July 2005 Publication
Medicare’s New Prescription Drug Coverage
Scott Anderson, Benefits Specialist
Beginning January 1st, 2006, the Medicare program will expand to include prescription drug coverage. This new benefit will be known as Medicare "Part D." Medicare Part D will provide coverage for prescription drugs that has never been covered by Medicare before. Any individual who receives their health care coverage through Medicare is eligible for the Part D prescription drug benefit. Unlike regular Medicare, drug coverage through Medicare Part D will be offered through private drug plans operated by insurance companies or HMO's.
Medicare Part D for most people is a voluntary benefit that you must sign up for if you want coverage. Costs for Medicare Part D will vary depending on which plan you choose, what your medication needs are, and income level. Monthly Premiums for Medicare Part D are estimated to be about $35.00. Medicare beneficiaries will receive information about the prescription drug plans that will be available in the area that they live in by October 15, 2005. If you are considered low income and eligible for Medicare Part D you will also receive information within the next few months regarding a low income subsidy, which can help with premiums, annual deductibles and co-payments.
The exception to this is if you are a person who receives both SSDI and SSI. In this case you will automatically be signed up for coverage, which will replace your Medical Assistance drug benefits starting January 1, 2006. If you fall into this category of individuals, you should receive information within the next month or two explaining your options. Information on specific plans should also be available in October.
So watch your mail in the next few months for information on the new Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit program. If you would like more information on this program visit www.medicare.gov on the web, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
15 Years of Chopping
John Nousaine, Director
On July 26th 1990 I was in Cloquet, Minnesota for the opening of a new branch office for the small Minnesota Center for Independent Living I was working for. My co-worker Scott Anderson was there, another co-worker Dee Truhn was holding down the fort in Hibbing. Our boss was in Washington DC watching President George Bush sign the Americans with Disabilities Act into law.
We were IL neophytes having cut our teeth on the battle to bring civil rights to over 20% of all Americans. We learned the political process, we learned we were stronger united and weaker divided, we learned we deserve equality, we learned the tactics that are used against us; “Sorry we'll make it accessible next time; we can't afford it; be nice; quit whining!” We learned how misinformed America was about who we were, the myths, the stereotypes. We learned from those who have traveled that road to civil rights before us like people of color and women.
Mostly we realized we must keep chopping away at barriers. That armed with the ax of civil rights and commitment of the Independent Living movement we still need to keep on chopping and our country will be better for future generations.
Our roles have changed in the last 15 years, but we keep on chopping. Just like millions of us, we keep on chopping.
There have been numerous threats to our civil rights. Bad court interpretations and the ADA notification act are attempts to dull our ax. As Americans we need to preserve our right, keep the ax sharp and keep on chopping.
Is America accessible now? Of course not. Is America better now? You bet. Are there still barriers? Absolutely!
On July 26th 1990 we got our ax; civil rights. On July 26th, 2005 we need to keep our ax sharp by preserving our rights. We need to celebrate and mostly we need to keep on chopping!
Tom Horst Receives Falconer Award
Superior advocate Tom Horst received the 2005 Michael J Falconer Distinguished Service Award on June 9th 2005 in Green Bay Wisconsin.
The Falconer award recognizes an individual with a history of extensive involvement in advocacy activities, improving services or expanding access to the community for people with disabilities according to John Olson, Chairman of the Governors committee for People with Disabilities.
Tom is a retired administrator with the Wisconsin Department of
Workforce Development who was instrumental in the formation of agencies
in Northwestern Wisconsin which serve people with disabilities. Tom was
a founding board member for North Country in 1988, serving his full two
terms until 1994. Tom returned for another 2 terms ending in 2005. He
held many officer positions including president. Tom also served two
terms on the Wisconsin State Council for Independent Living. Tom was
also an original Board member on the Wisconsin
Disability Rights Coalition. Tom is still an active member of many
local disability related boards and coalitions.
Always a fiery advocate, Tom was an unwavering force to do the right thing and would not tolerate lesser service being available to consumers in Northwestern Wisconsin.
