CMS Marks ADA’s 30th Anniversary
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is sharing messages and materials on supporting equal opportunities and inclusion for people with disabilities, many of whom are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. On July 26, 1990, the ADA was enacted to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life (work, school, employment, transportation). Visit Celebrating 30 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act for more information.
Disability-competent care (DCC) is an aspirational, participant-centered model that focuses on the eventual goal of supporting individuals to achieve maximum function. The DCC model is delivered by an interdisciplinary team which recognizes and treats each individual as a unique person, not a diagnosis or condition. The model encourages participant direction in choices regarding his/her health, wellness, and life in the community. CMS is sharing the following relevant resources with providers:
- The Disability-Competent Care Self-Assessment Tool;
- The video Navigating Health Care with a Disability: Our Stories, a Focus on the Provider, which discusses how health care organizations and providers can improve accessibility and care for people with disabilities;
- A data highlight: How Does Disability Affect Access to Health Care for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries?;
- Information on how to increase physical accessibility of medical services, tools to assess a practice or facility’s accessibility, and more. The Modernizing Health Care to Improve Physical Accessibility: Resources Inventory includes tips and training materials to reduce barriers and improve quality of care for these individuals;
- The Medicare and Other Programs for People with Disabilities training module, which helps health care professionals and other audiences better understand Medicare and other programs for people with disabilities; and
- The Increasing the Physical Accessibility of Health Care Facilities issue brief, which briefly discusses why physical accessibility of health care facilities is important for people with disabilities.
For more information, visit the Resources for Integrated Care website.
Contact: Dan Heim, dheim@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866