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Action Alerts

Comments on the Mental Health Parity Law Due May 28, 2009 (5/26/09)

Will the Next Supreme Court Justice Support the Rights of People with Disabilities? Ask President Obama to be Sure She Does! (5/18/09)

Federal Agencies Seek Public Comments on the New Parity Law
Three U.S. Departments (Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) and Treasury) have published an official request for public comments on the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 prior to developing and issuing regulations for implementation of the law. (5/6/09)

Senators to Vote on SCHIP This Week
Please call your Senators (1/26/09)

Ask Senators to Vote for Fair Pay
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (S. 181) would eliminate barriers created by the Supreme Court for people challenging pay discrimination, including discrimination based on disability. (1/14/09)

SCHIP Vote by the House Likely This Week
Please urge your lawmakers to support it! (1/12/09)

Last Parity Push Needed
Please call your Senators and Representative now! (9/25/08)

Mental Health Parity in Upcoming Tax Bill
Calls to Senators Needed ASAP (9/16/08--updated 9/22/08)

Six Harmful Medicaid Rules Are Delayed
President signs moratorium in supplemental war-funding bill; advocates asked to thank Senators and Representatives (7/2/08)

Decision-Time for the ADA
Critical amendments headed for house vote this week (6/23/08)

End Abuse of Children in Residential Programs
Grassroots action is needed for approaching vote (6/10/08)

Calls Needed for Delay of Medicaid Rules
Grassroots advocacy is urgently needed to help secure the moratorium on the seven Medicaid regulations in the supplemental spending bill, approved before Memorial Day by both House and Senate in both versions of the Iraq supplemental funding bill. (6/2/08)

Negotiations on Parity Near Conclusion
Use the toll-free Parity Hotline, 1-866-parity4 (1-866-727-4894), to call your U.S. Representative and Senators. (5/20/08)

Vote Imminent on Bill to Delay Harmful Medicaid Rules; Ask your Representative to support H.R. 5613 (4/21/08)

Proposed Federal Rules Expand Disclosure of Student Information
April 15, 2008--Comments due by May 8 on rules that could erode privacy, and place at risk the confidentiality of students’ mental health information. Read more...

Help Protect a Critical Medicaid Safety Net
March 20, 2008--Ask your Representative to support a moratorium on seven harmful CMS rules. Read more...

House Passes Mental Health Parity
March 5, 2008--H.R. 1424 will now be reconciled with the Senate’s Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 (S. 558). The Bazelon Center calls on members of both houses to quickly forge a meaningful compromise. Read more...

Urge Your Representative to Attend ADA Restoration Hearing
January 23, 2008--Next Tuesday, January 29th at 9:30am, the full House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on the ADA Restoration Act (H.R. 3195). All members need to hear the powerful testimony. Read more...

Help Support Fair Pay for People with Disabilities
A recent Supreme Court decision makes it virtually impossible for many employees who experience pay discrimination to sue their employers. The Fair Pay Restoration Act, S. 1843, would correct this problem for victims of pay discrimination based on disability, age, gender and race. Senators need to hear now about the need to enact this legislation. Read more...

New Medicaid Case Management Rules Could Stifle Service Delivery (12/20/07) Bazelon Center draft comments available as model (1/14/08).

Help Make Mental Health Parity a Reality! On Friday, December 7th, use the toll-free Parity Hotline, 1-866-parity4 (1-866-727-4894), to call your Representative and Senators and leave a message urging their active support for the mental health and addiction parity legislation. Read more...

Children’s Health Care at Stake; Help Congress Override the President’s Veto!
October 10, 2007—Congress is poised for an October 18 vote to override the President’s October 3 veto of the compromise bill to renew and expand SCHIP—the program of health care for low-income children. H.R. 976, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, would authorize $35 billion over five years to provide healthcare coverage to roughly 10 million children, about 4 million more than covered over the past 10 years. Read more...

Vote Imminent on Children’s Health Insurance
September 15, 2007--Today, the House of Representatives will vote on the House-Senate compromise that would extend and expand health care coverage to low-income children through the State’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). With President Bush threatening to veto SCHIP legislation, it is imperative to garner a veto-proof vote in both the House and Senate. Calls to Representatives are needed now! Read more...

Support Community Choice
September 24, 2007-- "Expanding Options for Long Term Care” was the subject of a hearing today before the Senate Finance Committee, focused on the Community Choice Act (H.R. 1621, S. 799). This legislation would be a dramatic and welcome improvement for people who need a level of care provided by a nursing home or an institution for individuals with mental illnesses. It would require home- and community-based services and supports to be provided as a mandatory Medicaid service. Read more...

Comments Needed on Revised Medicaid Rules; Changes Could Cripple Community Mental Health
August 20, 2007--Changes in the rules proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to govern Medicaid’s rehabilitation service category could restrict access to intensive community mental health services needed by children and adults with disabilities who rely on Medicaid for their healthcare. Read more...

Support Needed Now to Restore ADA Rights
July 23, 2007--On July 26, the 17th anniversary of enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Congressman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) will introduce the ADA Restoration Act of 2007 to correct serious problems in courts' rulings on the law's protections. Please call your Representative now to co-sponsor this critical legislation. Read more...

