Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

Nick Roumel - A Voice For Justice

 

Nobody Won

 
In Washtenaw County’s primary election, 111,000 of you cast ballots, but only 80,000 voted for a circuit court judge.  That means “nobody” got 31,000 votes – more than any single candidate received. Don’t let that happen in the general election, which begins with the tens of thousands of ballots already in voters’ hands.
 
People sometimes forget that judges are not designated by political party, so if you just vote a straight party ticket, that’s not enough. You have to make sure to vote the nonpartisan section. For circuit court, that will be on the upper left side of the back of the ballot. It looks like this:

 

 

Throughout his legal career, whenever there’s been a judicial election, Nick has fielded many last-minute calls and emails from friends asking for his recommendation. This year he has been on the receiving end, as Nick has received the highest ratings from his peers in the bar association’s judicial poll, and he earned the endorsements of nearly 200 attorneys, including the Vanzetti Hamilton Bar Association, representing Washtenaw County’s African American attorneys.
 
Nick has also recently earned the support of the Eastern Washtenaw Democrats, the Michigan Association of Justice, the Washtenaw Association of Justice, retired judges Donald E. Shelton and James Giddings, and Wayne County Family Court Referee Nick Hathaway, along with numerous other judges, present and past elected officials, and other community leaders.
 
So remember to vote for the non-partisan section of the ballot – don’t let nobody win! Elect Nick Roumel, a veteran civil rights attorney, who has vowed to be a voice for justice reform. You can learn more about him here.
 
Nick also needs your help to get this message out. Please donate what you can:

 

DONATE

 

Let’s make sure that everyone who completes a ballot votes for judge – and fills the box for Nick Roumel. Vote by mail early, or at the polls on November 3.

 

 

Visit Nick’s Website www.nickforjudge.com

 

 

 

Our mailing address is:

Nick Roumel For Judge Committee

2718 Hampshire Rd

Ann Arbor, MI 48104-6540

 

 

 

 

 

CMS Releases Manual for State Payment of Medicare Premiums - Justice In Aging

 

Advocates working with dual eligible beneficiaries or individuals in Medicare Savings Programs frequently encounter issues around payment (“buy-in…#157;) of Part B, and sometimes Part A, premiums by their state Medicaid program.

CMS has recently issued a  Manual for State Payment of Medicare Premiums , which describes in detail how the process of starting and ending state payment of Medicare premiums is designed to work. The Manual will be a very helpful resource for advocates when working with their state agency to untangle specific buy-in problems that arise for their clients. It replaces an outdated State Buy-in Manual, which has been retired. 

Release of the Manual also offers an opportunity for advocates to urge their states to improve practices in order to streamline the buy-in process and address systemic deficiencies. 

One area for improvement is the frequency of data exchange between states and CMS/SSA.  Daily data exchange will be required  of all states by April 1, 2022, but advocates should encourage their states to move more quickly to update their systems. Currently many states use weekly or even monthly exchange for some files. The  status of state buy-in is here . CMS factsheets on  MMA files  and  buy-in data files  address the value of more frequent exchange.

Another relevant area for advocacy is encouraging states to enter into a Part A buy-in agreement with SSA,  discussed in Sec. 1.2 of the Manual . Without a Part A buy-in agreement, individuals who do not have premium-free Part A can only enroll in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program during certain enrollment periods. They often face long periods without needed coverage. Fourteen states currently do not have a Part A buy-in agreement: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. 

View the new Manual here.

Advocates with questions about the Manual or seeking technical assistance with specific buy-in issues can contact Justice in Aging at [email protected] .

