North Carolina General Assembly Representatives Chuck McGrady, Tom Murry, Phil Sheppard and Trisha Cotham have introduced NC House Bill 498, titled “Mandate Autism Health Coverage.” The bill would ensure that health benefits plans in North Carolina will provide coverage for diagnostic and treatment services for Autism Spectrum Disorders in individuals in private and state…
Public Policy News and Action: Group Home Bill Moves, No Medicaid Expansion, Federal ABLE Act Reintroduced, Federal Regs Leave Out ABA
This policy update contains both an update on the North Carolina General Assembly (state laws) as well as actions by the US Congress and federal regulators (federal laws). North Carolina General Assembly Update Group Home Bill Moves House Bill 5, which would extend temporary funding to residents of group homes who no longer qualify for personal care services,…
Legislative Long Session Kicks Off! What Might the Session Hold For People on the Spectrum?
This week marks the beginning of the North Carolina General Assembly long session, which typically lasts from the end of January to sometime in June/July. Lawmakers arrived for work in Raleigh over the last two weeks and began organizing for the session, with new legislators receiving training. There are a LOT of new folks – of…
Action Needed: Personal Care Medicaid Changes Threaten Group Home Residents
Recent news reports have shed light on changes that will have a negative effect on individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other disabilities who receive assistance through Medicaid’s Personal Care Services (PCS). Please note that the Personal Care Services described in this blog are not the same personal care services delivered to individuals who are…
Corporal Punishment in NC Schools – Progress Report
The following article was written by Linda Griffin, Parent Advocate Director for the Autism Society of North Carolina. In July 2011 we posted a blog article about the shocking use of corporal punishment in NC public schools. At that time we reported that 38 NC school districts allowed corporal punishment and 16 of those schools…
Medicaid Waiver (CAP IDD) Changes Take Effect Soon – What you need to know
Editor’s Note – The following update was compiled and vetted by Autism Society of North Carolina Senior Director of Quality and Programs Kerri Erb and Director of Governmental Relations Jennifer Mahan. Both these ASNC staff have been following changes to Medicaid Waiver services for quite some time. Last year, the State of North Carolina submitted…
More North Carolina Budget Woes
At the end of the legislative session, state budget writers went from debating a zero to 10 million dollar cut, to taking a 20 million dollar cut out of state funded services for people with developmental disabilities, mental illness and addictive disease. While it is the same cut as last year, it has much greater impact….
What happened at the Legislature this session? ASNC Budget Wrap Up Report
Editor’s Note – The following article was written by Jennifer Mahan, the Autism Society of North Carolina’s Director of Government Relations. During the General Assembly “short” legislative session that lasted from May 16 to July 3rd, state legislators made small changes to the second year of the two-year state budget they put into place last…