Act Now to Stop Proposed Changes to Job Corps Health Questionnaire that Discriminate Against People with Mental Disabilities
May 15, 2007--The Department of Labor (DOL) has published proposed changes (April 3, 2007, Federal Register, Vol. 72, Number 63) in form EFA 6-53, the health questionnaire used for enrollment in the Job Corps program. The changes expand the questions to ask about the applicant’s mental health treatment and whether the applicant has ever had certain specific mental health-related conditions. The changes are particularly unnecessarily broad and stigmatizing, and may deter people with mental illnesses from seeking necessary treatment. Read more...

States May Alter Policies on Criminal Background Checks for Gun Purchases
May 17, 2007--As a result of the publicity surrounding the recent shootings at Virginia Tech, many states are re-examining their rules and practices for submitting the names of certain people with mental disabilities to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s list of individuals who are barred from purchasing a gun. Read more...

Please Urge Lawmakers to Co-Sponsor the Keeping Families Together Act
February 12 , 2007—Ask your Senators and Representative to co-sponsor the Keeping Families Together Act (KFTA). The bill was introduced in the House by Representatives Jim Ramstad (R-MN), Pete Stark (D-CA) and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and by Senators Collins (R-ME) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) in the Senate. This bipartisan legislation is vital to address the tragically common practice of child custody relinquishment solely to gain access to necessary mental health treatment. Read more...

Your Chance to Speak Out for a Federal Parity Law
January 22, 2007—Americans who have experienced mental illness or addiction have a chance to tell Congress about the need for equal access to health insurance in hearings around the country in coming weeks.The hearings are part of "The Campaign to Insure Mental Health and Addiction Equity," sponsored by Representatives Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN). Take action!

Medicaid Rule on Citizenship Still Threatens Access to Care
Many U.S. citizens who are Medicaid-eligible―including people with mental illnesses, foster children and the homeless―are at risk of being denied access to essential health and mental health services because they cannot produce the necessary documents on a timely basis. But, you can help change these rules by taking action here.

Tell your Senator to vote Nay on the Boyle nomination.
May 8, 2006— Events this week can determine whether Terrence Boyle, a judge with a clear record of hostility to the Americans with Disabilities Act, is confirmed to an appellate judgeship. Take action!

Stand Up for Medicaid!
March 3, 2006—On Tuesday, March 7, at 11:30 am, hundreds of everyday people will converge on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol to protest slash-and-burn budget cuts that would cut off millions of Americans’ access to crucial health services. Take action!

Danger – Red Tape Ahead!
Medicaid Recipients Will Have to Document Citizenship
February 28, 2006—Children and adults who receive Medicaid will soon risk losing their eligibility if they can’t show the correct documents to prove U.S. Citizenship. If they lose eligibility, the federal government will not reimburse any mental health or other Medicaid services provided to them. That means that states and local mental health providers could lose substantial funding. Read more.

Federal Mental Health Funding at Risk in Next Year’s Budget
February 23, 2006 —President Bush sent his budget proposal to Congress this month, detailing the Administration’s spending plan for fiscal year 2007, starting October 1, 2006. If passed as submitted, the $2.77-trillion package would make deep cuts and eliminate many discretionary programs, while showering increases on defense and homeland security. Read more and take action now!

January 31st is the Last Chance!
On February 1, 2006, the House of Representatives will vote on S. 1932, the draconian budget-cuts the Senate forestalled in a last-minute maneuver before Congress adjourned (see our December 23 Alert). If approved by the House as it stands, S. 1932 will set the 2006 federal budget for Medicaid and other programs and gravely harm millions of Americans with mental illnesses.Read more and take action now!

Another Chance to Stop Medicaid Cuts
December 23, 2005—The draconian budget reconciliation bill that cuts Medicaid and other programs for low-income people was derailed in the Senate by a last-minute procedural move. As a result, the bill was not enacted into law. This gives advocates for low-income people another chance to fight these drastic changes. When Congress returns at the end of January 2006, the House will again take up the issue. 

Senators Hold Key to Preserving Medicaid Safety Net
December 20, 2005 —The Senate is likely to vote today on a disastrous proposal that would dismantle the Medicaid federal health care safety net. The budget reconciliation conference agreement (S. 1932), approved by the House of Representatives earlier this week, would especially harm children and people with mental illnesses.

Near-Final Medicaid Cuts Would Dissolve Healthcare Safety Net
December 12, 2005—Congress is about to prepare –most likely this week– a final conference report for the budget reconciliation bills passed by both houses. Cuts to Medicaid in the House version would dissolve the safety net for millions of beneficiaries who rely exclusively on the program to cover health or mental health services. The Senate version would be less harmful to low-income people. Tell your representatives not to make these changes.

A Threat to People with Disabilities
November 13, 2005—Samuel Alito, President Bush’s nominee to replace Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court, poses a serious threat to people with disabilities. Having sat on a federal court of appeals for 15 years, Judge Alito has a record of decisions hostile to disability rights.

Hurricane Evacuees May Be Housed at Other Low-Income Families' Expense
September 28, 2005—Updated news: On September 23, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a new program to house victims of Hurricane Katrina. HUD officials said that they would fund the program with the new, supplemental funds provided by Congress for hurricane relief. Days later, HUD has sent legislation to Congress asking that their remaining FY '05 and '06 housing funds be diverted to pay for hurricane housing, rather than pre-hurricane housing needs.

Ask Senators to Vote No on Roberts
September 21,2005 --After careful review of Judge John Roberts' answers during the four days of Senate hearings on his nomination to be Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has no choice but to oppose his nomination. We already had very serious concerns about Judge Roberts' expressed positions on disability rights, and his responses to Senators' questions did nothing to allay our fears.

For older Action Alerts, visit our Action Alert archive.