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Latest News
March 5, 2008
Medicaid Buy-In
The Medicaid Buy In is operational! At long last, people on Social Security Disability Income have the opportunity to join (or return to) the workforce AND buy into a Medicaid for health insurance. To learn more about Georgia Medicaid for Workers with Disabilities, visit www.gmwd.org
The Council thanks the staff in the Department of Community Health's Eligibility Office, Brian Dowd, Warran McNeill and Yvonne Dove, for their perseverance and Shepherd Center's Benefits Navigators, Sally Atwell and Curtis Rogers, for their practical advice. And of course, without the leadership of Senator Goggans and the support of the General Assembly, there would be no program to implement.
Please let us - and your legislators - know if the program works for you!
February 24, 2008
An Open Letter to the Money Follows the Person Steering Committee
Dear Committee:
Needless to say, my level of frustration with this project reached the boiling point at the last meeting I attended back in December. If I had to characterize it in a few words, it would be this: The Georgia MFP project is making the simple complex …and the complex impossible. Perhaps this is because the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare have created a difficult context for MFP projects. But in such circumstances, one can choose to participate in the chaos – or not. We already know a lot about how to re-settle people from institutions, yet we’re spending hundreds of person hours re-inventing protocols, processes, procedures, SWAT meetings and “values” discussions. And we do all this while institutionalized people wait…and wait…and wait some more. And some of them die while waiting for us to figure out whether or not people “choose to live in institutions.” I must tell you that the nursing home industry is more honest about this than many of the people on the MFP steering committee, especially those from the Aging system. In Independent Living, we learned this lesson back in 2001 when the Georgia Department of Medical Assistance and the Centers for Independent Living applied for and received federal “systems change” grants. These grants were intended to change the long term care system from one approach – nursing facilities – to another approach – long term care in or near one’s own home.
SILC of Georgia / Georgia Independent Living Network Meeting Schedule
The Council meets quarterly in conjunction with the Georgia Independent Living Network in various locations around the state. Details on specific locations and times will be disseminated at least 14 days prior to each meeting. Check back here for info, or if you would like to be on our public notice list, please call or email the SILC office.
Attendance and participation by the public is encouraged. Please RSVP by phone or email to ensure adequate seating and refreshments as well as materials, which will be made available in alternate formats upon advance request.
Summer, 2008 - July 17-18 - Teleconference
Thursday, July 17, 2008, 1-3pm and
Friday, July 18, 2008, 10am-noon
Meetings conducted by teleconference are open to the public. Participants may either dial in from their own phones or go to their nearest Center for Independent Living to join others on the call. Sign language interpreters will be provided at any CIL location, if requested at least 2 weeks in advance.
Fall, 2008 - October 16-17 - Location TBA
Thursday, October 16, 2008, 1-5pm and
Friday, October 17, 2008, 9am-1pm
Support the SILC! Tax-dedictible contributions may be made via major credit card through PayPal (you don't need to sign up for a PayPal account), or by mailing a check to the address below.
Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, Inc.
755 Commerce Drive, Suite 415
Decatur, GA 30030
