An Update from the Nebraska Insurance Reform Steering Committee…

Hi Everyone.  As you may have heard, today Senator Colby Coash introduce a bill requiring insurance companies cover individuals with Autism up to age 21.  Most of you are involved in organizations that will have special interest in this, so please copy and paste the following and send out to your list servs or contacts.  Thanks to you all for the support over the last couple of (grueling) weeks!

Nebraska’s LB 1129–Insurance Coverage for Individuals with Autism!!

Today, Senator Colby Coash introduced LB 1129 that requires insurance companies to cover individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders up to age 21.  The bill covers screening, diagnosis/evaluation and treatments, including evidence based behavior therapies such as ABA.  This has been a long time coming in Nebraska, and we are so grateful to Senator Coash for standing up for Nebraska’s families who are affected by autism! (To read a copy of the bill, go to www.nebraska.gov and search for LB 1129).

Currently, the bill reads that children up to age 9 will be covered up to $70,000 per year, and those from age 10-21 have a financial cap of $20,000.  However, Senator Coash has already agreed to introduce an amendment that would cover individuals for the first three years of treatment, up to $70,000 per year, regardless of age (up to age 21). After the first three years of treatment, each individual will be covered for up to $20,000 per year. The financial cap ONLY applies to treatment, and not to diagnosis or screening.

As you probably know, introducing the bill is just the beginning. We have a lot of work to do!!  Many have asked how you can help.  The Banking and Insurance Committee will be holding a hearing to discuss the bill, and your efforts are needed!  We don’t have a date yet, but as soon as we do, we will pass it along, and ask for you to send an email to your Senator, and if possible, attend the hearing.  We want to have lots of people in the audience representing our families, and showing our State Senators that we are unified!

PLEASE Like our Facebook page, Autism Insurance Reform in Nebraska, and continue to check email and our website for more updates.  Our website will go live soon, hopefully on Friday, and there you can get additional information.  (www.nebraskainsurancereform.org) .  If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at chrissy@neinsurance.com.

Thanks to everyone for all your support and hard work!  Those letters you wrote a month ago were great, and your voices were heard!!

Best Regards,

Chrissy McNair

Are you a guardian / conservator or expecting to become one soon? The guardianship landscape in Nebraska has changed. The reporting requirements for guardians/conservators has also changed resulting in significantly more information which must be provided to the court and other interested parties. Additionally, qualifying as a new guardian/conservator will be more difficult and will include extensive background checks and mandatory bonds. This educational event will focus on the forms and procedures arising from the new guardianship and conservatorship laws which became effective January 1st of this year. These laws were enacted by the Nebraska legislature in response to several widely publicized cases of fraud. A guest attorney will be speaking at each session.

Wednesday, January 25th
7:00 - 8:30 pm
The Andrew-Benjamin Group
10250 Regency Circle, Ste. 250
Omaha, NE 68114

Download a flyer HERE.

The Arc of Lincoln welcomes University of Nebraska Student-Athletes to our January Sibshop!!! These Huskers, who also have siblings with special needs, will join us for games, snacks, and to share the joys and struggles that may come with having brothers and sisters with special needs. Wear your Husker red, if you’d like, and join us for a fun night!

Download a flyer HERE.

Creighton University School of Dentistry will provide free dental exams, x-Rays, cleaning, fluoride and dental education plus some new services to more than 100 metro-area children on Saturday, February 4, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The University is working with several community groups, not only to offer additional health-related services, but to get the word out about the program.

Children between the ages of 3-14 years are eligible and must be accompanied by an adult. Each child will also receive a bag of dental supplies.

The event will be held at the Creighton University School of Dentistry, 2802 Webster St. To register, call Creighton’s Pediatric Dentistry Clinic at (402) 280-2863.

http://www.creighton.edu/dentalschool/givekidsasmile2012/index.php to learn more!

Are you a Nebraska parent of a child with special needs? Does your child have an IFSP or IEP? Then this conference is for you! Download a registration form and flyer HERE.

