United Spinal Association and National Spinal Cord Injury Association Develop Free Guide to Understanding Healthcare Reform for People With Disabilities

NEW YORK, June 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United Spinal Association (www.unitedspinal.org) and National Spinal Cord Injury Association (www.spinalcord.org) have joined forces to create an informative and clear-cut analysis on the recently enacted healthcare and insurance reforms that explain in detail how they improve the lives of people with disabilities.

The document, titled Impact of Health Care Reform on People with Disabilities, which is in easy-to-understand language and available for free at UnitedSpinal.org and SpinalCordAdvocates.org, provides the inside story on healthcare reform, including a straightforward interpretation of:

• Insurance market reforms
• Mandatory health plan coverage provisions
• Home- and community-based services
• Medicare outpatient therapy caps and Medicaid eligibility requirements
• New standards that ensure medical equipment in doctors' offices and other medical facilities are accessible

The authors point out that although final healthcare legislation is not perfect, it introduces critical provisions that no longer permit health insurers to deny coverage, charge outrageous premiums, offer less coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, or impose annual or lifetime caps on benefits.

In addition, the health reform enacts several provisions that encourage home- and community-based services so that people with disabilities do not have to choose between living at home and getting the services they need.

"This valuable document not only aims to educate the public on the wide-array of benefits that healthcare reform will have on people living with disabilities, but also deters the spread of misinformation due to lack of understanding of these complex issues," said Paul J. Tobin, United Spinal Association President and CEO.

"Healthcare reform offers new ways for people with disabilities to break out of institutions and obtain services so they can stay in their homes, regain independence and become active members of their communities.  And this is your opportunity to learn how," he added.

The analysis was prepared by Peggy Hathaway, Vice-President for Public Policy, and Andrew Morris, Director of Legislation, for United Spinal Association and Spinal Cord Advocates––a public policy collaborative of United Spinal and the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, and Barbara L. Kornblau, JD, OTR, Dean, University of Michigan––Flint, School of Health Professions and Studies, on behalf of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).

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Jim Weisman

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Paul Tobin

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SOURCE United Spinal Association