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The Rest of the Story
 Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: Colorado Eligible residents of Colorado can apply for coverage through the state's Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan program run Rocky Mountain Health Plans and Cover Colorado. To qualify for coverage:
* You must be a citizen or national of the United States or residing in the United States legally.
* You must have been uninsured for at least the last six months before you apply.
* You must have a pre-existing condition or have been denied coverage because of your health condition.
The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, called GettingUSCovered, covers a broad range of health benefits, including primary and specialty care, hospital care, and prescription drugs. All covered benefits are available for you, even if it's to treat a pre-existing condition. Click here for a link to more information. Alliance for Full Participation (AFP) Offers Employment Webinar Sign up now for a Webinar June 8 at 2:00 p.m. EST featuring Kareem Dale, Special Advisor to the President on Disability Policy and Sharon Lewis, Commissioner, Administration on Developmental Disabilities offering an update on federal programs and policies impacting integrated employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Space is limited, so register now. Also, read AFP's current newsletter to stay informed about activities and issues related to increasing employment for people with I/DD. Natural Supports: They're Needed and the Debate is Heated Should natural supports fill in the gaps, or perhaps even take the place of, paid services for individuals with disabilities? With waitlists for services being longer than ever, what role can natural supports play in improving the quality of life for people with disabilities? A matter of on-going debate, natural supports spark the interest of many in the disability community, including disability advocate Denver C. Fox. In April, 2011, Fox sought to discover what folks really thought about this controversial issue. He developed a simple, eight question survey, e-mailed it to various listservs across the country and, with the help of his "viral technique", received almost 500 responses. Click here to link to information on the study. PEAK Parent Center Webinars for Parents and Educators Sign up for all sessions or just the ones that interested you the most. Space is limited; register online and you will receive a confirmation email with directions for the webinar. All sessions last one hour. June 9, 2011 Creating Circles of Support, 6:30 p.m. June 16, 2011 From Bullying to Belonging, 6:30 p.m. July 14, 2011 Early Intervention, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 11, 2011 Getting Ready for the School Year, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 13, 2011 Life After High School, 6:30 p.m. Matrix Parent Center Offers Toolkit for Families Preparing for IEP Meetings The Matrix Parent Network and Resource Center offers a free, downloadable IEP Tool Kit to help parents/families better advocate for their children. It includes: steps in planning for an IEP meeting, tips on organizing a child's school-related papers, forms for organizing data about a child's needs and strengths to decide what might be needed in the IEP and for keeping track of needs and questions to discuss at the meeting, and information on resources special education IEP plans, effective communication, and a child's special needs. Parent Technical Assistance Network on College Access for Students with Intellectual Disabilities Parent Technical Assistance Network has archived its April 2009 webinar, "Why Not College: Inclusive College Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities," along with other information on the Higher Education Act and Students with Intellectual Disabilities. My Health Passport ... ... is designed to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to share critical health information that might be needed for inpatient hospital/clinic visits. During these circumstances, an individual will interact with several health care professionals who might not be very familiar with providing care to someone with IDD. My Health Passport is an effort to overcome such barriers to optimal care, by providing pertinent and easily accessible information regarding that individual's unique support needs. Other patient populations such as the Deaf and Hard of Hearing have commented on its utility for them as well. My Health Passport is available free of charge in both English and Spanish. PEAK Parent Center would like your input ... ... regarding your child with a disability. The purpose of this survey is to learn your perspective about your child's educational planning and services in his/her school setting. Information you provide will inform PEAK Parent Center as to how best to increase access to and provide information and supports that improve quality of services for children with disabilities and their families. All information gathered will be used in aggregate and no one individual response will be identifiable. Support Medical Foods Equity Act
Earlier this year, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) introduced the Medical Foods Equity Act (S 311). The bill would require all health insurance companies to cover the costs of necessary medical foods for people with inborn metabolic disorders and similar diseases, including phenylketonuria (PKU). The National PKU Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy organization for individuals with PKU, is encouraging people to inform their congressmen about the importance of this legislation and ask them to co-sponsor the Medical Foods Equity Act. The Senate bill has been referred to the Committee on Finance, and the House bill has been referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions. Read more about how to contact your congressmen about this issue. Read a summary of the Medical Foods Equity Act.
$4.9M for Health Information Centers
On Tuesday, May 17, 2011, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $4.9M in funding for families with special healthcare needs. ACA outlined the grants to support the Family-to-Family Health Information Centers through 2012. These statewide centers provide a variety of education and support services, navigating families through the healthcare system to meet their special needs. Read the HRSA press release. Summer Activity Guide This summer will be packed with a fantastic range of concerts, sporting events and fun activities for everyone to enjoy. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has developed a 2011 Colorado Summer Activity Guide. This guide is designed to provide you with a one-stop reference to some of the best recreation, activities, events and attractions taking place throughout the summer. | 
