Congress is back from its August break and has begun looking at various legislative actions that would affect people with autism and other disabilities, including changes to health care and to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Senate working on changes to Medicaid and individual health care The US Senate is considering a bill similar…
NC DHHS Releases Plan for Medicaid Reform
The NC Department of Health and Human Services has issued a proposed design for Medicaid managed care in North Carolina. The proposal gives individuals on Medicaid, families, caregivers, providers, and other stakeholders the opportunity to share feedback before DHHS submits a revised waiver to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the fall….
Tell US Senators to Vote No on Health-Care Bill!
The Senate is planning to vote on a “motion to proceed,” the first step in bringing a health-care bill to the floor for a vote early next week. At this time, it’s not clear which health-care bill will be voted on. Please keep the pressure up and ask your Senators not to cut or cap…
LifeLong Interventions Expanding to New Areas
ASNC’s Clinical Department is excited to continue expanding service areas for the LifeLong Interventions (LLI) program! LLI has recently made its way to the Asheville and Wilmington areas. In light of our ever-growing program, we wanted to share the answers to some frequently asked questions to help the community better understand what the program is,…
Tell Your US Senators Not to Cut or Cap Medicaid!
The US Senate is moving quickly on health-care changes that would hurt people with autism, including proposals to cut and cap Medicaid funds and repeal health-care protections like coverage for pre-existing conditions. A vote on the Senate health-care proposal is likely to take place the week of June 26, and so far, no public hearings…
Ask NC Legislators Not to Cut Services
Last week, the House passed its version of the two-year budget bill, Senate Bill 257. Thank you to all the advocates for telling your stories. The House version of the budget includes 500 Innovations waiver slots, restores more of the funds for services for those waiting for help through Local Management Entities, and raises the…
Health-Care Bill and President’s Budget Would Hurt Individuals with Autism
US Senate Tackles Health-Care Repeal and Replace Bill Senate leadership is convening several work groups to draft improvements to the House-approved version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA). The bill in its current form slashes Medicaid funding by $834 billion over the next decade and reduces the insured population by 23 million, according to the…
Early Intervention Strategies to Promote Communication Behaviors
In early intervention, key areas of focus should include communication and social engagement. How do we begin to build these behaviors in young children with autism? It is important to use a systematic approach. In addition, it’s ok to start simple, and recognize that baby steps (e.g., a few more seconds of engagement with the…