March 15-17, 2012
Midtown Holiday Inn
Grand Island, Nebraska

Sponsored by Nebraska Department of Education, Office of Special Education, & ESU 16

January 24, 2012

7pm

Bergen Mercy Medical Center
7500 Mercy Rd
6th Floor, Conference room

Download a flyer HERE.

The Arc of Lincoln welcomes former First Team All-Big 12 Husker linebacker Bo Ruud as well as representatives from Special Olympics to our January Family Connections/People First Junior meeting! Join us to hear about opportunities to participate in athletics with Special Olympics here in Nebraska, as well as to learn about the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship from the former Husker standout.

January 19th, 2012

6:30pm - 8:00 pm

Culler Middle School, 5201 Vine Street
Lincoln, NE

Registration required.  Contact Adam Feser at 402-421-8866 or by email at arcifss@windstream.net

Download a flyer HERE.

Thursday, February 9th

7pm - 9pm

Harrah’s Casino Ballroom

$8 admission per person

RSVP to Joann by 2/7/12

Download a flyer HERE.  This event is Sponsored by VODEC.  You can learn more about VODEC by visiting their web site at http://www.vodec.org/

Registration is now open for the 2012 State Autism Conference which will be held April 12-13th in Lincoln.

Download a flyer HERE.

Click HERE to register online.

Scholarships are available for Autism Society of Nebraska members.  Those applications will be made available in the next week.  Please keep an eye on our web site or look for the details in our next Newsgram!

FEEL LIKE LIFE IS ONE BIG CIRCUS ACT? COME COMPARE!

The Autism Society of Nebraska has been invited by the Tangier shriners to join them for a FREE special needs showing of the Shrine Circus!

Join us Friday, February 24th from 1:00pm - 3:00pm.

Yes, the bad news is that their special needs show is during school hours. So if you have school aged children you will have to decide if you want to take them out of school for the afternoon. This really is a great chance for them to experience such an exciting (but oh so overstimulating) environment in the safety of a more accepting crowd.

We hope you will join us!

It is FREE, but you will need to RSVP by January 19th to reserve seating.  Click HERE to RSVP!

We only have a limited number of seats for our organization so it will be first come first served!

Social Skating for Special Needs for preschoolers every Wednesday from 11:45am—1:15pm  Click HERE for more information.

Movin’ and Groovin is an exercise and fitness program for children with special needs.  Click HERE for more information.

While most family members of children with a disability are most concerned about their immediate needs, parents and others regularly ask the question:  “How will my loved one be cared for when I am no longer able?”   Dan Kline and Marvin Brinkman of The Andrew-Benjamin Group will lead a discussion on topics such as Social Security, Guardianship, Special Needs Trusts, Medicaid and the importance of making these plans on a timely basis to provide the best quality of life.  Dan has an adult son with Down Syndrome, while Marvin has a son with Asperger Syndrome and have lived through most of these issues themselves.  As founding partners of The Andrew-Benjamin Group, they help families through this process on a daily basis.

Saturday, January 14

Noon - 1:30 pm

Williamsburg Behaviorial Pyschology

3801 Union Drive, Suite 206

Lincoln, NE  68516

Download a flyer HERE.

RSVP is appreciate as space is limited.  402-343-8376    Refreshments will be served.

Ages 6 - 8        January 24 - March 1

Ages 9 - 12      January 23 - February 29

The groups will meet twice a week for 50 minutes per session for a series of 6 weeks.  Please visit their web site at www.ptcne.org for more information.

January 26-27, AEP Connections is hosting a two day autism conference at the Embassy Suites in La Vista, NE.  Speakers are Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D (author of “The Hidden Curriculumm” and “Simple Strategies that Work” and more!) and Susan Stokes, CCC-SLP, Educational Autism Consultant.  Topics are visual supports to increase independent functioning, social skills, communication, behavior and academic strategies.  Visit www.aepconnections.com for detailed information.

Friday, December 30

6:00 pm Spirit

8:00 pm Buck

Valley Veterans Club
111 E Front St,
Valley, NE  68064

All proceeds go to support HETRA’s Drive to Ride Campaign.  Download a flyer HERE for more information.