Friday Facts

Printable Version

May 11, 2012

TO:    CMH Executive Directors
          Chairpersons and Delegates
          Provider Alliance
          Executive Board

FROM:   Michael Vizena, Executive Director
              Alan Bolter, Associate Director

RE:     - 8th Annual Walk-a-Mile in My Shoes Rally Biggest Ever

          - Submit Comments to CMS on the State’s MME Plan

          - Northern Region Board Member Educational Forum

          - CMH Director RR Training Scheduled

          - Legislative Update

                    ­   House Committee Takes Testimony on Welfare Drug Testing Bill

                    ­   House and Senate Name Budget Conferees

            - National Updates

                    ­   House Votes to Replace 2013 Automatic Cuts with $315B in

                        Spending Reductions

 

 

8^th Annual Walk-a-Mile in My Shoes Rally Biggest Ever!

 

MACMHB and its Public Relations Committee organized and staffed the eighth Walk a Mile Rally on the Capitol Steps this Wednesday.   The participants from all over the state numbered over 2,200, the largest turnout ever for this event, held each year as a part of our state’s May is Mental Health Awareness Month activities.   The event had some of its best media coverage throughout the state.

 

Following introductory comments by Colleen Jasper, Director, Office of Consumer Relations, MDCH, representatives from more than 70 counties across the state read statements in support of recovery, mental health parity, and to fight stigma.  

 

MACMHB would like to thank the CMH boards which made contributions to support the Rally, as well as the members of the PR Committee which planned the event and staffed the activities at the rally.   Most importantly, MACMHB wants to thank all of the consumers and advocates from across the state that met with their legislators and participated in the event.   Job well done!

 

Click here to view the “Rally in Pictures.”  Click on “The Rally in Pictures. You will be asked to open or save.  Click on “save” (it will take up to a minute to download), then “open” to view the show.

 

 

Submit Comments to CMS on the State’s MME Plan

 

As reported in last week’s Friday Facts edition, the state’s plan for persons with Medicare and Medicaid eligibility (MME) has been submitted to CMS and is now posted for a 30 day public review.    The review and comment period is through May 30^th.  MACMHB urges all of its members to submit comments to CMS at the link below.   As you submit your comments, consider reinforcing the state’s plan to:

 

• Contract with both PIHPs and ICOs and to build “care bridges” to integrate care.

• Maintain the full continuum of community-based services, and improve access to primary care and physical healthcare services, particularly for persons with developmental disabilities and behavioral health disorders, including persons with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

• Build financial incentives to reward PIHPs and ICOs that demonstrate shared treatment planning and improved use of information technology to better coordinate and integrate care. 

 

MI-MedicareMedicaidCoordination@cms.hhs.gov

 

 

Northern Region Board Member Educational Forum

 

The Northern Region Board Member Educational Forum, the third in a series of five 2012 regional forums, has been scheduled for Friday, June 15, 2012 & Saturday, June 16, 2012 at the Treetops Resort, 3962 Wilkinson Rd., Gaylord, MI 49735.   The Forum registration fee is $55/person.

 

The regional board member educational forums have been developed to offer educational opportunities for ALL board members.  These forums will benefit both the seasoned conference attendee and those who are unable to attend the annual conferences. The forums will be held regionally throughout the year.  Michael Vizena will provide an update on legislative and critical issues, and there will presentations by several regional CMH boards on their integrative care efforts.

 

We hope that you take advantage of this opportunity to develop new skills and to network with other board members.   To register online:

 

http://www.macmhb.org/Description/BoardMemberForumJune2012.html

 

 

CMH Director RR Training Scheduled

 

On June 22, 2012 from 9AM -12 PM, the MDCH Office of Recipient Rights will be conducting an Executive Training Session for all new CMHSP Directors.   The training will be held at MACMHB offices.

