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CKSN Update for April 1, 2003 |
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CKSN UPDATE for April 1,2003 from ABC for Health, Inc. IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Case Tip: Medicaid Presumptive Disability 2. Joint Finance Committee Budget Hearings Continue 3. The Tooth Faire is Coming 4. Waiting in Wisconsin 5. Transition: Making a Difference 6. Guardianship Training Opportunity 7. New Department of Defense Web Site 8. Upcoming Health Watch Meetings 1. CASE TIP: MEDICAID PRESUMPTIVE DISABILITY Wisconsin's Medicaid Program now allows a determination of presumptive disability for children and adults with urgent medical needs of a nature that makes it likely that the Disability Determination Board (DDB) will find the client disabled. These medical needs included mental illness and physical illness. The individual will be considered as a person with a disability and receive Medicaid benefits until a final formal disability determination can be completed by DDB. The individual may be certified as presumptively disabled by the county economic support worker. In determining that the individual is presumptively disabled, the county economic support worker will need a medical professional to attest to the fact that the individual is in a situation that constitutes an urgent need for medical services. The Medicaid disability application is submitted to the DDB where, within three to five days, the DDB provides the agency with a finding of the presumptive disability. It is important to note that if the disability determination is unfavorable, benefits cannot be recovered while the decision was being made. The presumptive disability determination is not the final decision. All Medicaid disability applications must still go to the DDB for a final decision. For more information on this, please contact Carole Cristler, Health Benefits Counselor, ABC for Health, at 715-537-6580 or crisler@chibardun.net To read the Medicaid memo on this topic, please go to: http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/em/ops_memos/2003/pdf/03-06.pdf 2. JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE BUDGET HEARINGS CONTINUE The Joint Finance Committee has already held three public hearings on the proposed state budget (in Rhinelander, Menasha and Milwaukee) and will hold three more on the following dates: Thursday, April 3 in River Falls at the River Falls High School, 818 Cemetery Rd Tuesday, April 8 in Platteville at the UW Platteville Center for the Arts, One University Place Wednesday, April 9 in Madison at the State Capitol in Room 412-E All hearings begin at 10 am and run until 5 pm. 3. THE TOOTH FAIRE IS COMING! The Dane County Health Advisory Committee is sponsoring the Tooth Faire, an event to promote dental health, spotlighting dental care, on Thursday, April 3 from 4 - 7 pm at 122 East Olin Avenue in Madison. This free event will feature a variety of information, music, presentations, videos, door prizes, food and drink. Consumers, families and staff are welcome. To register, call 608-265-9440 or email comm.training@waisman.wisc.edu 4. WAITING IN WISCONSIN The March edition of the Waiting in Wisconsin bulletin is now available on the DAWN website. This edition discusses updated waiting list data and more disability budget information. To read this edition, go to the DAWN website at: http://www.dawninfo.org/advocacy/index.cfm 5. TRANSITION: MAKING A DIFFERENCE The Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities recently released an 18 page paper, "Making a Difference: Thinking About Decision Making Support in the Transition Process," by Roy Froemming, JD. In this publication, the author talks to parents of children with developmental disabilities about what they need to consider about guardianship as their children transition to adulthood. The paper explores guardianship decisions from the perspective of self-determination principles. It describes an approach that results in decision-making support tailored to the individual's capacities and needs. This publication can be obtained free of charge by visiting the WCDD's website at: www.wcdd.org 6. GUARDIANSHIP TRAINING OPPORTUNITY The Waisman Center - Southern Regional Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs and Healthy and Ready to Work project, along with the Columbia County Department of Health and Human Services Division of Health and the Wisconsin Statewide Parent Educator Initiative (WSPEI), CESA 5 are hosting a program about guardianship on: Tuesday, April 22 fro 6:30 - 8:30 pm at the John F. Roche County Services Building at 711 North Cook Street (Highway 33 East) in Portage. Please call Sharon to register for this free program, 1-800-532-3321 7. NEW DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE WEBSITE The Department of Defense has recently launched a new website for military families who have children with special needs. This website is provided as a public service of the Deputy Under Secretary for Defense for Military Community and Family Policy with support from the Navy's Lifelines and is designed to give families with special needs access to information on a variety of military, federal and local programs available to families. The site is: www.EFMconnections.org 8. UPCOMING HEALTHWATCH MEETINGS The Northeastern Regional will be hosting their next HealthWatch meeting on Wednesday, April 8 at 9:30 am. For information on location and to register, please contact Steve Gerczak at St. Vincent Hospital at 920-433-8154 or sgerczak@stvgb.org The CKSN Update is a bi-weekly electronic newsletter of the Covering Kids with Special Needs project that ABC for Health, Inc. is implementing with its partners, the Title V Children with Special Needs Regional Centers and Family Voices - Wisconsin. If you would like to submit news and information in future CKSN Updates, please send it to the attention of Barbara Katz. All submissions should be limited to 150 words. Barbara Katz, moderator Parent Consultant ABC for Health, Inc. 152 West Johnson Street, Suite 206 Madison, WI 53703-2213 608-261-6939, ext. 207 barbk@safetyweb.org