Please Call Your State Senator Ask For Their Support!!

---

From: DBTAC – Great Lakes ADA Information [mailto:GREATLAKES@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU] On Behalf Of Robin Jones
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010 2:19 PM
To: GREATLAKES@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU
Subject: Press Release: Cross’ Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety Act passes IL House

 The following press release is forwarded to you by the DBTAC-Great Lakes ADA Center (www.adagreatlakes.org) for your information:

 Press Release: Cross’ Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety Act passes IL House

Representative Tom Cross

316 State House
Springfield, IL 62706

(217)782-1331
(217)782-7012 FAX

March 11, 2010

 Rep. Cross proposes bill to better protect people with disabilities

 (Plainfield) Acting on the suggestions of his constituents, Rep. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) proposed legislation that creates the Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety Act—to help bring more awareness to the rights of pedestrians with disabilities and to impose a fine on those who violate this new Act. 

“Pedestrians with disabilities should have equal rights to the full use of streets, sidewalks, highways and walkways of the streets,” said Cross.  “Current state law doesn’t impose a fine for those who violate this Act—violators under this new law, who deny or interfere with the rights of a pedestrian with a disability to use streets, sidewalks, highways and walkways of this state, would face a misdemeanor charge.” 

Plainfield residents Valerie Brew-Parrish and Richard Parrish live with physical disabilities every day—they wanted to make sure that people with disabilities in Illinois communities were better protected and to bring awareness to some of these issues statewide. 

“Rep. Cross listened to our concerns and has really been a champion for us,” said Brew-Parrish.  “If we can get this legislation passed, I truly believe that pedestrians with disabilities will be safer.” 

The bill also includes a provision that would allow for safer road crossings.  It would require drivers to stop their vehicles at least 10 feet before approaching a pedestrian with a disability who is crossing a street and using a mobility device, service animal, or white cane.  It would also require the motorist to take all necessary precautions to avoid an accident or injury to the pedestrian with a disability. 

HB 5095 unanimously passed out of the Illinois House today, it now heads to the Illinois Senate for consideration.

Source:  http://www.tomcross.com/press-release-rep-cross-pedestrians-with-disabilities-safety-act-passes-il-house/

There I was unconscious and on the sidewalk. The Paramedics came, I could not answer questions but they were able to find out who I am , my diseases, my medications all with one phone call.

How? you may ask, all because I had joined MedicAlert and my information was on file as were my doctors names and phone numbers.

Do you have a medical condition? Do you have a family member who has a medical condition? Do you have a family member who might need help at an emergency room? These are all reasons to join or have them join MedicAlert.

For more information go to www.medicalert.com   

Surgeon General with Microsoft HealthVault Expands Consumer Benefits for the My Family Health Portrait Offering

The U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin today announced a collaboration with Microsoft HealthVault that will provide new features and expand access to My Family Health Portrait, a free Internet-based resource. This resource enables consumers to easily record their family health history and integrate the information stored in their My Family Health Portrait profile into a personal HealthVault account.  In addition, these users will also be able to share that information with a variety of health care providers and services that connect to HealthVault, enabling them to make more informed decisions around their current and future healthcare needs.  In the coming months, My Family Health Portrait will expand its offering to other third-party health solutions. 

My Family Health Portrait automatically assembles the information into a medically useful format, which can be shared with health care practitioners as well as other family members. A patient’s family health history will enable health care providers to make personalized recommendations for his or her health care.

The Surgeon General’s Family Health History Initiative is a collaborative initiative supported by agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  HealthVault is a personal health application platform that allows consumers to collect and store their health information online, in a record that can be shared with physicians, family members, pharmacists and a variety of third-party health services.

“This announcement is an important advancement in primary care and disease prevention by making family health history data available and accessible to consumers and practitioners,” said Dr. Benjamin.  “This new collaboration with HealthVault is part of a broader initiative and one of many third-party solutions that will expand the capability of My Family Health Portrait to help individuals make knowledgeable health decisions with their doctors.”

“We share the Surgeon General’s goal of empowering people to become active partners in their own health and have developed HealthVault with that end-goal in mind,” said David Cerino, general manager, Microsoft Health Solutions Group. “Family history can play a pivotal role in an individual’s current and future health care needs. By connecting My Family Health Portrait to HealthVault, consumers can build a complete profile of their personal health information and then work with their healthcare professionals and connected Web sites, applications and devices to make more informed decisions about their health and wellness.”

My Family Health Portrait allows users to assemble their family health information without retaining their personal information.  Consumers using HealthVault decide what information is stored and shared.  Privacy and security are top priorities for HHS and its arrangements with third-party health solutions, such as Microsoft HealthVault.  Stringent security measures are required to ensure that the user’s information is protected.

