
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-Related News
Congress (Washington Update, December 19, 2018)
Congress and the president have not yet reached an agreement on funding for construction of a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, which the president is seeking. If they do not come to an agreement by December 21, there will be a partial government “shut-down” affecting...
Medicaid/CHIP News, Information, and Resources (Washington Update, December 19, 2018)
Proposed Changes to Medicaid Managed Care Rule Will Reduce Access to Providers (Blog of the Georgetown Center on Children and Families, 12/6/18) - short Inside the Trump Administration’s Proposed Medicaid Managed Care Rule (Health Affairs blog, 12/5/18) - long...
Affordable Care Act (Washington Update, December 19, 2018)
The annual open-enrollment season for the federal health insurance exchange (HealthCare.gov) ended on December 15. Some state exchanges are still open for enrollment, however – those in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, and...
TRICARE (Washington Update, December 19, 2018)
Expanded TRICARE Coverage for Ambulance Services (12/13/18) Missed TRICARE Open Season? There's Still Time to Act! Dec. 11, 2018 If you missed TRICARE Open Season, you still have time to enroll. For this year only, you can enroll in or change your TRICARE Prime or...
Other News, Information, and Resources (Washington Update, December 19, 2018)
NEWS Hundreds of Thousands Weigh in on Proposed Public Charge Rule (Blog of the Georgetown Center on Children and Families, 12/12/18) Five States Saw Uninsured Rates Rise for Kids under 6 – Critical Early Development Years at Risk (Blog of the Georgetown Center on...
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.