CKSN UPDATE for September 1, 2003			ABC for Health, Inc.

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. CASE TIP:  Caution When Paying Medical Debt
2. CASE TIP:  Caution When Electing COBRA
3. National Parent Consultant Sought for Muscular Dystrophy
4. Fall DD Network Meeting in Madison
5. New Website for the National Center of the Medical Home
6. Webcast Discussion on EPSDT
7. Sibling Support Project
8. Baby Builders
9. HealthWatch Updates



1. CASE TIP:  CAUTION WHEN PAYING MEDICAL DEBT

When medical debt accumulates many times a person feels pressured to pay off the debt by use of a credit card, home equity loan or some other form of credit.  The debt of course has not gone away, it has merely shifted to a different creditor.  Exercise caution when faced with the choice of paying off medical debt by these methods.  Debt on your credit card or home loan cannot be used toward your deductible when applying for Family Medicaid.  However, while it is still medical debt it may be used toward this deductible.  Also, if you have any disputes over your bill with the provider, your right to dispute charges may evaporate when the debt is converted to a different creditor.  For more information see the Health Insurance Guide Book, Chapter Six, "Other Financing Solutions," pp. 67-73 at www.abcforhealth.org


2. CASE TIP:  CAUTION WHEN ELECTING COBRA

Displaced workers worried about health insurance continuation often immediately elect COBRA coverage.  Frequently this coverage ends up being too costly.  Before electing COBRA evaluate your eligibility for BadgerCare.  You may be eligible for BadgerCare, but if you elect COBRA prior to applying for BadgerCare you will have a waiting period of three months.  BadgerCare requires you to have lost your insurance through no fault of your own and to have no currently available insurance coverage.  That means, if you initially accept COBRA but find you cannot afford the premiums, you will have to drop COBRA and go uninsured for three months before becoming potentially eligible for BadgerCare. You can avoid this problem by applying for BadgerCare first.  Even if you are not eligible for BadgerCare, you still have sixty days to decide if you want to accept COBRA.  Talk to a health Benefits Counselor when weighing your health insurance options after a layoff or termination   For more information see the Health Insurance Guidebook, Chapter Two, "Consumer Rights and Protections," pp. 25-40, at www.abcforhealth.org





3. NATIONAL PARENT CONSULTANT SOUGHT FOR MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

Announcement from the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental 
Disabilities - Availability of a Research Participation Appointment for a Parent Consultant on Muscular Dystrophy.  This fellow will have the opportunity to learn about public health activities related to muscular dystrophy while serving as a liaison between 
CDC-sponsored muscular dystrophy projects and parent organizations.

Potential activities include: providing technical assistance to CDC muscular dystrophy projects to ensure that study protocols are sensitive to family issues chairing a Family Needs Committee to assess family needs related to muscular dystrophy and public health
developing informational materials for families regarding CDC-sponsored muscular dystrophy activities representing CDC activities at muscular dystrophy and related conferences assisting CDC and Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) staff in the 
coordination of an expert panel on treatment options for families with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.  Eligibility: Preference will be given to a parent of a son with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and to a parent with experience working with parent organizations.

Length and Location: Fellowship is for one year, with potential for yearly renewal.  The Parent Consultant may work at the CDC offices in Atlanta GA, at one of the PPMD 
offices, or may telecommute.  Stipend: The fellowship provides an annual stipend based on education and experience  (up to $45,000) and health benefits (up to $3,500 annually).
Travel:  Some program activities require travel. Most travel is domestic. Occasionally there are opportunities for international travel.  Applications are due September 15, 2003.  The application can be found at:  www.orau.gov/cdc/Forms/2002_CDC_App.pdf.
Please mail or fax application Mona Carrasco at (865) 241-5219 or: ORISE, CDC Programs, P.O. Box 117, M.S. 36, Oak Ridge, TN  37831-0117.  For more information, contact Aileen Kenneson at (404) 498-3039, or akenneson@cdc.gov.


4. FALL DD NETWORK MEETING IN MADISON

Fall DD Network, October 9, 2003, Monona Terrace. Madison. Go to www.wcdd.org 
for more info and registration form.  Or contact Fil Clissa, fil@tds.net, 608/698-0333. The topic is: "Shoulder to Shoulder: Celebrating the Good Work of Direct Support"
To do good work, workers in the field of disabilities deserve fair wages and decent working conditions. They also need opportunities to reflect on what good work means. The Fall DD Network carves out a day to reflect on the meaning of direct support and learn ways organizations are strategically transforming to create the environments needed for workers to do their best work and feel valued for it. Participants will a) reflect on three important questions that frame the basic principles of competent, meaningful work; b) learn about how High Reliability Organizations improve organizational performance, promote opportunities for people with disabilities to grow, and responsibly address the risks of vulnerable people who rely on our direct support; and c) hear from presenters representing different vantage points: from people with disabilities who rely on the competence and continuity of workers, from workers and the organizations that employ them, from a parallel workforce universe (law enforcement), and from thoughtful local and international experts on improving the quality and effectiveness of our community support systems.


