Public Policy
Policy Priorities to Support Children with Special Health Care Needs and Disabilities and Their Families
Our Strategic Policy Priorities
Children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities, and their families, face systemic barriers and biases that impede their ability to experience their best possible lives. Systems of care do not respond to their needs holistically or facilitate access to supports that enhance their quality of life.
To make the most impact, we focus our policy actions across all levels of government – federal, state, and local. We work with our family and organizational partners to lean on the various levers of policy change through education and advocacy.
Our current policy agenda includes:
- Expand access to peer-to-peer support for families of children and youth with special health care needs
- Support and expand Medicaid coverage for children and youth with special health care needs and their families and caregivers
- Improve the transition to adult health care for youth and young adults with disabilities and their caregivers and families
- Eliminate language access barriers
Family Voices collaborates with national child health and disability organizations, such as the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, The Arc, Autism Speaks, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other groups.
Recent Policy Briefs
Recent Policy-Related News
Webinars from the Field (Washington Update, March 6, 2019)
SERIES: Pain Medication Education Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Part 3: What Are My Options for Tapering Opioids? Wednesday, March 13, 12:00-1:00 pm ET Past -- Part 1: "What is my pain medication?" Video; Info. Past -- Part 2: Understanding Opioids and Opioid...
CONGRESS (Washington Update, March 6, 2019)
“Medicare-for-All” Bill Introduced On February 28, Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), joined by another 105 Democrats, introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2019 (H.R. 1384). The bill would expand the Medicare program to cover all U.S....
Medicaid/Affordable Care Act/TRICARE News (Washington Update, March 6, 2019)
MEDICAID RESOURCES REMINDER: Approved and pending Medicaid waiver applications can be found on gov. The Kaiser Family Foundation regularly updates its state-by-state §1115 Medicaid Waiver Tracker, and also provides related waiver resources and definitions. AFFORDABLE...
Other News, Information, and Resources (Washington Update, March 6, 2019)
News CMS Updates Consumer Resources for Comparing Hospital Quality (Excerpts from a CMS press announcement, 2/28/19) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated hospital performance data on the Hospital Compare website and on data.medicare.gov....
Your Input Sought/Of Possible Interest (Washington Update, March 6, 2019)
YOUR INPUT SOUGHT NEW FEMA National Advisory Council – Due March 15, 2019 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is accepting applications until March 15, 2019, for 12 open positions on its National Advisory Council. They are seeking one person to fill the...
Legislation
The legislation tracked below is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be an endorsement for or against the legislation. Action updates may occur daily, if actions are taken by Congress. Newly introduced legislation will be added weekly.
The legislative tracker is sorted by latest action. To navigate this page, you can scroll through just as you would a normal webpage. You can also click Ctrl+F on your keyboard and type in the search box.
For additional information and to read the full text (if available), click the highlighted bill number. You can also navigate to Congress.gov and search using key terms or phrases, or the bill numbers listed below.
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