Texans: Texas Families Unite!

[Guest guest]

The Advocacy group (Texas Families Unite, TXPACS ) who put this

together did an incredible job, thought I share on what they prepared us, to

make sure our voices were heard for our individuals. Every voice counts.

If you wish join, send an email message to:

TXPACS-subscribe

Hope this helps should you feel your child would benefit from any supportive

services here in Texas and make some calls to who represents you. Are you on,

for, against these HB & SB?

I am placing these sites.

The Official Website of Texas

http://www.texasonline.com/portal/tol

Who Represents Me

http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

To learn more about who reprsents you, visit

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/

http://www.house.state.tx.us/welcome.php

RE:

To Keep Their Children in Their Homes and Their Families Together

WE SUPPORT:

Swift reduction of the Medicaid Waiver Waiting Lists through fiscal

appropriations. A child is best served in his home environment. Studies show

that there are serious consequences in all areas of development to a child who

is institutionalized, yet Texas continues to admit children to state schools at

an alarming rate.

Medicaid waivers would provide families with the supports they need to raise

their child at home.

Examples of these supports are: physical/occupation/speech therapy, recreational

therapy, hippotherapy, durable medical equipment, attendant or nursing care.

A child should not have to wait for the services that allow him/her to remain

with his family, nor should he/she have to move to an institution to obtain

services. Institutionalization would mean that the child could not attend his

local school and be fully included in a general education environment with

educational supports, something that is very prevalent in today's educational

setting, nor would the child have the benefit of parents' individualized

attention while completing homework, nor the continuous love and reassurance of

the parent.

SB1060/HB1589: Long Term Care reforms bill - Creates a strategic plan to reform

long term services and supports for individuals with disability. Allows

relocation from state institutions to community support models, for people who

ask to do so. Institutions are 'right-sized' and fewer civil rights are violated

as people make the choice of where they want to live. Because 1.5 people can

live in their community for the cost of 1 person in an institution, funding can

be diverted to the community support model of care and waiting lists can be

reduced. Shifts to a model that is more on par with other states, hopefully

before our children reach adulthood.

SB187/HB67- Provides a buy-in version of Medicaid while parents await coming off

of the Medicaid waiver lists, so that their child do not go without needed

medications, surgeries, DME, therapies, nor do they have to be institutionalized

to realize this health care. This covers families who make up to 3X the poverty

level, with premiums capped at 7% of family income.

SB2241: Hospital Level of Care Waiver. This is a new waiver to include nursing

care for individuals who need in-home nursing as an adult. This waiver was

crafted as a result of children surviving acute childhood conditions, conditions

that prevented them from reaching age 21 in earlier generations.

SB1612: Velocardiofacial syndrome - A genetic disorder second in prevalence to

Down syndrome. Increases occurrence of screening; provides education to the

health care and the education communities.

SB100 - Provides further educational opportunities for public school teachers,

regarding the specific educational needs of individual children with disability.

SB1125/HB3614 - Increases transition and employment opportunities within special

education to ensure improved outcomes in living and working as youth transition

to adulthood.

SB1395 - In state statue, replaces 'Mentally Retarded " language with

'Intellectual Disability'. Families want state statue and on related stationary

and signage. Support services and eligibility those services would not change.

We added:

SB1 Rider 48:

I'll post this on another post.

HB40

The Health Freedom Bill (HB40) in Texas, because many of our children are

dependent on alternative and biomedical treatments for their recovery.

WHAT IS HB 40?

House Bill 40, our Texas Health Freedom bill, secures consumer access to and the

availability of natural and alternative forms of health care.

http://passhb40fortexas.org/Home_Page.php

Irma