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The MediSked Blog

An Open Letter to the State of Illinois (About the Sorry State of Your Budget Fiasco)

Posted by Elizabeth Chatterton on Mon, Oct 26, 2015 @ 05:30 PM

Dear Illinois, 

C'mon, you're better than this. The drawn-out showdown between Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and the Democrats who control the General Assembly is causing a whole lot of trouble for a whole lot of people. I, for one, am really disappointed in you. After more than three months without a state budget, you're still acting like a bunch of stubborn jerks who need to be right at any cost. Every last one of you needs to think about the serious damage your pigheadedness is doing. 

The terribly sad stories that illustrate the disruptive and disturbing consequences of not having a budget have become all too commonplace - and every new day that goes by just results in even more of them. Services are being postponed or denied, agencies are begging and borrowing, and people are suffering. The worst part is, that doesn't seem to phase you.

Haven't you ever heard that apologies and compromise aren't always about being right? Sometimes you compromise because you value your relationships and the overall good more than you value your pride. I hope that you've been thinking about that - but unfortunately, you don't seem to be thinking about much. 

You just had a hearing to decide whether or not personal allowances for people with disabilities can be adjusted back to $60 per month (after the previous rate of $30 was reinstated again in July). $60 per month still won't be enough. In fact, it's not
 enough to cover personal expenses for anyone - with or without a disability. If there's a way cover the costs of clothing, dental care, podiatry, medication co-pays, psychiatric visits, snacks and entertainment with $60 every month, please share. While you're at it, you can fill us in on what happens to the people who don't have anyone who can subsidize their care. 

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Tags: ID/DD News, 2015

The Most Important Thing I Heard at The Arc National Convention

Posted by Elizabeth Chatterton on Mon, Oct 05, 2015 @ 03:35 PM

If you pay attention to the MediSked Twitter feed, you may have noticed a quote that I tweeted from the Home and Community Based Settings Rule Update seminar at the National Arc Convention in Indianapolis this weekend. 

The eight word statement really reasonated with me and I couldn't help but share. The speaker, Laura Brackin (former Executive Director of the Arc of Louisiana) may not have even realized the impact of this one particular line - but out of everything I learned in that hour, it stuck out to me the most. 

That line was "Poor reimbursement rates violate peoples' right to integration." 

I'd never thought of it that way before but it's SO true!

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Tags: Provider Agencies, ID/DD News, Advocacy, 2015

Attending the Arc's National Convention in Indy this Weekend? Stop By & Say Hi!

Posted by Elizabeth Chatterton on Fri, Oct 02, 2015 @ 09:56 AM

If you're going to be at the Arc's National Convention in Indianapolis this weekend, make sure to stop by and say hello!  

We're proud to be one of the event's sponsors and will be exhibiting in the Marriott Ballroom Foyer on the second floor from 8am until about 2:30pm on Sunday. 

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Tags: 2015, Data

Make A Difference In 30 Seconds: Invite Your Congressional Members to A Briefing on the Medicaid Equal Access Provision

Posted by Elizabeth Chatterton on Thu, Sep 24, 2015 @ 12:13 PM

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Tags: Medicaid, Advocacy, 2015