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> Message: 10

> Date: Mon, 04 May 1998 19:05:44 +0000

>

> Subject: Fwd: CAA Advocacy Alert: Disability in Danger!

>

> 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@...

> >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

> > cfsmail@...

> >http://home.earthlink.net/~cfsmail/

>

>