February 2019
E-Newsletter
Events and Resources from Family Voices of MN
Resources, information and other parents who understand what you are going through
Parents Lead Effort to Improve Access to MA-TEFRA for Minnesota Families

The Coalition to Lower Minnesota MA-TEFRA Fees is a group of involved parents advocating at the legislative level for the elimination of costly parental MA-TEFRA fees

The Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act, known as TEFRA, allows parents to receive in-home supports and medical services for their children with disabilities through Medical Assistance (MA) as a supplement to private insurance.

Several organizations are involved with the Coalition including The Arc Minnesota, Autism Society of Minnesota, Family Voices of Minnesota, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, PACER Center and Pr%f Alliance.
Minnesota legislators can improve MA-TEFRA by reducing parental fees and streamlining enrollment & renewal. Your support will ensure that all children with disabilities get the services they need to build a foundation for success.
Bills Under Consideration by the Minnesota Legislature
Reduce Parental Fees (S.F. 480, Relph / H.F. 748, Mann)
 Since 1990, families who access this option have been subjected to a sliding-scale fee that has drastically increased over time. Some families pay parental fees for waivered services as well. However, many forego the critical services and supports their child depends on because they simply cannot afford the cost. Others are driven deep into debt—maxing out credit cards or taking a second mortgage on their homes.
Streamline Enrollment & Renewal (S.F. 494, Abeler / H.F. 930, Kunesh-Podein) Paperwork to apply for and renew MA-TEFRA is complicated and complex - resulting in additional hardship and stress in the lives of Minnesota families.
Navigating the bureaucratic system of services and supports for their children with disabilities can be deeply overwhelming. 
How can you help?

Webinars Offer Valuable Information to Busy Families
At Family Voices of MN all staff are also parents of children with some type of special health care need.
We understand that gathering information and resources can be time-consuming. Family Voices of MN webinars provide reliable information on a variety of topics that are relevant to families like ours.
All of our webinars are archived and can be accessed any time of day, or night. And let's face it, many of us are up at night.
Rolling Through the Conversion Van Process:
Using CADI Funds Towards an Accessible Vehicle

" For a child with cerebral palsy that has difficulty with mobility, driving his power chair is a huge step toward independence. Although he has demonstrated his ability to drive his chair, we are unable to use his chair at home or out in the community due to one major barrier—lack of an accessible vehicle. Isaac’s power chair weighs nearly 300 pounds and I can not safely load it into our current vehicle. Recently, we started the process to purchase an accessible vehicle with assistance from his CADI waiver."

Northwest Region Parent Support Navigator, Jess Randall, shares her story or using CADI funds to help get an accessible vehicle for her family. Check out the blog post on our website.
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