[nfbwatlk] Fwd: January: Medicaid cuts, Access Fund news, Board recruitment & Jan. resources

Mike Freeman k7uij at panix.com
Mon Jan 10 20:44:53 UTC 2011




Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Washington Access Fund" <info at washingtonaccessfund.org>
> Date: January 10, 2011 10:09:05 PST
> To: k7uij at panix.com
> Subject: January: Medicaid cuts, Access Fund news, Board recruitment & Jan. resources
> 

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> In this issue: medicaid cuts, what's new, board recruitment, and January resources.
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> Access Fund News
> January, 2011
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> Do you have a story to share? Is there something you would like to learn about? Send your ideas to info at washingtonaccessfund.org!
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> 
> Medicaid Program Cuts - How the Access Fund can Help
> The WA State Medicaid program began notifying clients in December of a revised list of 2011 program cuts. Some immediate cuts (effective January 1st, 2011) include adult eyeglasses and contacts, adult hearing aids and adult dental services (except for emergency treatments) as well as school-based services such as occupational, speech and physical therapy for special education students. 
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> The announcement states that 2,400 clients will be affected by the loss in coverage for adult hearing (at a savings of $300,000) and 67,000 clients will be impacted by the loss of coverage for adult vision (at a savings of $500,000). Governor Gregoire proposes to restore the cuts in the next biennial budget starting in July contingent upon legislative approval. 
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> We've heard via the grapevine that some DSHS clients have already had their audiology appointments cancelled because they have no way to pay for the hearing aids or related services. In response, the Access Fund has modified its loan polices to allow "pre-approvals" for hearing aid loans. This means that customers can apply for a loan prior to making an appointment with their audiologist. If approved, the customer can let the audiologist know that they have funding to cover the cost of both the appointment and the hearing aids up to the approval amount. If arranged in advance, the appointment can be paid for prior to or at the time of service. If hearing aids are prescribed, the customer would submit the prescription and invoice to the Access Fund. Once all of the loan documents are signed, the Fund will pay the vendor. The approval amount will depend upon the customer's budget. 
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> Pre-approvals are available for any potential customer - not just Medicaid clients. We realize that hearing aids can be expensive and many DSHS clients may not be able to afford to repay a large loan. In that situation, customers may want to contact Leann in our office to learn more about the Access Fund's Matched Savings Accounts. Other hearing aid funding sources are listed on our website at: Funding Resources for Hearing. 
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> Access Fund loans cannot be used for eye glasses or regular dental care but we do cover dentures and, of course, many other types of assistive technology. The interest rate is 5% and loan terms of up to five years are available. 
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> To read the announcement and for more updated information, please visit the WA State DSHS website.
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> What else is new at the Access Fund?
> Client Business Directory! The Access Fund is launching a new section on their website for their clients' small businesses. Click here to check it out! If you are an Access Fund client and have a small business, feel free to send us your information.
> 
> Welcome new board member Mara: Mara Kamstra is a full time student at Eastern Washington University working toward a degree in Occupational Therapy, a minor in Anthropology and a completed certificate in disAbility Studies. She is looking toward Occupational Therapy as a method to put assistive technologies to work for people with disabilities, and promoting independence. Mara has a passion for human rights advocacy and is an active member of the Board of Directors for Spokane's Independent Living Center. She is also the proud parent of a child with developmental disabilities.
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> Many thanks to retiring board members, Margaret Mortz and Jeff Burnett, for their six years of dedicated service! With us throughout our "formative" years, Jeff and Margaret made many significant contributions to the growth and development of our program! We can't thank them enough!
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> 
> New Board Member Recruitment!!!
> The Access Fund is looking for new Board members:  If you have a passion for promoting access to technology and economic opportunity for people with disabilities, you may be just the person we are looking for! For more information about our board and application materials, please visit this link: Board Member Recruitment.
> 
> 
> January Resources
> Sprint Relay Workshop! On Saturday, January 29, 2011 from 1pm-4pm, TACID (Tacoma Area Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities) with Sprint Relay Contractors and Specialists, will be giving a presentation/workshop on Sprint Relay materials. The workshop will assist with understanding and using features of Sprint Relay Service including devices such as: Androids, VRS Relay on Samsung Epic, HTC EVO, CapTel to Go on EVO and Epic, Blackberry Tour, Curve and others. Other features include: video chat on the Qik, Fring, Tango and the difference in 3G, 4G and WiFi. RSVP is needed by January 24th. Please email Sheila.Jackson at sprint.com or Ricky.Dockter at sprint.com.
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> Unleash the power of AT! Dr. Pat Brown at the University of Washington is offering an online course beginning February 23rd, 2011 that is designed for rehab professionals with little background in Assistive Technology. To get more information about the course, please visit the following link: AT for Rehab Professionals.
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> Our mission is to promote access to technology and economic opportunity for individuals with disabilities in Washington State. The Washington Access Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).
> 
> Washington Access Fund provides: Assistive Technology Loans, Business Equipment Loans, CCTV Rentals, and Matched Savings IDAs
> 
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