MOHR AWARDS Page 18
Volume 28, Number 7
July 10, 2017
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Minnesotans wary, watching federal action
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
TWIN CITIES, MN PERMIT NO. 4766
by Access Press staff
The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.” Edward "Ted" Kennedy
NEWS DIGEST Larson caps career Page 3 Skyway fight continues Page 6 Check out our Directory of Organizations Page 9-12 FILE PHOTO
2012 Award winner Chuck Van Heuveln and 2009 winner Anne Henry are shown at the 2012 banquet.
Deadline is approaching for newspaper award nominations by Access Press staff Before taking off on that summer vacation, why not nominate someone deserving of the 2017 Access Press Charlie Smith Award? The deadline of 5 p.m. Tuesday, August 15 is rapidly ap-
proaching, and the newspaper’s board of director and staff are waiting for more nominations to arrive. This year’s award will be presented Friday, November 4 at the newspaper’s annual banquet in Bloomington. Please save NOMINATIONS To Page 5
Judge pays a visit Page 13 Odyssey Awards Page 19
MORE INSIDE History Note.................................3 ADA Celebration...........................8 Opportunities..............................15 Enjoy...........................................16 Radio Talking Book......................17
Effective July 1
Hospital improvements, pay hikes set by Access Press staff Significant investments in Minnesota Security Hospital improvements and a pay raise for personal care attendants are taking shape. Those efforts are among the many initiatives that took effect July 1. thanks to the 2017 Minnesota Legislature. The Minnesota Security Hospital improvements were included in the bonding bill and in other human services legislation. Physical changes to make the facility safer, along with more staff, have been a priority in recent years for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). The changes were sought after incidents in which employees and patients were assaulted. In 2014 a patient was so badly beaten and stomped upon by a fellow patient, he died. DHS Commissioner Emily Piper visited St. Peter June 14 to highlight significant investments to complete a major renovation of the hospital and the hiring of almost 150 new employees over the next three years. The changes will improve care and safety for patients and staff at the facility. “Addressing safety issues for patients and staff at Minnesota Security Hospital is one of my top priorities,” Piper said. “Given legislators’ attempts to make deep cuts to human services this past session, I’m grateful for Gov. (Mark)
FILE PHOTO
All eyes are on Washington, D.C. as debate continues over repealing the Affordable Care Act and making dramatic cuts and caps to the Medicaid program. Minnesota disability organizations and individuals are among the voices from around the country fighting to save the needed funding and health care coverage. The vote is expected the second week of July. As Access Press went to press the push was on to block the Better Care Reconciliation Act. The bill would repeal the Affordable Care Act and bring about the changes to Medicaid. Medicaid in Minnesota is known as Medical Assistance or MA. In Minnesota alone, more than 200,000 children and adults with disabilities receive MA. It’s estimated that nationally, more than 10 million people would be affected. Lives are on the line, especially the ability to live and work in the community. People with disabilities make up 15 percent of Medicaid recipients but rely on 42 percent of the funding. Cuts could mean longer waits for service, reductions in some services and even elimination of services such as home and community-based waivers. School services are a huge worry. According to the PACER Center, Minnesota schools annually receive approximately $45 million in Medicaid reimbursements for health-related services for students with disabilities, such as occupational, physical and speech therapy, assistive technology and specialized equipment. “If this bill became law, the important services and programs that Medicaid funds to support children with disabilities at home, school, and in the community would be at risk,” an alert from PACER said. The impact could be greatest in Greater Minnesota. According to the Children’s Defense Fund of Minnesota, new research analysis shows that Medicaid plays a larger role in providing health coverage to people living in small towns and rural communities than it does in metropolitan areas. That is a trend nationally and in Minnesota that is particularly striking among children. The report also found that the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion is having a disproportionately positive impact on small towns and rural areas. For everyone with disabilities, the Medicaid changes could affect clinic and hospital visits, personal care attendants, equipment, assistive technology and various behavioral, personal and employment services and supports. It essentially ends Medicaid as we know it. Medicaid has long operated as an entitlement program. The federal government provides matching grants to states to cover the cost of caring for those who are eligible. The grants aren’t capped. The House and Senate wish to make Medicaid into a per-capita cap system. Republican leaders promote the approach as providing more flexibility for states. Foes of the changes contend that services would be placed at risk as more pressure is put on state coffers. Under the proposed changes states would receive set dollar amounts per person. That capped amount wouldn’t take into account the varying costs of ACA To Page 4
The Minnesota Security Hospital will receive needed capital improvement and staffing funding. Dayton’s leadership to secure funding that will allow us to finish the construction project on this campus and provide the resources to staff the facility at a responsible level and to provide better care for Minnesotans.” In 2017, Dayton and legislators approved $70.255 million to renovate the hospital and create safer working conditions for employees. Ground will be broken this fall and work will take several months.
The construction will replace outdated living units with poor sightlines and narrow stairways that made it difficult and dangerous for staff to monitor patient activity. New living units will be safer and more therapeutic. The plan also calls for more transitional housing, overall building improvements and physical separation of vulnerable patients from the Minnesota Sex Offender Program population on IMPROVEMENTS To Page 8