My Family Health Portrait is hosted by the Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG®) at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH).  The upgrade of the portal was also supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Cancer Institute at National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Indian Health Service (IHS). For access to My Family Health Portrait, visit https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/.  For more information about The Surgeon General’s Family Health History Initiative visit http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory/.

About Microsoft HealthVault:

Microsoft HealthVault is a personal health application platform designed to put consumers in control of their health information. HealthVault provides a privacy- and security-enhanced foundation on which a broad ecosystem of providers can build innovative health and wellness solutions such as personal health records, disease management, fitness, weight loss and other Web applications. HealthVault can be used to collect and store health information that would otherwise reside in disparate systems and transfer the information between a variety of providers’ health services and systems. It enables the reuse and free flow of interoperable and transportable personal health information. For more information, visit www.HealthVault.com.

Those interested can go to www.disability.gov and be able to see a 34 page report titled ” The Report on Caregiving in America”. This report goes into many facets about caregiving and caregivers.

News Release

SOCIAL SECURITY

Prompt Passage of Economic Recovery Act Payment for 2010 Needed   Law Does Not Provide for a Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment for 2010
  With consumer prices down over the past year, monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 57 million Americans will not automatically increase in 2010. This will be the first year without an automatic Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) since they went into effect in 1975. 

“Social Security is doing its job helping Americans maintain their standard of living,” Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security said. “Last year when consumer prices spiked, largely as a result of higher gas prices, beneficiaries received a 5.8 percent COLA, the largest increase since 1982. This year, in light of the human need, we need to support President Obama’s call for us to make another $250 recovery payment for 57 million Americans.”

The Social Security Act provides that Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits increase automatically each year if there is an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of the last year to the third quarter of the current year.  This year there was no increase in the CPI-W from the third quarter of 2008 to the third quarter of 2009. In addition, because there was no increase in the CPI-W this year, under the law the starting point for determinations regarding a possible 2011 COLA will remain the third quarter of 2008.

Some other changes that would normally take effect in January 2010 based on the increase in average wages also will not take effect, even though average wages did increase. Since there is no COLA, the statute prohibits an increase in the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax as well as the retirement earnings test exempt amounts. These amounts will remain unchanged in 2010. The attached  provides more information on 2010 Social Security changes.

Information about Medicare changes for 2010, when available, will be found at www.Medicare.gov. The Department of Health and Human Services has not yet announced if there will be any Medicare premium changes for 2010. Should there be an increase in the Medicare Part B premium, the law contains a “hold harmless” provision that protects about 93 percent of Social Security beneficiaries from paying a higher Part B premium, in order to avoid reducing their net Social Security benefit. Those not protected include higher income beneficiaries subject to an income-adjusted Part B premium and beneficiaries newly entitled to Part B in 2010. On September 24th, the House passed legislation by 406-18 that would, on a fully paid-for basis, prevent abnormally large premium increases. The President is calling on the Senate to enact this legislation before it becomes too late for the Social Security Administration to update its computer systems to implement this needed change.

For additional information about the 2010 COLA, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.

###

 Fact Sheet

SOCIAL SECURITY

2010 SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES

2010          Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA):

Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will not automatically increase in 2010 as there was no increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2008 to the third quarter of 2009.  Other important 2010 Social Security information is as follows:

 2009                            2010

   Maximum Taxable Earnings:

                              Social Security (OASDI only)                           $106,800                     $106,800*

Medicare (HI only)                                                       N o    L i m i t

  Quarter of Coverage:

$1,090                         $1,120

   Retirement Earnings Test Exempt Amounts:

Under full retirement age                                   $14,160/yr.                  $14,160/yr.*

                                                                                    ($1,180/mo.)                ($1,180/mo.)

                  NOTE:  One dollar in benefits will be withheld for every $2 in earnings above the limit.

 The year an individual reaches full                      $37,680/yr.                  $37,680/yr.*

  retirement age                                     ($3,140/mo.)                ($3,140/mo.)

NOTE:  Applies only to earnings for months prior to attaining full retirement age.  One dollar in benefits will be withheld for every $3 in earnings above the limit.

  There is no limit on earnings beginning the month an individual attains full retirement age.

       Social Security Disability Thresholds:

  Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)

               Non-Blind                                            $   980/mo.                  $  1,000/mo.

                    Blind                                                    $1,640/mo.                  $1,640/mo.*

 Trial Work Period (TWP)             700/mo.                  $  720/mo.

                    SSI Federal Payment Standard:

Individual                                     $674/mo.                     $674/mo.*

Couple                                         $1,011/mo.                  $1,011/mo.*

    SSI Student Exclusion:

          Monthly limit                                                              $1,640                         $1,640*

          Annual limit                                                       $6,600                         $6,600*

WSANA now has e- mail lists that will allow us to notify you when new posts are made to any category that interests you. To get on a e-mail list please send your name, town and e-mail address to us at info@wsana.org. Please put category name and mailing list in subject  line. Call us at 708-383-6258 for information