'Ohana Health Plan and the National Council on Independent Living Announce Grants for Hawaii Providers to Improve Access for People Living with Disabilities

KAPOLEI, Hawaii, Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 'Ohana Health Plan announced today it is partnering with the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) to provide grants to providers in Hawaii to help them remove barriers to accessibility within their practices. These grants will enable them to provide better support and access to 'Ohana Health Plan members and their companions with disabilities. 

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, one of the most prominent challenges for people with physical disabilities is overcoming the barriers to entering and navigating health care facilities, including inaccessible entrances, hallways, examination rooms, medical equipment, and restrooms. Previous studies show that Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities receive less preventive care due to such barriers. Through the national Barrier Removal Fund (BRF) program, 'Ohana Health Plan's goal is to increase the percentage of its in-network providers that meet minimum federal and state disability access standards.

"'Ohana Health Plan is committed to providing equal access to quality health care and services that are physically and programmatically accessible for our members with disabilities and their companions," said Scott Sivik, 'Ohana Health Plan President and CEO. "We recognize that many of our partnering providers may not have the financial resources to make their practices more accessible, so we are proud to partner with the National Council on Independent Living to help provide these financial resources."

Applications are now being accepted for BRF, which is jointly administered by 'Ohana Health Plan and NCIL. NCIL is the longest-running national cross-disability, grassroots organization run by and for people with disabilities. NCIL provides technical assistance to 'Ohana Health Plan and coordinates with local Centers for Independent Living (CIL) to conduct the onsite accessibility reviews of BRF applicants, provide training, and distribute grant funds to BRF awardees to remediate priority disability access barriers.

"Access to quality health care is a fundamental right and important issue for people with disabilities," said Kelly Buckland, NCIL Executive Director. "NCIL is proud to work with 'Ohana Health Plan to offer the Barrier Removal Fund to remove access barriers to healthcare for the people of Hawaii living with disabilities."

Providers selected for the grants must 1) be in the 'Ohana Health Plan network and 2) use the funding for any combination of physical and programmatic updates including: removal of physical barriers to their facilities; purchase of adaptive equipment, including accessible examination tables and chairs; production of accessible formats of printed materials; and equipment to reduce auditory or visual distractions for members with autism or other developmental disabilities.

For more information about the grant, please visit www.ncil.org/hawaiibrf. For questions about the BRF, please contact Tim Fuchs at [email protected] or 1-202-207-0334 or toll-free at 1-844-778-7961. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. HST on February 28, 2021.

About 'Ohana Health Plan
'Ohana Health Plan provides government-sponsored managed care services to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (WellCare) across the state. 'Ohana Health Plan is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives. For more information, please visit www.wellcare.com/hawaii.

SOURCE 'Ohana Health Plan