LSA Washington – May 5, 2009
A regular publication from the LSA Public Policy Office
Congress Passes Budget Resolution; President Obama to Release Detailed Budget on May 7
On April 29 the House and Senate passed their FY 2010 budget resolution. The House voted 233-193 with no Republicans voting for it and 17 Democrats also voting against it. The Senate voted 53-43 without the support of a Republican and with four Democrats also opposed. The budget resolution is a nonbinding blueprint for Congress to make decisions on taxes, appropriations and entitlement programs later in the year. The $3.56 trillion budget resolution caps discretionary spending for FY 2010 at $1.086 trillion, $10 billion less than President Obama’s request. The budget resolution includes reconciliation instructions for health care reform should bipartisan negotiations break down. Democrats stated that their budget makes investments in health care, education, and renewable energy programs while starting the process of cutting the deficit. Republicans denounced the fiscal framework as a huge expansion of the role of government that increases the country’s debt to dangerously high levels.
President Obama is expected to release his detailed budget plan on May 7. Stay tuned to LSA Washington next week for more information.
--Lisa Carr
Hill Visit Follow-Up
Did you do Hill visits while attending the LSA Annual Conference last week? If so, please take a few minutes to answer 5 quick questions to let us know what you said to and what you heard from your elected officials. If you'd rather, you can fill out the Hill Visit Report Back Form in the back of your conference booklet and send it to Lisa Hassenstab at 122 C St. NW, Suite 125, Washington, DC 20001. Your feedback is very important and greatly appreciated!
If you took pictures during your Hill visits, please upload them to LSA's Flickr page if you have a Flickr account, or email pictures to LSA.
--Lisa Hassenstab
CMS Proposes to Rescind Certain Medicaid Regulations
On May 6, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will publish a rule that proposes to rescind sections of the case management/targeted case management and two other Medicaid regulations. Specifically, CMS proposes to rescind the sections of the case management/targeted case management regulation that are beyond the Deficit Reduction Act's requirements. CMS's proposed rescission includes the limits that would have made it more difficult to transition individuals from institutional to community care by reducing federal reimbursement for targeted case management from the last 180 days of an individual’s institutional stay to the last 60 days. The regulations that are the subject of the proposed rule are currently under congressionally imposed moratoria.
--Heather Ansley
Important May 13 Call-In Day for Long-Term Services and Supports
LSA and the LSA Disability Network believe that health care reform should include long-term services and supports. In Health Care Reform: Responsibility for All, LSA articulates the broad outlines of a desired end state for health care reform. LSA believes that this desired end state requires that people be able to receive appropriate long-term services and supports as needed so that they will be able to live independently in their communities.
It is very important to call your Members of Congress on May 13 to advocate for the inclusion of long-term services and supports in health care reform. The toll-free number, 1-800-687-3813, will be available beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET. Without continued advocacy, long-term services and supports may not be included in health care reform. Please visit www.lsadnadvocacy.org or www.lutheranservices.org/health_care for more information about health care reform.
--Heather Ansley
Update on Health Care Reform
The Senate and House are considering plans to reform health care with the hope of passing legislation into law this fall. The Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee are likely to mark-up their legislation mid-June. Three House Committees – Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means and Education and Labor – are also likely to mark-up their plans mid-June with the House and Senate legislation being considered on the House and Senate floor in July. The Senate has agreed to not use the reconciliation process unless the legislation is stalled and has not progressed by mid-October. Reconciliation is a legislative procedure that requires only 50 votes and does not allow for filibusters. The cost of the plans is being scored by the Congressional Budget Office with the cost of the proposals likely to shape reform.
The Senate Finance Committee is hosting roundtables to discuss key aspects of health care reform, with white papers written following the roundtable to allow for further feedback from interest groups and to help draft legislation. The Senate Finance Committee is hosting a Roundtable on Expanding Health Care Coverage on May 5 at 10:00 am. For more information consult CSPAN.org or the Senate Finance Committee website. Information about the April 21 Roundtable can be found here. The Description of Policy Options to transform the health care delivery system can be found here.
--Lisa Carr
Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) Seeks Input
CNCS is hosting public listening sessions for public input on implementation of the Serve America Act and on the CNCS strategic plan for the next five years. The Serve America Act goes into effect on October 1. Although authorized, funding has not been appropriated. The Act creates new initiatives to increase service opportunities for the next five years. More information on the Serve America Act can be found on the LSA website. Register for the public listening sessions here. The following public listening sessions are planned:
- Springfield, MO- May 13, 2009, 1:00-4:00 pm
- Columbia, SC- May 14, 2009. 1:00-4:00 pm
- Washington, DC- May 20, 2009, 12:30 - 2:30 pm
- Boston, MA- May 22, 2009, 9:00 am-12:00 pm
- Salt Lake City, UT- May 27, 2009, 9:00 am-12:00 pm
- New Orleans, LA- May 28, 2009, 1:00-4:00 pm
--Lisa Carr
Thank You for Participating in the LSA Advocacy Call-In Day
Many thanks to all those who participated in our LSA Advocacy Call-In Day on Thursday, April 30! There was a great Lutheran social ministry presence on Capitol Hill via Hill visits, phone calls and e-mails to let our representatives in Congress know what issues are important to LSA members and the people you serve. If you did make calls or send emails, please take a minute to answer 5 quick questions to let us know what you said to and what you heard from your elected officials.
--Lisa Hassenstab
Kathy Greenlee Nominated to Direct Administration on Aging
According to a May 4 news release from the The Administration on Aging, President Obama has announced his intent to nominate Kathy Greenlee for Assistant Secretary for Aging at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ms. Greenlee has served as Secretary of Aging for the state of Kansas since January 2006. In that capacity, she has led a cabinet-level agency with 192 full-time staff members and a total budget of $495 million. Her department oversees the state's Older Americans Act programs, the distribution of Medicaid long-term care payments and regulation of nursing home licensure and survey processes.
Ms. Greenlee has much experience working with aging programs and services. She has served on the board of the National Association of State Units on Aging since 2008. From 2004-2006, Greenlee served as State Long-Term Care Ombudsman in Kansas, and prior to that was the state's Assistant Secretary of Aging. From 1999-2002, Ms. Greenlee served as general counsel at the Kansas Insurance Department. During her tenure there, she led the team of regulators who evaluated the proposed sale of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Kansas, and oversaw the Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas program. Greenlee also served as Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations for then Governor Kathleen Sebelius. She is a graduate of the University of Kansas with degrees in business administration and law. Once nominated, Ms. Greenlee must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
--Lisa Carr
Dates for Congressional Recesses; Invite Your Members for Site Visits
Congressional recesses are great times to invite your Members of Congress for site visits with your organization. Upcoming recess dates are:
- May 25-29, Memorial Day Work Period
- June 29-July 3, Independence Day Work Period
- August 3-September 4 (House)/August 10-September 4 (Senate), Summer Work Period
To schedule a site visit, contact the scheduler in your Member's state or district office to extend an invitation. Tips on how to have a successful site visit can be found on the LSA website. Don't forget that any time of the year is a good time to invite state or district staff to do a site visit!
--Lisa Hassenstab
