Texan Lloyd Doggett Leads Co-Pay Relief

COURTESY OF THE ARC/UCP Capitol Insider: Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) recently reintroduced Medicare Part D co-payment elimination legislation for low-income residents of assisted living and residential care facilities and people receiving home and community-based services under Medicaid. The Medicare Part D Home and Community Services Copayment Equity Act of 2009 (H.R. 1407) would extend protection from Part D co-pays to people residing in the community. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) introduced a Senate version (S. 534).

November/December Issue of IN TOUCH

• More Frew strategic initiatives get favorable recommendations
• Central Texas offices latest to convert to TIERS
• Ike tests HHSC’s ability to deliver services
  • Dedicated staff helping Gulf Coast recover from Ike’s wrath
  • Volunteers, new system carry heavy load for 2-1-1
• Twogether in Texas launches statewide network of premarital classes
• Texas Nurse-Family Partnership to send nurses to first-time moms
• Briefs

The complete In Touch newsletter can be accessed at http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/stakeholder/index.html.

The HHSC Desktop Stakeholder Forum, accessible statewide, is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 12 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The agenda for the forum includes:

New eligibility system

• Rollout
• Application redesign

Health Care and Medicaid Reform waiver
Frew v. Hawkins strategic initiatives

• Frew Advisory Committee recommendations
• Status update on authorized appropriations

Insure Texas Kids license plate

For questions regarding the Nov. 12 HHSC Desktop Stakeholder Forum, call Brittani Pruitt, HHSC External Relations Division, at 512-487-3300 or e-mail her at Brittani.Pruitt@hhsc.state.tx.us.

To sign up for the forum, please e-mail hhscexternalrelations@hhsc.state.tx.us by 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11. You will receive an e-mail with instructions showing how to access the forum phone conference plus handouts of the forum PowerPoint presentations.