People with Disabilities on H1N1 Priority List

WASHINGTON, DC-- Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced the H1N1 vaccine would likely be available for priority groups by October 5th and certainly no later than October 15th.

Priority vaccine recipients include:

• People age 25-64 with underlying medical conditions such as cognitive disabilities, cerebral palsy and other neuromuscular disorders, respiratory conditions, diabetes, and more.


• Paid and unpaid health care workers and direct support professionals and parents caring for individuals with underlying medical conditions.
  

Visit http://www.flu.gov/ for more information.

Major Congressional Events Update

FROM NRCA—
Update: Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
The House Appropriations Committee adopted the FY 2010 Appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education on Friday. The bill contains funding for entitlement programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and SSI. The House bill appropriates $163 billion for discretionary programs such as IDEA, and Vocational Rehabilitation. No action has yet occurred on a Senate bill.

Update: Departments of Transportation and HUD
The House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies bill. It includes a $100 billion increase for the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program.

Update: Employment
Last Thursday, the Senate Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee held a hearing on reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act. WIA authorizes the workforce development program and Title IV is the Vocational Rehabilitation Act. Officials from the Departments of Labor and Education provided testimony as well as other employment community stakeholders testified about ways to improve access and services for people with disabilities.

HHS: Henry Claypool Director of Office on Disability

From NRA--
The Department of Health and Human Services today announced the selection of Henry Claypool as director of the HHS Office on Disability. Mr. Claypool has 25 years of experience developing and implementing disability policy at the federal, state, and local levels, and he has personal experience with the nation’s health care system as an individual with a disability.

Mr. Claypool has advised the federal government on disability policy for several years. From 1998-2002, he held various advisory positions at HHS, including Senior Advisor for Disability Policy to the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services during the Clinton administration. From 2005-2006, he served as a Senior Advisor in the Social Security Administration’s Office of Disability and Income Support Programs.

As Director of the Office on Disability, Mr. Claypool will serve as the primary advisor to the HHS Secretary on disability policy and will oversee the implementation of all HHS programs and initiatives pertaining to Americans with disabilities.

RELATED:

• http://phinational.org/archives/henry-claypool-named-as-director-of-hhs-office-on-disability/comment-page-1/
• http://www.newmobility.com/articleViewIE.cfm?id=959&srch=Attendant%20Services