Access Living is presenting as part of the Deaf Literacy Project a program to increase knowledge of signing. The program will be held on Mondays from either 10-12 or 1-3. Registration is required and the program begins September 13th thru Christmas. To register or for more information contact Devon Whitmore at 312-957-4827, or 312-640-2163 (tty) or e-mail dwhitmore@accessliving.org

By Roger Yu, USA TODAY

Dogs need to go, too. So airports are adding doggie restrooms.Airports say “pet relief areas” enhance customer service. But they’re also being nudged by a federal rule that orders airlines to work with airports to install facilities for travelers who have service dogs.

 Among airports with new dog bathrooms: Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington Dulles, Washington National, Chicago O’Hare and Phoenix.

 The facilities are typically outside, within walking distance of the terminal. The federal rule requires they be kept clean, free of odor, contain a gravel or sand surface and have adequate drainage. Some airports have added synthetic grass, fire hydrants and benches.

 ”Many of our members travel,” says Melanie Brunson, executive director of the American Council of the Blind, which pushed for the rule. “Increasingly, you don’t get much time between flights. You don’t have a whole lot of time to take care of your dog’s needs.”

 About 2 million pets and other animals fly each year in the U.S., according to the Transportation Department. But convenient relief areas weren’t required until the department published changes last year to the Air Carrier Access Act, which spells out travel rights for people who have physical disabilities.

 ”If there was one (before),” she says, “it was in the boondocks, and (travelers) didn’t have much time to get there.”

 Neva Fairchild of Carrollton, Texas, who has a service dog and is an American Foundation for the Blind employee, says it can be embarrassing for owners of dogs that relieve themselves at an airport curb.

 ”I can understand if people are offended by dogs relieving themselves at a pole 20 feet from the airport,” she says. “But when the dog has to go, it has to go.”

 Fairchild says she’d like to see more relief inside security zones at airports to avoid clearing security-screening checkpoints again for connecting flights.

 Washington Dulles is one of the few airports with indoor facilities within its security zone, in addition to three relief areas outside. Engineers designed them after studying other dog parks. They contain ventilation and wall-mounted water-distribution systems for cleaning, Dulles spokeswoman Courtney Mickalonis says.

 Before assigning a new pet area, Atlanta had “maintenance issues” with travelers who let their dogs use landscaped areas without cleaning up, says Gary Summerlin, an engineer at the world’s busiest airport, where about 6,000 animals are flown annually in cargo. But pet owners using the “formal” area have been more responsible, he says.

News Release

Cincinnati, Detroit selected as final health IT pilot communities under innovative HHS Recovery Act Beacon Program

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that Cincinnati and Detroit are the two final pilot communities selected under the new Beacon Community Program that is using health information technology to help tackle leading health problems in communities across the country.  At the same time, the program will also allow HHS to look for new ways to share the lessons learned by funded communities and, working with local and national health care foundations, develop support networks for other communities that want to employ similar innovative approaches.

The two awardees announced today, Greater Cincinnati HealthBridge, Inc. in Cincinnati and Southeastern Michigan Health Association in Detroit, join 15 other projects selected in May for the Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program.  The other communities that previously received Beacon program funding include Tulsa, Okla.; Stoneville, Miss.; Brewer, Maine; Danville, Pa.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Indianapolis, Ind.; Spokane, Wash. New Orleans, La.; Rochester, Minn.; Providence, R.I.; Grand Junction, Colo.; Concord, N.C.; San Diego, Calif.; Hilo, Hawaii, and Buffalo, N.Y.  Beacon projects are expected to initially create dozens of new jobs in each of the communities paying an average of $70,000 per year for a total of over 1,100 jobs up-front, while accelerating development of a nationwide health IT infrastructure that will eventually employ tens of thousands of Americans. 

“The Beacon program uses health information technology tools to link health providers and other community-wide resources in new and innovative ways,” Secretary Sebelius said.  “Under the Beacon program, communities first identify leading health problems that are unique to their community, develop innovative, health IT-related strategies, and work together through community collaborations to implement their strategies and track their performance.”

The Beacon Community awards are part of an overall $100 billion federal government investment in science, innovation and technology the Administration is making through the Recovery Act to spur domestic job creation in emerging industries and create a long-term foundation for economic growth.  There has been significant interest in the program, with over 100 applications for the final two Beacon program slots.  David Blumenthal, M.D., national coordinator for Health Information Technology, said the applications demonstrated widespread readiness in communities across America to use health IT to address specific challenges in health and health care.

“Beacon communities are designed to point the way toward maximizing community resources to address specific health goals at the local level, including quality of care, the cost of care, and the health of the whole population,” Dr. Blumenthal said.  “We have seen first-hand through the Beacon application process that a great many communities have promising ideas and are starting to use health IT in innovative ways.  We look forward to engaging and helping these communities through a broader nationwide effort.”