 

 

Justice in Aging (202) 289-6976 [email protected] View as webpage

 

 

 

 

CMS Releases Manual for State Payment of Medicare Premiums

 

 

Advocates working with dual eligible beneficiaries or individuals in Medicare Savings Programs frequently encounter issues around payment (“buy-in”) of Part B, and sometimes Part A, premiums by their state Medicaid program.    CMS has recently issued a Manual for State Payment of Medicare Premiums, which describes in detail how the process of starting and ending state payment of Medicare premiums is designed to work. The Manual will be a very helpful resource for advocates when working with their state agency to untangle specific buy-in problems that arise for their clients. It replaces an outdated State Buy-in Manual, which has been retired.    Release of the Manual also offers an opportunity for advocates to urge their states to improve practices in order to streamline the buy-in process and address systemic deficiencies.    One area for improvement is the frequency of data exchange between states and CMS/SSA. Daily data exchange will be required of all states by April 1, 2022, but advocates should encourage their states to move more quickly to update their systems. Currently many states use weekly or even monthly exchange for some files. The status of state buy-in is here. CMS factsheets on MMA files and buy-in data files address the value of more frequent exchange.   Another relevant area for advocacy is encouraging states to enter into a Part A buy-in agreement with SSA, discussed in Sec. 1.2 of the Manual. Without a Part A buy-in agreement, individuals who do not have premium-free Part A can only enroll in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program during certain enrollment periods. They often face long periods without needed coverage. Fourteen states currently do not have a Part A buy-in agreement: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.    View the new Manual here.   Advocates with questions about the Manual or seeking technical assistance with specific buy-in issues can contact Justice in Aging at [email protected].

 

Justice in Aging (202) 289-6976 [email protected] View as webpage

 

 

 

JOB POSTING - PEKD & Associate's is HIRING!! - Full Time Admin Assistant

 

Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek & Associates is looking for a full time administrative assistant. 

Duties include but are not limited to: updating the attorney’s calendar, meeting and greeting clients, scheduling all appointments, coordinating with other staff, answering the phones, running errands. Must be an independent worker, organized and comfortable with interacting with a diverse group of clients in a fast pace small law office.

If interested please send resume, and salary requirements to the address or email below.

Feel free to share this with folks--  Thanks!

Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek

30445 Northwestern Highway, Suite 310 
Farmington Hills, MI 48334

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOB POSTING!! - PEKD & Associate's IS HIRING! - Paralegal/Book Keeper

 

Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek & Associate's is looking to fill an immediate position for a paralegal/book keeper.

We are hiring a paralegal/book keeper for a very busy estate planning, elder law, and disability rights law firm.  The job includes but is not limited to, working with excel, outlook, quick books, time slips, and maybe other computer software programs. The ideal candidate, will be a self-starter, be able to multi-task, and be comfortable working for a diverse group of clientele. The ability to follow up with clients and other 3^rd parties consistently will be required.  Experience drafting documents in word (some from templates, others not so much), probate court forms and pleadings, including annual accounts would be ideal, but not needed as training will be provided. Please send your resume and your salary and hour requirements to the email address below. Any need or desire for working remotely should be addressed as well.   The position has immediate availability.

Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek
30445 Northwestern Highway, Suite 310
Farmington Hills, MI 48334

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

Justice in Aging and Partners Send Nursing Home Visitation Recommendations to CMS

 

Last week, Consumer Voice, Justice in Aging and other advocates and State Long-Term Care Ombudsmen sent recommendations to CMS outlining steps the agency should take to ensure nursing home residents have increased in-person contact with family and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommendations include adopting requirements that facilities allow outdoor and indoor visitation for residents, using protocols to ensure safety and social distancing, allowing residents to engage with each other, and providing residents who do not have visitors with the same opportunities to leave their rooms and go outside as residents with visitors. These recommendations build on recommendations sent to CMS in August, which included ensuring that residents be provided with an essential support person if they’ve experienced a significant change or decline and stronger standards to expand compassionate care visits.

 

 

 

Medicare Data Updates Show Embedded Disparities - Justice in Aging

On September 3, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released updated Medicare claims data on COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. The data now covers claims through July 18, and shows that the deep disparities in both infections and hospitalizations between Medicare-only enrollees and enrollees dually eligible for Medicaid and among Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic Medicare enrollees compared to white enrollees have persisted throughout the pandemic. For example, dually eligible individuals have continued to be hospitalized at a rate of 4.5 times higher than individuals enrolled in Medicare only, with rates 6 times higher among people ages 65-84. Hospitalization rates compared to white Medicare enrollees are 3.8 times higher for Black enrollees, 3.3 times higher for American Indian/Alaska Native enrollees, and 2.6 times higher for Hispanic enrollees. The data also shows that one in every four Medicare enrollees who has been hospitalized with COVID-19 has died before being discharged. These 51,000 deaths are an undercount of COVID-19 related deaths among Medicare enrollees because of data lags and because the count does not include people who died outside of the hospital. Finally, this data update reveals that Medicare enrollees have experienced spikes in infections and hospitalizations congruent with the spikes among U.S. residents, including a spike in July.

