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
CONGRESS: Senate Oversight Hearing on “Immigration Enforcement and Family Reunification Efforts” (Washington Update August 2, 2018)
On July 31, the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), held a hearing on efforts to reunify the immigrant families separated at the southern US border. The witnesses were all administration officials. Notably, one witness -- a social...
CONGRESS: Legislation to Deem People with Developmental Disabilities (DD) a Medically Underserved Population (Washington Update August 2, 2018)
On July 26, Representatives Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Gregg Harper (R-MS) introduced the Healthcare Extension and Accessibility for Developmentally Disabled and Underserved Population (HEADs UP) Act of 2018 (H.R. 6611). This bill would declare people with developmental...
Medicaid Waiver News: State Comment Periods (Washington Update August 2, 2018)
Resources on Medicaid work requirements The National Disability Navigator Resource Collaborative (NDNRC) has compiled a bank of news and resources relating to Medicaid work-requirement waivers: Summary of Posts and Resources on Medicaid Work Requirements. A blog post...
Medicaid Resources (Washington Update August 2, 2018)
Medicaid and CHIP Provide Health Coverage for Many School-Age Children, Yet Gaps Remain--a New Report from the Georgetown Center on Children and Families A new report from the Georgetown Center on Children and Families (CCF) -- Medicaid and CHIP Provide Health...
Affordable Care Act (ACA) News and Resources (Washington Update August 2, 2018)
Administration Issues Final Rule on “Short-Term, Limited-Duration” Plans On August 1, the Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, Department of Labor, and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule on “short-term, limited-duration”...
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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