In the near term, HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT will work closely with other federal partners and the private sector to identify and share promising health IT health care solutions among communities across America.

“Although we could only select two additional Beacon communities, we are incredibly impressed by the creativity and focus exhibited by communities over the course of this competition,” said Blumenthal. “Local leadership is an essential ingredient to improving health care. The Beacon Community application process provides strong evidence that communities throughout the country are mobilizing for positive change, using health IT as a critical foundation for improving health care.”

Like other Beacon communities, today’s awardees will coordinate community efforts toward specific goals:

The Greater Cincinnati HealthBridge, Inc. – $13.8 million over three years – HealthBridge will serve a 16-county area spanning three states surrounding greater Cincinnati. Under the Beacon program, HealthBridge and its partners will use its advanced health information exchange program to develop new quality improvement and care coordination initiatives focusing on patients with pediatric asthma, adult diabetes, and encouraging smoking cessation. For example, not only will physicians and other providers receive more timely and accurate information about when their patients experience a medical complication or are hospitalized, they will have new support from care managers to use this information effectively to intervene early and assist patients in managing their health and avoiding further complications. This program will provide better clinical information and IT “decision support” tools to physicians, health systems, federally qualified health centers, and critical access hospitals. As part of the Beacon program, this health IT community collaboration will also provide patients and their families with timely access to data, knowledge, and tools to make informed decisions and manage their own health and health care.

The Southeastern Michigan Health Association (SEMHA) – $16.2 million over three years – The SEMHA and its partners in the greater Detroit area will use health IT tools and strategies to prevent and better manage diabetes, which today affects a large percentage of residents of the city of Detroit. This community collaboration will leverage existing and new technologies across health care settings to improve the availability of patient information at the point of care, regardless of where the patient is in the health system. Furthermore, the community will provide practical support to physician practices to help clinicians, nurses, and others make the best use of electronic health data to catch potential health complications before they arise.  The city’s clinical community will have the capacity to track clinical outcomes with the overarching goal of making long-term, sustainable improvements in the quality and efficiency of diabetes care in Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Dearborn and Dearborn Heights.

The Beacon program is one of several new programs created by the Health Information Technology Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act as part of the Recovery Act last year.  HITECH included $2 billion for technical assistance, training and demonstration programs supporting the adoption of heath information technology, including electronic health records (EHRs).  Total funding for the Beacon program initiatives is $250 million plus an additional $15 million for technical assistance and evaluation.  In addition, HITECH authorized incentive payments to health care professionals and hospitals to reward adoption and meaningful use of EHRs.  The incentive payments, provided through Medicare and Medicaid, could total as much as $27 billion over 10 years.  These Recovery Act incentive payments, along with the Affordable Care Act, are part of broader efforts in Medicare and Medicaid to transform payments to reward better quality care.

More information about Beacon Communities can be found at:  http://Healthit.hhs.gov/Programs/Beacon

For information about the Affordable Care Act and other efforts to promote improved care delivery, see: http://www.healthcare.gov

For information about other HHS Recovery Act programs, see: http://www.hhs.gov/recovery

###

Treasury Department Announces New Pilot to Help Deliver
Safe, Low-Cost Financial Accounts to the
Unbanked and Underbanked During Tax Season

Pilot Delivers Targeted Offers for Individuals to Sign-up for
New Accounts to Receive Their Tax Refunds through Direct Deposit

Tax Season Provides Critical Opportunity to Help
Unbanked and Underbanked
Americans Strengthen Their Financial Futures

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it will launch a new pilot program to help capitalize on tax refund season as an opportunity to provide unbanked and underbanked Americans with access to safe, low-cost financial accounts. This pilot will deliver targeted offers to certain low and moderate income individuals to sign up for new accounts with debit card access at tax time in order to receive their refunds through direct deposit. It will also test offering accounts that can be used year-round in the future to deposit other sources of income, store money safely, make purchases, pay bills, withdraw cash, and build savings.

“Far too often, unbanked and underbanked Americans are forced to turn to high-cost alternative financial products – such as check-cashing and other services – that take a big bite out of the savings of those who can least afford it,” said Michael S. Barr, Assistant Treasury Secretary for Financial Institutions. “For many individuals, a tax refund is the single largest payment that they will receive each year. That’s why tax season is a great opportunity to deliver safe, low-cost financial products to the unbanked and underbanked that will help those Americans build stronger foundations for their financial futures.”

The pilot is expected to launch during next year’s tax return filing season. Treasury will reach out to eligible taxpayers in early 2011 through two methods:

• Direct Mail. Treasury will mail information about how to sign up for the new accounts to low and moderate income individuals who have received paper check refunds in prior years or who otherwise have not provided bank account information to Treasury.   
• Payroll Outreach. Treasury will partner with the private sector to insert offers to enroll in the pilot into the paychecks and paystubs of select individuals who are not currently using direct deposit to receive their tax refunds.