5. NEW WEB SITE OF THE NATIONAL CENTER OF MEDICAL HOME

The "National Center of Medical Home Initiatives for Children with Special Needs" located within the American Academy of Pediatrics is pleased to announce their new and improved web site http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org The web site is committed to providing resources, tools and guidance to improve the systems of care for CSHCN by connecting them to a medical home. Through the National Center, physicians, parents, administrators, and other health care professionals have access to educational, resource, and advocacy materials, guidelines for care, evaluation tools, and technical assistance. 

The web site provides information related to all of the activities of the National Center, including the "Every Child Deserves a Medical Home" Training Program, Screening Initiatives and a variety of resources developed by the AAP and/or other collaborating organizations. Go to: http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org

6. WEBCAST DISCUSSION ON EPSDT

On September 10, 2003 the Maternal and Child Health Bureau will sponsor a webcast discussion, titled "Enhancing Partnerships Between Title V, Medicaid, and Local Health Departments Through EPSDT."  The discussion will feature multiple presenters from federal, state and local agencies and will focus on experiences and recommendations for improving Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit rates through state and local partnerships.  The webcast will combine video/audio broadcasting with PowerPoint slides and participants will be able to ask the presenters questions. The Webcast requires prior online registration.  The agenda and information on how to register are available at www.mchcom.com/epsdt_frame.htm.  An archived version will be available a week following the live event.

7. SIBLING SUPPORT PROJECT
 
The Sibling Support Project of the Arc of the United States is pleased to announce that we are now scheduling workshops for 2004.  The Sibling Support Project is the United States' only national project dedicated to the concerns of brothers and sisters of people with special health, developmental and mental health concerns.  We specialize in providing lively, family-friendly, and highly rated workshops on sibling (and father and grandparent!) issues to audiences of parents, service providers, university staff and students, and siblings of all ages.  If you would like to learn more about our workshops, seminars, and keynotes please call or contact us by email and we'd be happy to send you more information.  Our schedule is beginning to fill up, but we still have openings.  
Don Meyer, Director, Sibling Support Project of the Arc of the United States, 6512 23rd Ave NW, #213, Seattle, WA 98117 206-297-6368, donmeyer@siblingsupport.org, www.thearc.org/siblingsupport/, our online training calendar: www.calsnet.net/sibshop

8. BABY BUILDERS 

(From Family Voices electronic newsletter, Fridays Child, Aug 29)

Baby Builders was created by pediatric physical therapist, Jenna Zervas, MSPT. This pediatrician-recommended exercise program teaches parents and caregivers how to safely and effectively exercise their 0-12 month old infant. It is purposeful play for parents and infants designed to:
· The prevention of delayed development
· Cognitive and emotional development
· Stronger, brighter children
· Strength, balance and coordination
The program is currently available in video. For more information please visit http://www.Babybuilders.net, Building Stronger Bodies and Minds.


9. HEALTHWATCH UPDATES

Southern Region: Please mark your calendars for the next Southern Region HealthWatch meeting, scheduled for:  Thursday, September 18, 11:30am-1:00pm, Madison Community Health Center, 2202 S. Park St., Madison.  Training topics:  
Attorney Jonathan Cope will do a presentation on EPSDT as a pathway to MA mandated services. ABC Intake Specialist Ana Dumke will provide training on the Medicaid FFU as way to provide blanket insurance coverage. Lunch will be included. Please RSVP to Maureen Fitzgerald at maureenf@safetyweb.org by Monday, September 8. 

If you are interested in joining your regional HealthWatch committee, or want more information about their work, please contact the following people:

Southern Region:  Barbara Katz, ABC for Health, Inc., 608.261.6939 ext 207, barbk@safetyweb.org
Southeastern Region:  Brad Holman, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, 414.266.3189,
bholman@chw.org or Brad Montgomery, 414.449.4777, opwindows@aol.com
Northern Region:  Deb Blackstone, Family Resource Connection, 715.365.8030,
dblacks@shsmh.org
Northeastern Region:  Steve Gerczak, St. Vincent Hospital, 920.433.8154,
sgerczak@stvgb.org
Western Region:  Rose Marsh, Chippewa County Dept of Public Health, 1-800-400-3678, rmarsh@co.chippewa.wi.us


ARE YOU SHARING THE UPDATES WITH FRIENDS OR COLLEAGUES?  

We need your help to better track the distribution of the CKSN update.  Please let us know the names and email contact info of people you forward the email to so we can send them the update directly.  Direct replies to barbk@safetyweb.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.
608.261.6939 ext. 207
barbk@safetyweb.org