Help us take our health care message to Capitol Hill tomorrow

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on October 19th, 2009

Hundreds of Easter Seals volunteers and clients are heading to Capitol Hill tomorrow to tell Congress that health care can’t ignore families living with disabilities. Our message is clear: families with disabilities should have affordable health care that provides the services they need, when they need them.

We’ll be visiting our legislators and asking them to support health care legislation that Read More » »

In memory of Senator Kennedy

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on August 26th, 2009

Today, one of our greatest (if not the greatest) champions died. I’ve had the honor of working with Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) for the past 25 years. He was always the one who would step up and fight the good fight to protect the interests of people with disabilities and their families.The struggle for equal opportunity for Americans with disabilities Read More » »

Will health care reform affect Medicaid?

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on August 18th, 2009

It came as no surprise to those of us here at Easter Seals to hear the very first question at President Obama’s health care town meeting in Montana last Friday. It came from a woman who has a son with autism — she is worried about her son’s health care.

I’m an MSU student. I have a son that suffers Read More » »

People with autism need health insurance reform

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on June 25th, 2009

Too many people with autism and other disabilities are forced to make major life decisions based on whether their insurance meets their individual needs. Parents of a child with autism take out a second mortgage to pay for therapy that helps their child learn and manage his behavior. A young couple decides they cannot get married because one of them Read More » »

Easter Seals testifies on health care reform before Senate committee

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on June 17th, 2009

Last Thursday Easter Seals staff testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), telling them that meeting the needs of people with autism and other disabilities is an important component of health care reform.

Mary Andrus, Easter Seals Assistant Vice President for Government Relations and Co-Chair of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities’ Health Care Read More » »

Montana 10th state to sign autism insurance bill into law

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on May 12th, 2009

Montana just became the tenth state in the country to pass autism insurance legislation that requires insurance companies to pay for treatment for children with autism. Easter Seals Goodwill Northern Rocky Mountain was intimately involved in passage of the bill.

Known as “Brandon’s Bill,” the legislation was signed last Tuesday, May 5th. In attendance at the signing ceremony were Laura Read More » »

Easter Seals goes to the White House

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on April 24th, 2009

James E. Williams, Jr., president and chief executive officer, Easter Seals, joined leaders from other national disability organizations for a briefing at the White House last week. The briefing was hosted by Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. Dale is the first-ever assistant focused on disability. His appointment was announced by vice-president Biden at the Winter Read More » »

Book review: Julie L. Coe’s “The Friendship Puzzle: Helping Kids Learn About Accepting and including Kids with Autism”

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on March 26th, 2009

I just read a really nice book: The Friendship Puzzle, Helping Kids Learn About Accepting and Including Kids with Autism. The book was written by Julie L. Coe, inspired by Jennifer Maloni, and illustrated by Read More » »

Accessing stimulus funding if you’re not on public aid

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on March 12th, 2009

A comment to our post called The stimulus plan: what’s in it for people with autism? prompted me to write more on this issue, because it’s an impoirtant one. The person who commented asked whether parents can access economic recovery funds if their children do not receive Medicaid or Social Security benefits.

The details of how states are going to Read More » »

Help kids with autism and other disabilities get health care coverage

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on January 13th, 2009

Wow — it’s busy in Washington these days. The House and Senate are preparing legislation to extend the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and hope to have a final bill to present to President Obama this month.

SCHIP is a program that provides health insurance to children Read More » »