 

 

 

 

Watch now: The H.R. 7057 Legislative Cafe Chat Hosted by Emily Taylor

 

Earlier this year, Representative Jaime Raskin introduced H.R. 7057, the Understanding COVID–19 Subsets and ME/CFS Act. This landmark legislation will authorize $60 million over the next four years to expand the National Institutes of Health (NIH) research into post-viral ME/CFS and empower the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide for public awareness and education campaigns to increase understanding of ME/CFS, with an emphasis on early diagnosis. 

In order to inform and mobilize our community in support of H.R. 7057, Solve M.E. Advocacy and Engagement Director Emily Taylor hosted a virtual town hall on the topic. If you weren’t able to join us for “Legislative Cafe Chat,” you can watch a recording of it here.
 
Additional H.R 7057 Resources: 

• The H.R. 7057 full action kit is here - check it out!
• To read our announcement of H.R. 7057, visit this page.
• Find the full bill text here.

Ask your Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 7057 today! Click our action link to ask them to join our efforts. 

 

 

H.R. 7057: 32 Bipartisan Co-Sponsors and Counting!

As of September 9, H.R. 7057 has a whopping 32 co-sponsors, and this includes two Republicans, Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] and Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1]. To read the bill in its entirety and see a full listing of co-sponsors, visit this link.

Are you able to help us pass H.R. 7057? Visit this link to find a series of action items—we’ve even organized them by time and energy level so you can choose the action that works for you. You can take action via emails or calls to your representatives, social media posts, or a combination! We packed this action kit with pre-written language and talking points to help make your advocacy efforts as easy and productive as possible.

 

Get Started Today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

PEKD September 2020 Newsletter

 

 

Click Below for the PEKD & Associates September 2020 Newsletter:

http://www.pekdadvocacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Sept-2020-Newsletter.pdf

 

Click to Download the PEKD & Associates September 2020 Newsletter

Download Sept 2020 Newsletter

 

 

 

 

 

The Senate's new COVID-19 bill doesn't include disability priorities! Senators need to hear from you now!

 

Yesterday, the Senate introduced a new “skinny” coronavirus relief bill, the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act. The bill is largely the same as a draft proposal of the same name circulated last month. A vote on the bill is expected as early as tomorrow, so we’re urging everyone to contact your Senators now. We’ve been waiting for coronavirus relief that actually meets the needs of disabled people for far too long, and we need the Senate to act now. Your advocacy matters-- even if you’ve called or emailed before, or shared your story on social media, we need you to contact your Senators again and tell them what we need can’t wait. Contact your Senators today! Click the button below to easily email and tweet your Senators directly. You can also find more information on contacting your Senators, including email and call scripts and sample social media, on our advocacy page.

 

Email Your Senators Now!

 

More on the Bill The Senate's new "skinny bill" doesn’t include any of the priorities critical to the disability community, particularly much needed additional funding for home and community-based services (HCBS), which was included in the HEROES Act passed by the House in May. HCBS funding is crucial to help people with disabilities and older adults stay in their own homes and avoid unnecessary placement in dangerous congregate settings, where there have been extremely high infection and death rates during the pandemic. The bill also retains the dangerous “liability shields” found in the HEALS Act, introduced by Senate Republicans in July. Those provisions would shield businesses, non-profits, schools, or medical providers from liability for harm caused related to COVID-19 in the vast majority of circumstances. This threatens the safety of people with disabilities and older adults in congregate settings, makes it easier for employers to escape liability for discrimination and safety violations in the workplace, and allows businesses to refuse to accommodate disabled people. For more on what priorities are and are not included in the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act, check out our summary here and for a quick comparison of the Senate’s recent coronavirus relief proposals and the HEROES Act passed by the House, click here.

 

More on COVID-19 Legislation