 

This training is scheduled by MDCH so that new directors can comply with the current MDCH/CMHSP contractual requirement that “Within one (1) year of the effective date of employment, Executive Directors hired by a CMHSP shall be required to attend those sections of the Basic Skills Training Program designated by the Department.” This session will cover the Complaint and Appeal processes as outlined in the MHC, the role of the ED in the Rights System, the CMHSP Recipient Rights Assessment Process, and effective management of the Rights Office.

 

 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

 

House Committee Takes Testimony on Welfare Drug Testing Bill

 

This week the House Families, Children and Seniors Committee held the first of several hearings on HB 5223, which requires the Department of Human Services to establish a program of suspicion-based substance abuse screening and testing for family independence program applicants and recipients. If the applicant is found to be drug-free after the test, and qualifies for state assistance, the cost of the test will be taken out of their first welfare check.  However, if the test comes back positive, the applicant will be denied access to cash benefits and will have to wait six months to try and qualify again.

 

The next scheduled hearing on HB 5223 will be on Tuesday, May 15 at 10:30am, 327 House Office Building, Lansing, MI.

 

 

House and Senate Name Budget Conferees

 

The House and Senate have named conferees for all FY13 budget bills. As previously mentioned, the Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference will take place on May 16.  Department spending targets will then be determined and conference committee negotiations will move very quickly after the revenue conference.  Lawmakers hope to complete budget deliberations by the end of May. Below is a list of the key budget conferees.

 

        COMMUNITY HEALTH BUDGET CONFEREES

Reps. Lori, MacGregor, Tlaib

Sens. Moolenaar, Kahn, Gregory

 

CORRECTIONS BUDGET CONFEREES

Reps. Haveman, MacMaster, Lindberg

Sens. Proos, Kahn, Anderson

 

HUMAN SERVICES BUDGET CONFEREES

Reps. Agema, MacMaster, Jackson

Sens. Caswell, Kahn, Gregory

 

HOUSE OMNIBUS BUDGET CONFEREES

Reps. Moss, Haveman, LeBlanc

Sens. Kahn, Moolenaar, Anderson

 

 

NATIONAL UPDATES

House Votes to Replace 2013 Automatic Cuts with $315B in Spending Reductions

This week, the House approved legislation that would cut $315 billion from social programs in 2013. The legislation is House Republicans’ response to the $72 billion in cuts that are slated to go into effect in January 2013 under the terms of the Budget Control Act of 2011. That law tasked a special committee with reducing the deficit by $1.2 trillion – and upon its failure, triggered automatic cuts of the same amount spread out over the next ten years, split evenly between domestic and defense programs.

However, the GOP plan goes well beyond the cuts required by the BCA. It restores the $72 billion that would be cut in 2013 and then identifies $315 in new cuts elsewhere in the budget. A primary target for these new cuts is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as food stamps), which would see a $38.5 billion reduction from tightening eligibility rules and returning benefits to pre-2009 levels. The bill also repeals the Social Services Block Grant, which is used to fund a wide variety of social support and human services programs around the country, including some programs that provide mental health services. Additional savings would come from requiring federal workers to pay more for their defined benefit pensions and capping damages and limiting attorney fees in medical malpractice lawsuits.

The bill also repeals portions of the Affordable Care Act, including the Prevention and Public Health Fund, federal funding for the development of State Health Insurance Exchanges, and the Maintenance of Effort provisions that prevent states from restricting Medicaid eligibility below 2010 levels.

Democrats have stated that they would also like to see the automatic cuts repealed – yet, they favor what they call a “balanced approach” that combines spending cuts with revenue-generating provisions such as raising taxes on high-income earners or closing corporate tax loopholes. The House Republican plan is essentially dead on arrival in the Senate. Yet, by staking out a position now that achieves far more in savings than what is necessary to replace the 2013 automatic cuts, this bill stakes out fiscal conservatives’ ground for the eventual negotiations that will occur with Senate Democrats.

To All Moms - Happy Mother’s Day!

Have a Great Weekend!