.
Ironic Twist
After the final denial, I was debating about whether or not to request copies of what my doctor's had said -- since the insurance company had already lied to me about what the report of a phone interview had contained, it seemed like it might be worth seeing what was said -- but I was pretty sick of the whole thing by then.
Before I could suck it up and write them yet another letter, my employer announced that for "this year only", all employees would be able to apply for the LTC insurance with no medical review -- i.e., guaranteed acceptance. This "guaranteed acceptance" also occurs within the first 30 days of hire for new employees -- but I was 37 at the time, and totally broke, and hadn't thought that would be my last chance to apply...
So, I applied again, in 2007's Open Enrollment period (for insurance year beginning 2008), and received a letter signed by Jody Ross congratulating me on my acceptance. Ms. Ross was also the signatory of the numerous letters of the past year's struggle, but she did not acknowledge this (it may well be a pseudonym -- I'd certainly use one if I had that job.)
Lessons Available, More Questions to Come
My boss, whom I had kept apprised of my struggle all year actually called me at home when she got the letter announcing this year's special acceptance policy. I spent the next month trying (with much success) to get everyone in our office to sign up.
For me at 50, the cost will be $100 a month, for the highest coverage available currently: $300/day, in an assisted-living facility, and $225 a day in my own home. There is a one-time 90 day waiting period; you must have lost the ability to perform 2 or more ADLs (activities of daily living) without "supervision" (to cover cognitive deficits) or assistance in order to trigger coverage. There is a built-in inflation provision, so that over time, both the premiums and the coverage will increase proportionately.
- Why I fought the rejection/denial of coverage: Since it is a group policy, I thought (mistakenly, apparently) that there was a higher degree of insurability available to me as a member of a group. It turns out that most of the people in my office were rejected on the first level of application, for very different reasons: one person answered "yes" to having seen a psycho-therapist in the last 3 years, one person had high blood pressure.
In other words, LTC insurance is just like most other types of insurance -- they don't want to insure you if you have any degree of likelihood of ever collecting benefits. Therefore, if you are currently very healthy and have not been diagnosed with anything, but you think you have a reasonable chance of needing assistance down the road (even if the road seems very long now because you're still pretty young), you should at least consider signing up for LTC insurance now.
- Did you know that the cost of the premiums of LTC insurance are NOT TAX DEDUCTABLE, nor can you use your Health Care Flex Plan to pay them? I was floored by this, as it seems to me there is a huge public policy interest in getting people to insure themselves for this kind of care. WTF?
- The RN that conducted my phone interview (which was during the first third of my struggle) told me that they denied everyone who said "yes" to ANY of the questions on the initial application. This reminded me of the legendary rate of denial of first applications for SSI -- regardless of the documented level of disability. I asked her if she knew what percentage of people appealed this initial denial but she said she didn't know.
I think a tremendous number of people take "no" for an answer. I never really thought I could win this appeals process, but I also really bristled at the idea that they were denying me solely because I use a power wheelchair for mobility. That seems to me to be clear discrimination -- except for my mobility impairment, I am quite healthy, and do not and have not ever received in home support services. In other words, they denied me coverage without any additional information in to my diagnosis or prognosis. Early on, even thinking I would ultimately lose, I decided to make them work for it.
And, who knows? Maybe the number of rejections and complaints by my fellow employees might have led to this year's "free pass". I feel certain they didn't do it out of the goodness of their hearts.
More 2007 fun to come...
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
DICK CHENEY IS A PROPHET!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YENbElb5-xY
2/13/08
In the Newsweek issue dated 2/18/08, there is a quote from Pat Buchanan, a "conservative pundit" from the "Today" show, in which Buchanan said of John McCain, "He will make Cheney look like Gandhi."
Now that's scary.
2/13/08
In the Newsweek issue dated 2/18/08, there is a quote from Pat Buchanan, a "conservative pundit" from the "Today" show, in which Buchanan said of John McCain, "He will make Cheney look like Gandhi."
Now that's scary.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Worthwhile Petition
This petition urges the Creation of a Disability Advisory Committee for the American Medical Association:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/creation-of-an-ama-disability-advisory-committee.html
(Thanks to Wheelchair Dancer's blog for the heads up.)
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/creation-of-an-ama-disability-advisory-committee.html
(Thanks to Wheelchair Dancer's blog for the heads up.)
Friday, May 18, 2007
Petition in Support of the ADA Restoration Act
I wanted to draw your attention to an important petition that I recently signed: "Keep the Promise: Restore the ADA":
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ADARestoration?e
I think that the more attention we can muster to get Congress to keep the provisions of the ADA from going the way of other civil rights, the better. I'd like to encourage you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes less than a minute of your time. Thanks!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ADARestoration?e
I think that the more attention we can muster to get Congress to keep the provisions of the ADA from going the way of other civil rights, the better. I'd like to encourage you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes less than a minute of your time. Thanks!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
