The Affordable Care Act (ACA) —Comments and Analysis

• DREDF Response to the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – June 2, 2012
  This historic decision means that people with disabilities will continue to benefit from the profound impact of the landmark law. By affirming the individual mandate, the Court ensured that private insurers will have access to the largest possible pool of enrollees, thus holding costs down. In combination with market reforms prohibiting discrimination against people with pre—existing conditions, this affirmation will make it possible for everyone, including an estimated 3.5 million uninsured people with disabilities, to benefit from more affordable insurance prices.
• Medicare Methodology for Adjusting Payment Amounts for Certain Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics
  March 28, 2014
• Electronic Health Record Certification
  Calls for full accessibility and that EHR should record functional impairments and accommodation needs of people with disabilities.
• Collection, Analysis, and Availability of Demographic Subgroup Data for FDA-Approved Medical Products
  Expresses the critical need to encourage, develop, and disseminate demographic subgroup data that fully includes people with disabilities in FDA–reviewed clinical trials, research and analysis.
• Comments to US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights on Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act
  DREDF and colleagues submit extensive comments on proposed regulations implementing Section 1557 of the ACA, which prohibits discrimination in healthcare. Our comments were endorsed by fifty–seven diverse national disability rights, health policy, consumer advocacy, racial and ethnic health disparity, public health, and research organizations.
  • PDF
  • Word
• DREDF Comments to CMS on the Proposed Single Streamlined Insurance Marketplace Application (PDF)
  DREDF provides extensive comments and recommendations on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed rule regarding Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Programs, and Exchanges: Essential Health Benefits in Alternative Benefit Plans, Eligibility Notices, Fair Hearing and Appeal Processes for Medicaid and Exchange Eligibility Appeals and Other Provisions Related to Eligibility and Enrollment for Exchanges, Medicaid and CHIP, and Medicaid Premiums and Cost Sharing.
• Comments on the Stage 3 Definition of Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
• Comments on Proposed Standards Related to Essential Health Benefits, Actuarial Value, and Accreditation under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PDF)
• The State Option to Provide Home and Community—Based Services (HCBS) for Medicaid–Eligible Individuals (PDF)
• DREDF and Colleagues Comment on Access Board’s Proposed Accessibility Standards for Medical Diagnostic Equipment (PDF)
• Electronic Health Record Incentive Program—Stage 2 (PDF)
• Comments on Essential Health Benefits Bulletin (PDF)
• Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans (PDF)
• Home and Community–Based Services Waivers (PDF)
• Health Disparity Research and Data Collection (PDF)
• Health Information Technology (PDF)
• The New Definition of Medically Underserved Population (PDF)
• Medicaid Core Quality Measures (PDF)
• Accountable Care Organizations (PDF)
• Proposed ACA disability data collection standards (PDF)
• Joint Comments on Proposed Regulations for Wellness Programs in Group Plans (PDF)
  DREDF joins other groups commenting on proposed Affordable Care Act regulations January 25, 2013. 
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) submitted comments to the US Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service of the Treasury Department, and HHS/CMS on proposed regulations concerning Incentives for Nondiscriminatory Wellness Programs in Group Health Plans. DREDF contributed to the letter and signed on as a member of CCD.

For more information about our healthcare work contact us at info@dredf.org