Fwd: CAA Advocacy Alert: Disability in Danger!

[Guest guest]

Big Brother is messing with us again. Immediate responses are needed!

>

>To: " J. Clement (E-mail) "

>Subject: CAA Advocacy Alert: Disability in Danger!

>Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 19:24:54 -0500

>X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook 8.5, Build 4.71.2173.0

>Importance: Normal

>

>CAA ADVOCACY ALERT: DISABILITY IN DANGER

>Monday, May 04, 1998

>

>The following is posted on behalf of Vicki Carpman and the CFIDS

>Association of America. I thought you all might like to know about this

>before the weekend, since the House Ways and Means Committee is meeting on

>this bill on Wednesday.

>

>Thanks to Mel Karasik and Olan O. for alerting The CFIDS Association

>to this potential problem.

>

>MAY 6 HOUSE COMMITTEE VOTE MAY NARROW FEDERAL DISABILITY PROGRAMS

>

>April 30, 1998--Next week, probably on Wednesday, May 6, the House Ways and

>Means Committee will consider a bill providing incentives for people who

>receive federal disability benefits to return to work. HR 3433, the Ticket

>to Work and Self-Sufficiency Act, is a good bill endorsed by disability

>advocacy organizations.

>

>However, during mark-up on HR 3433, members who sit on the Human Resources

>Subcommittee of Ways and Means are planning to offer several amendments,

>including one to require that decisions on eligibility for Supplemental

>Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

>disability benefits be determined solely on the basis of medical evidence.

>This amendment is being offered, along with other changes, under the guise

>of " prevention of fraud. "

>

>If this amendment passes, it would end reliance on evidence of individual

>functioning, a key component of disability assessment for adults and

>children with mental disabilities. It would also make evidence from

>non-medical sources no longer relevant.

>

>Such an amendment would create chaos in federal disability determination

>processes, since medical evidence alone is insufficient to make informed

>decisions about a person's ability to work and need for benefits.

>

>Action Needed Immediately!

>

>Contact any members of the House Ways and Means Committee, listed below, who

>are from your state (if none are, contact the chairman and the ranking

>minority member). Urge them to:

>

>Vote against any amendment to require that disability determinations be

>based on medical evidence (this would have the effect of eliminating

>consideration of functioning).

>

>Oppose HR 3433 if this amendment becomes part of the bill.

>

>Explain that:

>

>This is not an anti-fraud provision; instead it would destroy the

>effectiveness of the disability determination process.

>

>Functional evidence is critical to making accurate determinations of

>disability for adults and children with mental disorders.

>

>Non-medical sources (such as therapists, family members, teachers, etc.)

>provide some of the most important evidence about a person's disability;

>their reports must continue to be considered.

>

>Congress recently enacted legislation (the welfare-reform law) that requires

>consideration of function in determining a child's disability; the amendment

>would reverse that law and revert to the pre-1990 process, when most

>children with mental disabilities were arbitrarily declared ineligible.

>

>Contact committee members today!

>

>Phone or fax: call the U.S. Capitol switchboard, 202/224-3121, and ask for

>the member's office.

>

>E-mail: go to the Internet site

>

>http://congress.org/elecmail.html,

>

>select the name of the member you wish to contact and type your message in

>the e-mail form that pops up.

>

>We'll post updates about the status of HR 3433 on the Bazelon Center's

>Alerts web page:

>

>http://www.bazelon.org/alerts.html.

>

>Please Help Spread the Word.

>

>Please copy and disseminate this Action Alert-right away!

>

>Majority Members

>Bill Archer (R-TX), Chairman

>Philip M. Crane (R-IL)

> M. (R-CA)

>E. Clay Shaw, Jr. (R-FL)

> L. (R-CT)

>Jim Bunning (R-KY)

>Amo Houghton (R-NY)

>Wally Herger (R-CA)

>Jim McCrery (R-LA)

>Dave Camp (R-MI)

>Jim Ramstad (R-MN)

>Jim Nussle (R-IA)

>Sam (R-TX)

> Dunn (R-WA)

>Mac (R-GA)

>Rob Portman (R-OH)

>Phil English (R-PA)

> Ensign (R-NV)

>Jon Christensen (R-NE)

>Wes Watkins (R-OK)

>J. D. Hayworth (R-AZ)

>Jerry Weller (R-IL)

>Kenny Hulshof (R-MO)

>

>Minority Members

> B. Rangel (D-NY), Ranking Minority Member Pete Stark (D-CA)

> T. Matsui (D-CA)

>Barbara B. Kennelly (D-CT)

> J. Coyne (D-PA)

>Sander M. Levin (D-MI)

> L. Cardin (D-MD)

>Jim McDermott (D-WA)

>Jerry Kleczka (D-WI)

> (D-GA)

> E. Neal (D-MA)

> R. McNulty (D-NY)

> J. Jefferson (D-LA)

> Tanner (D-TN)

>Xavier Becerra (D-CA)

> L. Thurman (D-FL)

>

>The CFIDS Association of America

>Advocacy, Information, Research and Encouragement for the CFIDS Community

>PO Box 220398, Charlotte NC 28222-0398

>Voice Mail: 800/442-3437 Fax: 704/365-9755

>WWW: http://www.cfids.org General E-mail: cfids@...

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