New flexibility for states to improve Medicaid and implement innovative practices
New rules will make Medicaid more flexible and efficient, helping states provide better care and lower costs

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced four initiatives to give states more flexibility to adopt innovative new practices and provide better, more coordinated care for people with Medicaid and Medicare while helping reduce costs for states and families. The initiatives support the Obama administration’s work to make Medicaid more flexible and efficient and to address long-term cost growth. Several of the announcements also help implement provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Today HHS announced:

Read more: Important News from HHS Regarding Medicaid and Community Based Services

JANUARY 27, 2011- The Arthritis National Research Foundation recently invited Kelly Rouba, a Mercer County, New Jersey native, to speak about living with arthritis at a special fundraiser with Paul Williams in Orange County, CA. Williams is an Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe winning Hall of Fame songwriter as well as President and Chairman of the Board of The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).

Williams’ songs have been recorded by many musical icons, including Elvis Presley, The Carpenters, Frank Sinatra, and Willie Nelson. He is known for writing the theme to TV’s “The Love Boat” and many other songs, including “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Just An Old Fashioned Love Song.” Moreover, his songs “The Rainbow Connection,” from the children’s classic The Muppet Movie, and “Evergreen” from A Star is Born grace the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 movie songs of all time.

Read more: Grammy Award Winning Song Writer Teams Up With NJ Advocate To Raise Funds for Arthritis Research

Contact: Rebecca Shuman, Recruitment Contractor
National Participant Network
505-228-7237
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Are you self-directing the Home and Community Based Services you receive in your state? Would you like to know about participant-direction from other people who are self-directing from other states? Would you like to learn more about participant-direction? Would you like to share your voice with other participants to promote self-determination and advocate for participant-direction? Do you have family, friends, allies and staff who would like to know more about participant-direction in the United States?

Read more: Join the National Participant Network

By Norman Smith

Eighteen hours after the earthquake hit Haiti, Romel Joseph was pulled out the rubble of his music school. Joseph, who is a violinist and is blind, was in his apartment over his music school when everything collapsed around him killing his pregnant wife.

Read more: You Can Survive a Disaster: Seriously