"Tom Horst has provided progressive leadership at local, state and
national levels to advance the cause of independent living for people
with disabilities," said Brian Soland, Director of Catholic Charities
Bureau. Brian
nominated Tom for this award.
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Postal Service Adopts New Accessibility Standards
New accessibility standards will soon apply to the design of new or
altered Federal buildings. These updated standards will improve
accessibility for people with disabilities using the post office or other
federal buildings. These standards will apply to
current buildings that are altered or to new construction. These standards
will also apply to federal buildings that are leased in
accordance with the Architectural
Barriers Act, which covers access to buildings that are
federally funded. The new guidelines will take
affect in about six months.
These standards will replace the Uniform
Federal Accessibility Standards for both the Postal Service and the General
Services Administration. Accessibility standards are also to be updated for
Housing and Urban
Development (HUD).
In addition to Federal buildings, the United States Access Board guidelines
will serve to update access standards for facilities in the private sector
and state and local government covered by the Americans With Disabilities
Act (ADA). The Department of
Justice and the Department of Transportation are responsible for updating
the ADA standards.
Free Credit Reports
Once every 12 months you can order a free credit report from three major
credit reporting agencies.
Do so by:
Requesting your Credit
Report on the web. One site to try is:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
Requesting your Credit
Report by Phone
Call 1-877-322-8228. You will go through a simple verification process over
the phone. Your reports will be mailed to you.
Requesting your Credit
Report by Mail
Fill out a request form and mail it to:
Annual Credit
Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
Download a request form at
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/order?mail
Calendar of Events
July 26, 15th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Celebrate at Billings Park, Superior, 11:30am - 2:30pm.
July 28, North Country
Independent Board of Directors meeting, noon in Hayward. Call John
Nousaine at our Superior
office for more information, 1-800-924-1220 v/tty or 392-9118 v/tty.
Register by July 25, The Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is
sponsoring a health conference for senior citizens. On the Road to a
Healthy Future: Live Long and Strong on September 19 at the Madison
Marriott West Motel. To find out more, contact Carolyn at 836-2107 (715)
or e-mail her at smallcm@dhfs.state.wi.us.
August 10, The ABC’s of the ADA will be hosted by the ADA Wisconsin
Partnership in Wausau at North Central Technical
College. Cost is $40 for a half day and $65 for a full day. For
registration information, go to
www.adawipartnership.org/ADAconference.htm
or call
608-244-5310 v/tty.
August 20-21, Fishing has No Boundaries, Chippewa Valley Chapter, a
two-day fishing event for people with disabilities. Life vests, adaptive
fishing equipment, bait, fish cleaning services and rods and reels are
available. A meal is provided each day. Cost is $60 per participant and
$35 per attendant. For more information, contact David Lato at
1-800-228-3287
v/tty or e-mail: lato@cilww.com. Also visit the National website,
www.fhnbinc.org.
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Wisconsin Budget Update: Personal Care Funding
Medicaid personal care services are scheduled to be cut in the next biennial Wisconsin state budget. The Governor is proposing a $10 million dollar cut in his budget. Recently, the Joint Finance Committee approved this cut and suggested cutting an additional 6.8 million dollars in personal care. These cuts are being proposed at a time when the Governor and the legislature are expected to relocate hundreds of people from nursing homes into the community. Personal Care services will be needed by these folks and others already in the community so they can remain in their homes.Find out more about these proposed cuts. Visit the DAWN web site: www.dawninfo.org, or contact your legislator by calling the legislative hotline and leaving a message at 1-800-362-9472.
Are Your Offices Meeting ADA Requirements?
Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is the section that covers government services. This includes all state, county and local governments and the services they provide such as libraries, transit systems, and parks. Basically what the ADA says is that every citizen must have equal access to government services, regardless of their disability. This requirement also applies to phone systems. Any direct access number that is provided to the general public must be accessible to callers who use a TTY.
Many government offices are using the Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay System as a way of providing equal access. Relay serves as a bridge between a TTY user and a voice call. The TTY user places a call to Wisconsin Relay by calling their 800 number or by dialing their universal access number, 711. A Communications Assistant who is using a TTY answers the call and types a reply back to the TTY user. The CA then places a voice call to the business, typing their replies back to the TTY user.
