dNTH ANNIVERSARY EDIT1 -
-I@8,
SOURCES
Number 06
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Directory of Organizations
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RESOURCES
C A P I T O L SUCCESS A Legislative Session Review by Charlie Smith, Editor
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he 1997 Legislative sessionwasaproductiveone for people with disabilities. Two of the major successes were the Cost of Living Adjustment and the Patient Protection Act. Here is a brief overview of some of the issues thedisability community lobbied for.
Years
The legislature appropriated a five percent cost of living adjustment to community support workers (personal care attendants, group home worker, etc.). This group of workers had not received a raise for some time and makes thejob ofattracting and retaining good employeesdifticult. They are paid much less than state employees performing similar activities.
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Overlooked? .
Out-of-State CornputerRecyclerGetsContract by Jane Wheeler
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ordon Gillesby takes issue with thc K- 12 Omnibus Education Approprintion Bill, but not for the reason you might expect. He is not <& angry about the educational tax credits that the Governor is pushing and so many others oppose, but with a subsection ; that deals with recycling donated computers into Minnesota schools. Gillesby is the president, CEO and founder of a non-profit computer recycling organization named Disability Resources Affiliates andcroups network(DRAGnet). Gillesby says that for years DRAGnet has submitted various proposals to state agencies like the
one that the K-12 omnibus bill will fund. Now that the government is funding alarge scale recycling program, Gillesby does not understand why the planning does not include DRAGnet. If the K- 12 omnibus bill is approved it will only allocate the funding. It does not include specifics of the design, but the governor's office released information detailing the plan that will recycle 18,250 computers into Minnesota schools by July 1 , 2000. It is intended that national and local companies will donate the computers, andinmates of two state corrections facilities will do
Metro Mobility
the technical refurbishing. Instead of using the local organization DRAGnet, the governor's office named the Detwiler Foundation as the group that will head up the national donation drive. Gillesby is particularly angry about this announcement, because Detwiler is a non-profit foundation based out of California that will receive Minnesota tax dollars. "Why are Minnesota resources going to California instead of being spent within the state; when we are, without a doubt, at least asqualified as Detwiler, and I would guess more so?" Gillesby asked.
Computer - cont. on p.8
The legislature appropriated .. . $36.4 million dollars for Metro Mobility for the biennium. This i s a l s o t h e a m ~ o u t the Governor requested. The Metropolitan .Council has stated that dueto thenew contracts with theproviders, they will be able to re-instate the hours of service cut in 1995.
Managed Care For People With Disabilities Two counties (Olmstead and Blue Earth area) were chosen for demonstration projects. They will start enrolling people with disabilities on Medical Assistance into a managed care program later this year. The Department of Human Services will be monitoring and evaluating their progress.
Patient Protection Aconsumeradvisory board is established with the ability to review and make recommen-
dations to the commissioners of commerce and health and to the MinnesotaLegislaturc. Emergency care is addressed and specifies that it must be available 24 hours per day, seven days a week and be covered outside of the insurer's network when necessary. There are some safeguards for continuity of care
provider due to a change in the plan's network. The law requires that a procedure, whereby an individual may apply for a standing referral to a specialist, be established for individuals requiring that level of care. The primary care provider remains responsible for coordinating that individual'scare between providers. Disclosure of financial incentives to providers are required by the legislation as well as the salaries of all employees . of the health plan in excess of $50,000.
Supported Employment Employment projects were funded at $500,000. This funding will enable projects to continue in their efforts to get mentally i l l persons working in an area that is appropriate for them. The funding is appropriated through the Economic Development Omnibus Bill.
Remembering With Dignity
Mentally Ill Deaf Grants People Incorporated received a $150,000 grant to be used for programs affecting deaf mentally i l l adults.
Adult Mental Health Pilot Project; Phase I1 n o r : ~proila'difioa $2.7 million on county or regional programs for persons with mental illness. The pi lots have considerable flex ibility in the use of the grant the intent being that countie provide services that enable individuals to remain in the community.
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Children's Mental Health Children's Mental Health received a $3.4 million dollar program increase, $2.0 million from the governor's proposal for children's mental health collaborative and $1.4 million from the state Mental Health Advisory Committee's recommendation.
MinnesotaCare The MinnesotaCare Bill expanded eligibility to adults without children to 175 percent of the federal poverty guideline. The bill also reduced the provider tax rate from 2 percent to 1.5percent. The legislation increased the reimbursement rate for dentists and reduced the number of medical assistance patients a dentist must see under Rule 101 ( the rule provides that a provider must serve medical assistance patients in order to participate in the contract for state employees).
Numbered grave markers at state Regional Treatment Centers will be replaced with markers with names of individuals. This will be accomplished over a 5-year period with an appropriation of $200,000. Advocating (Information for this article Change Together (ACT) also was provided by Tom Brick, recieved $5,000 to bring State Council on Disabilities awareness and fundraising for and Tom Johnson, Allianc the markers. for the Mentally 111.)-
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