Brookings Institute asks why if more people are working, there are more living in poverty

"The direction we are headed in is making benefits [for the disadvantaged] more conditional on people helping themselves," Sawhill said. "But government needs to uphold its side of that bargain, as well, which is: If you work, you shouldn't be poor."

Brookings Ends Research on Welfare Reform

Georgia recieves Medicaid Waiver for victims of Katrina.

"Mark Trail, the Georgia Medicaid director, said the waiver approved Wednesday allows the state to provide health care services to low-income parents, pregnant women, children under 19 and those with disabilities, regardless of their residency plans or whose plans are unsettled."

For how long and what is the committment of Georgia to this long term care?

AccessNorthGa.com - North Georgia's Newsroom

Group Seeks More Medicaid Spending

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies say that lawmakers should consider spending more on Medicaid during economic downturns, much like they do when they extend the time limit for collecting unemployment insurance. Rate of unemployment remains around 70% for people with disabilities.

Group Seeks More Medicaid Spending

Mental Health receives 1.5 million in Savannah

"These youth can be productive and contribute to the community and not in a separate place,'' said Gwen Skinner, director of the Division for the Mental Health ...

http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/092205/3310869.shtml

An Op-Ed reaction to Olmstead from 1999

"But the disabilities many Gracewood patients have are much too severe to even think about putting them in a community housing setting. Some require constant medical supervision and others are much too confused or helpless to look after themselves...Regardless of what any law says, there will always be some persons who require institutional care."

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/081499/opi_089-5940.shtml

Senate OKs $3.5B in Katrina Home Vouchers

An estimated 250,000 refugees from the flooding, an overwhelming majority of them believed to be qualified for Medicaid, are now in Texas. For five months state matching funds that are part of the Medicaid program will be waived, said Paulitz.

Senate OKs $3.5B in Katrina Home Vouchers

Disabled evacuees languish | ajc.com

Hundreds more physically and mentally disabled and elderly evacuees who require supportive care are probably in Georgia, advocates and state officials say.

Disabled evacuees languish | ajc.com

Advocates meet with Office of DD

A group of advocates met with DHR's Director for the Office of DD, Steve Hall, today to discuss a list of agenda items developed by the Arc of Georgia's Julia Bowen. The conversation turned most interesting when we began to discuss the new waiver that is being developed for Georgia. Some possibilities for this waiver included:

• To get a flavor of where they are going, you need to look to waivers currently in Colorado and Oregon.
• Georgia has the oldest waiver in the Nation, 15 years old.
• Two new waivers will replace the current MRWP and CHSS waivers and will be a) Support Services or day supports and b) Comprehensive Supports or Residential.
• There will be as few as 3 categories of services.
• Individual budgeting will be based on needs and costs of services. Needs will be defined by SIS, age, type of disability and factors related to existing housing and supports.
• Dental and transportation will be added services under the new waiver.

There will be forums in late October to get input into this process - so stay tuned for locations and times.

The hope is that this new waiver will be written submitted for approval to CMS this fall and to be in place July 1st 2006.

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Lawmakers vow hurricane Medicaid boost

Lawmakers vow hurricane Medicaid boost

States Want Medicaid Coverage for Storm

States have asked Congress to pick up 100 percent of the costs for any Medicaid recipients added to their rolls as a result of Katrina.

States Want Medicaid Coverage for Storm

Evacuation plans leave people with disabilities behind

National Geographic magazine wrote in an article published in October 2004 about a possible hurricane scenario for New Orleans...In that article National Geographic predicted with eerie accuracy that more than a million people would evacuate, but some 200,000 would remain, including "the carless, the homeless, the aged and infirm." Welcome to AJC! | ajc.com