The Federal Government has said that the Relay System is not an acceptable way of providing equal access for people with disabilities. The relay system is often slow. There is a time lag in each exchange. Also, the relay system fails to function in several situations. For example, an automated answering system offering several menu options will cause relay to fail. It’s not possible to type fast enough to provide the information in time to respond to the prompts.
An alternative to the relay system has been the TTY. (teletypewriters, also known as telecommunication devices for the deaf or TDDs). TTY’s can cost from $300 to $1,000. The technology for a TTY has not changed for 15 years. They may not meet future compliance needs.
There is now new technology available that make complying with ADA requirements easier.
For more information about the TEXTNET system, contact Mark Mullinix at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. He can be reached at 262-790-7164 or mmullinix@cdhh.org.
Emergency Evacuation Devices Available for People With Disabilities
There may be different procedures or preferences among local fire departments regarding evacuation procedures for persons with disabilities. This may include the use of evacuation chairs or the use of a safe room or area of refuge to wait for assistance.
There are several different types of evacuation devices. Some examples are the Garaventa Evac-Trac CD-7 emergency evacuation device. The Inclined Platform Lift, Inclined Stairway Chairlift, and Portable Wheelchair Lift are others.
Individuals in evacuation chairs will have the opportunity to transfer back into their wheelchairs and move further away from the building in a more efficient and independent manner.
There are other steps that can be taken to make evacuation of people with disabilities safe and efficient during an emergency. Some office spaces can be designated as “waiting areas” where individuals using wheelchairs or mobility devices and others needing assistance can wait for assistance from the fire department. We suggest you contact the fire department for guidelines on what makes a room an appropriate safe area. Each safe area must have a pre-printed sign requesting rescue assistance, a window, a telephone and a two-way radio. Each safe area should have Evac-Aide Emergency Evacuation Blankets.
To find out more about emergency evacuation devices, try these web
sites: www.abledata.com and
www.accessibilitylifts.com.
To find out more about the Americans With Disabilities Act, visit their
web page at:
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm. You can also call the
Great Lakes Business and Technical Assistance Center at 1-800-949-4232
v/tty.
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Support Groups
Superior MS Support Group meets the second Tuesday of each month from 6-8 p.m. at the Superior Public Library. For more information, contact Pam at 394-6958.
Ashland MS Support Group meets the third Wednesday of the month in the Stockton Island Room at Memorial Medical Center. Contact Peggy at 682-6506 for more information.
Ashland Area Brain Injury/Stroke Support Group meets the third Wednesday of the month in the Gull Island Room of Memorial Medical Center, Ashland. For more information, contact Stewart at 682-5676 v/tty or 1-800-499-5676 v/tty.
Women’s Peer Support Group meets the third Tuesday of each month, 10:30 a.m. at North Country Independent Living, Superior. Contact Gloria for more information, 392-9118 v/tty or 1-800-924-1220 v/tty.
Young Adult Women’s Group will resume in the fall. Meetings will be the second and fourth Thursday of each month, 3:30 to 5 p.m. at North Country Independent Living, Superior. Recruiting young women ages 18—27 to join our group. For more information, contact Gloria at 392-9118 v/tty or 1-800-924-1220 v/tty.
Chronic Pain Support Group meets the first and third Wednesdays from 12– 1:30 p.m. at the Goslin Court main building on Summit Street, Spooner. Contact Katie at 468-2731 for more information.
Recreation/Social Group will resume in the fall. Meetings will be the first and third Wednesdays at 1 p.m. at North Country Independent Living, Superior. For more information, contact Gloria at 392-9118 v/tty or 1-800-924-1220 v/tty.
Technology Corner
Wanted:
- Used electric wheelchair. Nothing fancy. To be used as a spare.
- Used electric scooter for parts. Need not run.
- Adjustable queen sized bed
Contact Don, 715-635-7870.
Wanted: Electric Hospital Bed. Looking for bed at low or no
cost. If you have one available, call Brook at 763-350-6305.
For Sale: Jazzy Power Chair #1122. Asking $3,500 or best offer.
