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Jonathan Young reports on several disability initiatives:

"Today in Tampa, Florida, during the first of his forums on the Clinton-Gore Long-Term Care Initiative, Vice President Gore unveiled a new proposal to promote more flexibility in the Medicaid program to choose home and community-based care. Historically, Medicaid policy and practice has inadvertently discriminated against people with long-term care needs who want to live in their communities by allowing states to expand Medicaid eligibility only to residents in nursing homes. To help reduce "institutional bias," this new proposal would enable states to expand their programs to cover community-based care as well as nursing home residents with income up to 300 percent of the Social Security Income (SSI) limits. This proposal costs $110 million over five years and is paid for in the Administration's balanced budget.

This proposal was designed under the leadership of Bob Williams, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Disability, Aging, and Long-Term Care Policy in the Department of Health and Human Services, and HHS Secretary Donna Shalala. In essence, States that take advantage of this option up would be leveling the playing field between nursing homes and community services.

This proposal is the most recent announcement in one of the most significant packages of employment and health initiatives for people with disabilities in American history. It includes support of all 8 recommendations presented in "Re-Charting the Course": the first report of the President's Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities. Vice President Gore accepted the Task Force Report on December 14 and immediately acted on 2 of its eight recommendations. He also pledged to review the other recommendations in the ensuing weeks. Vice President Gore, President Clinton, and Mrs. Gore have since taken action on the remaining Task Force recommendations (you can access the report at the following website: http://www2.dol.gov/dol/_sec/public/programs/ptfead/main.htm

Here's an overview of the Clinton-Gore Administration's support of employment and quality health care for people with disabilities. These initiatives will be discussed in more detail in a forthcoming document on Clinton-Gore Administration accomplishments for people with disabilities.

January 19, 1999: Social Security
President Clinton proposed to preserve Social Security for people of all ages by dedicating 62% of projected surpluses over 15 years to the Social Security Trust Fund.

January 19, 1999: Medicare
President Clinton proposed to strengthen Medicare by dedicating 15 percent of the projected surpluses to ensure that the Medicare Trust Fund is secure for 20 years, and encouraged Congress to pass broader, bipartisan reforms -- which should include a prescription drug benefit.

January 19, 1999: Patients' Bill of Rights
President Clinton renewed his commitment to a strong, enforceable Patients'Bill of Rights, including access to specialists.

January 14, 1999: Mental Health
Mrs. Gore unveiled an unprecedented $70 million increase in the mental health services block grant; announced the first-ever White House Conference on Mental Health to be held this spring; and proposed new steps to eliminate the stricter standards currently applied to adults with psychiatric disabilities in Federal government hiring practices.

January 13, 1999: Work Incentives
President Clinton announced a $1.2 billion initiative in his 2000 budget to fully-fund the Jeffords/Kennedy/Roth/Moynihan Work Incentives Improvement Act.

January 13, 1999: Employment Tax Credit
President Clinton announced a new proposal that will allow workers with significant disabilities to receive an annual $1,000 tax credit to help cover the formal and informal costs that are associated with employment, such as special transportation and technology.

January 13, 1999: Assistive Technology
President Clinton announced a new, $35 million initiative to improve the development, adoption and prevalence of information and communications technologies to help people with disabilities work.

January 4, 1999: Long Term Care President Clinton announced a four-part, $6.2 billion (over five years) initiative that takes important steps to address complex long-term care needs through:

1. an unprecedented $1,000 tax credit for children with disabilities, working adults with disabilities, seniors with disabilities, and their family caregivers; (2) a new National Family Caregivers Support Program;
2. a national campaign to educate Medicare beneficiaries about long-term care options; and
3. a proposal to have the Federal government offer quality private long-term care insurance to Federal employees.

December 14, 1998: Federal Hiring of People with Disabilities
Vice President directed the Office of Personnel and Management to develop -- by March 1, 1999 -- a model plan for all federal agencies to increase representation of adults with disabilities in its workforce. This plan will include ways to involve more students with disabilities in federal internship programs, give employees with disabilities options to enhance their leadership skills and advance their careers, and recruit more people with disabilities at all levels of the federal workforce.

December 14, 1998: Small Business Promotion
Vice President Gore directed the Small Business Administration (SBA) to launch a new outreach campaign to help Americans with disabilities start their own businesses. This major nationwide campaign will provide greater access to entrepreneurial development programs, financial assistance incentives, and government contracting opportunities, including the Section 8 (a) program, HUB Zones, the small disadvantaged business program."

For more info:
Jonathan Young
Jonathan_M._Young@who.eop.gov

Fred Fay
Chair, Justice For All
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http://www.mailbot.com/justice

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