Sponsors: Congressman Jim Langevin (Rhode Island)

Cosponsors: 82 (Including New Jersey Congressmen Rush Holt, Bill Pascrell, and Donald Payne)

Sponsors: Senator Hillary Clinton (New York)

Cosponsors: 12

Summary: Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants or cooperative agreements to an agency or organization capable of operating on a statewide basis to develop coordinated respite care programs.

Comments: The Lifespan Respite Care Act would provide competitive grants to enhance community-based respite care services for caregivers of individuals of all ages who have special needs. The bill defines respite care as planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult with a special need in order to provide temporary relief to the family caregiver of such child or adult. The bill also directs the Secretary to provide for the establishment of a National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care. The Center would maintain a national database and provide training, technical assistance and information on respite care. Additionally, the bill would help states coordinate existing respite care programs, start new programs, provide training programs for family caregivers, and promote the recruitment and training of respite care workers and volunteers.

Current Status: House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health

Summary of Legislative Activity:
3/5/03   Introduced

3/17/03   Referred to House Subcommittee on Health

Last Session: HR5241

Current Status: House Committee on Finance

Summary of Legislative Activity:
3/5/03 Introduced

4/10/03 Passed Senate without amendment

4/24/03 Referred to House Committee on Finance

Cosponsors: 242 (Including New Jersey Representatives Bob Andrews, Mike Ferguson, Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, Rush Holt, Frank A. LoBiondo, Robert Menendez, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne, Steve Rothman, Jim Saxton and Chris Smith)

Sponsor: Senator Pete V. Domenici (New Mexico)

Cosponsors: 66 (Including New Jersey Senators Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg)

Summary: Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit certain health insurance companies from imposing limitations or financial requirements on its coverage of mental health treatment unless comparable limitations and requirements are imposed upon medical-surgical benefits

Comments: This bill does not require insurance companies to provide coverage for mental health medical costs except to the extent that failure to provide such services would result in a disparity between the insurance company's coverage of mental health and medical-surgical benefits. The bill seeks to enhance access to medical treatment for mental illness.

Current Status: House Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations

Summary of Legislative Activity:
2/27/03 Introduced

3/24/03 Referred to House Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations

Current Status: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Summary of Legislative Activity:
2/27/2003 Introduced and referred to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Sponsors: Congressman Danny K. Davis (Illinois)

Cosponsors: 81 (Including New Jersey Congressmen Robert Andrews, Rush Holt, Frank Pallone and Donald Payne)

Sponsors: Senator Tom Harkin (Iowa)

Cosponsors: 14 (Including New Jersey Senators Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg)

Summary: Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require states to include in their Medicaid plans community-based attendant services and supports for certain Medicaid-eligible individuals.

Comments: This bill would eliminate the current institutional bias that forces many people to live in institutions in order to receive Medicaid services. The legislation would require states to provide the resources necessary for people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes and communities.

Specifically, the bill proposes to modify Medicaid, the government health insurance program that covers, among others, people with disabilities who meet income eligibility requirements. Both federal and state governments provide funding for Medicaid services. Federal law requires states to provide coverage for certain specified medical services but allows states to choose whether to cover other services in their state Medicaid programs. The bill would require all states to provide Medicaid coverage for community-based attendant services for personal care, daily living assistance, and health related supports. The legislation would also require states to provide Medicaid coverage of expenses related to an individual's transition from a restrictive institutional setting to community-based independent living. These transition costs may include security deposits, rents, and some household furnishings such as linens and kitchen supplies.

Significantly, the bill also requires services to be provided in the most integrated setting appropriate for the individual and that services be consumer directed. The bill also mandates that services be developed based on an individual's functional needs and not on a diagnosis.

Action Taken: The Council led a delegation of approximately 70 people to the September 17, 2003 rally in Washington, DC, which was sponsored by ADAPT to promote passage of the bill.

Current Status: House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health

Summary of Legislative Activity:
5/8/03   Introduced

5/20/03   Referred to House Subcommittee on Health

Last Session: HR 3612

Current Status: Senate Committee on Finance

Summary of Legislative Activity:

5/1/2003 Introduced

5/1/2003 Referred to Senate Committee on Finance

Last Session: S 1298

Sponsor: Senator Susan M. Collins (Maine)

Cosponsors: 10

Cosponsors: 36 (Including New Jersey Congressmen Scott Garrett, Frank LoBiondo, Chris Smith)

Summary: Amends the Medicare program to clarify the definition of homebound for purposes of determining eligibility for home health services.

Comments: This legislation will help individuals retain eligibility for Medicare home health services available to recipients regarded as "homebound." The bill clarifies the definition of "homebound" and provides that the term includes individuals who have been certified by a physician as having a permanent and severe condition that will not improve. The bill would prevent such individuals from being disqualified for homebound health services because of the purpose, frequency, or duration of trips they make away from their home. Instead, the bill would make eligibility for home health services based on whether an individual has a qualifying condition that requires the person to receive assistance with at least three out of five activities of daily living for the rest of his or her life. The definition would further specify that an eligible individual must have a condition that requires one or more specified home health services in order to be able to leave the home. The House bill would make the change conditional pending on the results of a demonstration project.

Current Status: Senate Committee on Finance

Summary of Legislative Activity:

3/11/03 Introduced

Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance

Current Status: House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health

Summary of Legislative Activity:

4/30/03 Introduced

5/9/03 Referred to House Subcommittee on Health

Sponsor: Senator Charles E. Grassley (Iowa)

Cosponsors: 63 (Including New Jersey Senator Jon Corzine)

Sponsor: Congressman Pete Sessions (Texas)

Cosponsors: 80 (Including New Jersey Congressmen Robert Andrews, Frank LoBiondo, Frank Pallone, and Donald Payne)

Summary: This bill proposes to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to enable families to purchase Medicaid coverage for children with disabilities.

Comments: This bill would give states the option of allowing families to purchase Medicaid coverage for children with disabilities. It would also provide coverage of inpatient psychiatric hospital services for individuals under age 21 using waivers for home and community-based services.

Current Status: Senate Committee on Finance

Summary of Legislative Activity:
3/13/03    Introduced

9/10/03   Reported favorably with an amendment in the nature of a substitute

Current Status: House Subcommittee on Health

Summary of Legislative Activity:
4/11/03   Introduced