The offers to enroll in the pilot will include instructions on how to use the account.  Treasury will evaluate the results of the pilot to inform future decisions about the viability, structure, and timing of offering similar accounts as an integrated part of the tax filing and refund process.

According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) 2009 National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households, there are an estimated 9 million households without bank accounts. Another 21 million households are underbanked, meaning that they have a bank account, but these accounts do not fully meet their needs, and they still rely on high-cost check cashing services or other costly financial service providers.  

The use of safe and appropriate financial services and products can help households maintain financial stability.  Unbanked and underbanked individuals often face difficulties saving and planning for their financial futures, making them more vulnerable to medical or employment emergencies and threatening their ability to invest in continuing education, purchase a home, or send their children to college. The unbanked are disproportionally low and moderate income.  According to the FDIC’s 2009 National Survey, a person making $30,000 or less is more than 7 times as likely to be unbanked as someone making $50,000 or more.

This pilot will build on the Obama Administration’s continuing efforts to assist the unbanked and underbanked as well as empower Americans to make informed financial decisions. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefit recipients can currently receive their payments through the Direct Express^® Debit MasterCard^® card, a program established pursuant to terms approved by Treasury.  By 2011, Direct Express is expected to expand to all individual federal benefit programs.  Additionally, President Obama has requested $50 million in his FY 2011 Budget for a new “Bank On USA” initiative designed to bolster state and local efforts to help low and moderate income Americans obtain access to safe and appropriate financial services and products.

Marci’s Medicare Answers

                     October 2010

Dear Marci,

I am going to turn 65 in a month, and have drug coverage through my employer’s plan. Should I enroll in Part D?

                                                                                —Kurt

 Dear Kurt,

 It depends. If you have drug coverage from a current or former employer or union, you should consider quality of your employer coverage and whether or not it will work with the Medicare drug benefit (it often will not).

 If you have coverage that is as good as or better than Medicare’s drug benefit (“creditable”) and you like it, you can keep it. You will not pay a penalty to join a Medicare private drug plan later as long as you have not been without your creditable coverage for more than 63 days. Find out from your employer whether your coverage is as good as Medicare’s drug benefit. You should get a notice from your employer every year letting you know how your employer benefits are changing, whether or not your drug coverage is creditable, and if enrolling in a Part D plan would affect your current coverage (for both you and your family members who receive that coverage). If you want to keep your employer benefits, and are considering joining a Medicare drug plan, make sure you ask your employer if you can have both types of coverage. Many employer plans do not work with the drug benefit. You could lose all your employer benefits (both health and drug) if you join a Medicare private drug plan.
—Marci

 Dear Marci,

Will Medicare pay for substance abuse treatment?

—Lorrie

 Dear Lorrie,

 Yes. Medicare will help pay for substance abuse treatment in both inpatient and outpatient settings under the following conditions:

 .You receive services from a Medicare-participating provider or facility;

• your doctor must state that the services are medically necessary; and
  • your doctor determines your treatment plan.

Substance abuse treatment is classified under mental health services. For substance abuse treatment, Medicare will pay 55 percent of its approved amount for mental health services, and you or your supplemental insurance are responsible for the rest.

For inpatient care, Medicare Part A helps pay for your care if you are hospitalized for substance abuse treatment. Your out-of-pocket costs are the same as for any other type of hospital stay.

For outpatient care, Medicare Part B helps pay for outpatient substance abuse treatment services from a clinic or hospital outpatient department. Covered services include, but are not limited to:

• Psychotherapy
• Patient education regarding diagnosis and treatment
• Post-hospitalization follow-up
  • Prescription drugs administered during a hospital stay or injected at a doctor’s office

—Marci

 Dear Marci,

What is a Federally Qualified Health Center? A friend suggested I look into them because of my limited income.

—Marylou

 Dear Marylou,

Federally Qualified Health Centers are located in “medically underserved areas” and provide low-come health care. People with Medicare are eligible to receive services from these government-funded health centers. They provide Medicare-covered medical services as well as some preventive services that Medicare does not cover, and they may also waive the Medicare Part B deductible. Additionally, the clinics may waive or reduce the 20 percent coinsurance for Medicare-covered benefits for people with an annual income at or below the federal poverty level ($10,830 for an individual, $14,570 for a couple in 2010). Some government-funded health centers may also provide dental services.

—Marci

 Marci’s Medicare Answers is a service of the Medicare Rights Center (www.medicarerights.org), the nation’s largest independent source of information and assistance for people with Medicare. To speak with a counselor, call (800) 333-4114. To subscribe to “Dear Marci,” the Medicare Rights Center’s free educational e-newsletter, simply e-mail dearmarci@medicarerights.org.

To learn more about the services that Medicare will cover and how to change plans, log on to Medicare Interactive Counselor at the Medicare Rights Center’s website at www.medicareinteractive.org

In Their Own Words – Mean People