New, never used. Contact Jerry, 218-393-9126.
For Sale: Jazzy Power Chair # 1105. Asking $950. Excellent condition. 715-392-8611. Ask for Skip.
For Sale: Pride Celebrity electric 3-wheeled scooter. Asking $1,500. Call Dick, 715-373-2874.
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Mental Health & the Workplace
John Nedden-Durst, Disability Navigator
The mind/body connection is undeniable. People who are not able to receive treatment for mental health issues see impacts in many areas of life. One of those areas is work, which translates to increased costs to both the worker as well as the employer.*********************************
A Few Facts:
◆ Untreated and mistreated mental illness costs the United States $150 billion in lost productivity each year.
◆ Workplace stress causes about 1 million employees to miss work each day.
◆ Three out of four employees who seek care for workplace issues or mental health problems see substantial improvement in work performance after treatment.
*********************************
Currently, there is evidence that everyone benefits financially from paying more attention to mental health needs. The bad news is that mental health problems are prevalent. They can strike anyone regardless of age, ethnic background, gender or socioeconomic status.
Each year, in a typical office of 20 people, four will suffer from a mental health problem. The good news is that there are highly effective, cost-efficient treatments available.
The bottom line is that mental health issues are “real, common and treatable”. Mental health education efforts can be effective in any workplace. Launching an educational program on mental health just takes a little planning and time.
If you are interested in more information on setting up an educational program for your business, agency or organization, please contact John Nedden-Durst at
1-800-499-5676 v/tty or at nciljnd@superior-nfp.org.
(Compiled from the National Mental Health Association - www.nmha.org)
Transportation Update - Getting Around, Getting There, Are We There Yet?
Bob Olsgard, Transportation Coordinator
What's your transportation story?
In our last issue we introduced our North Country Independent Living coordinated transportation program. Our first step-a transportation system survey sent to riders, providers and stakeholders in Burnett, Sawyer and Washburn Counties-is well underway. So far we've distributed more than fifteen hundred surveys in Burnett, Sawyer and Washburn counties. And results are pouring in.
The survey results will give us vital information. But as we put
together the picture of transportation here in Northwest Wisconsin,
we're going to want more than numbers. We're aiming to overcome the
number one obstacle facing people with disabilities in rural areas,
transportation. The challenges we face every day to get to work, shop or
to medical appointments tell a compelling story. And it's one that needs
telling. So as we begin what we hope will become an extended
conversation with our neighbors here in the north about how we improve
access to all phases of community life, we'd like to inform and inspire
that conversation with your stories. If you or a friend or relative have
a story about transportation challenges or successes, please contact me
at North Country Independent Living, 392-9118 v/tty or 1-800-924-1220 v/tty.
You may also e-mail me at:
ncilbob@superior-nfp.org.
Governor's transportation increase proposal still in question.
As of our publication date, Governor Doyle's proposed increase in
funding for elderly and disabled transportation was still waiting for
action by the Joint Finance Committee. So if you haven't yet contacted
your legislator with your support for the governor's proposed spending
increase for specialized transportation programs, please take a moment
to contact him or her today.
The Governor's proposed funding increase
would target Wisconsin's Specialized Transportation Assistance Program
(85.21), a program that funds counties to provide a variety of
transportation services. According to the
Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities the funding increase is
badly needed. The organization estimates that this system presently
provides rides to less than 10% of those eligible for the program. More
information on transportation in the proposed budget is available
on-line at:
http://www.dawninfo.org.
Federal Transportation Bill includes provisions for transportation for
people with disabilities and rural transportation.
People with disabilities and rural residents will see improved transportation opportunities in the future thanks to the leadership of Representatives James Oberstar of Minnesota and Don Young of Alaska on the federal transportation bill. The congressmen fought hard for provisions offering more local flexibility in using federal funds for purchasing vehicles and for special rural transportation programs. In mid-May the U. S. Senate voted 89-11 for its version of the federal transportation bill. The two houses now have to settle the differences between their two bills. Then, the bill goes to the President, who has already said he'll veto the measure unless lawmakers slice $11 Billion dollars off the price tag.
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End of North Country News
July '05 Publication
