MEDICAID REGULATIONS APPROVED!

Victory on Medicaid Regulations!

June 27, 2008

Last night the Senate gave final approval to a supplemental war funding bill that includes moratoria on regulations that would have severely limited the ability of states to fund critical mental health services through the Medicaid program. The bill now moves to the White House where President Bush has pledged to sign it in to law.

Your Voice Made This Victory Possible!

The voice of NAMI advocates all across the country made an enormous difference in building strong bipartisan majorities against these Medicaid regulations, forcing the Bush Administration to back off of previous veto threats. NAMI is extremely grateful to all those who took the time to write and call over the past four months on this important issue.

A Busy Week Leading Up to the July 4th Recess

The Senate's action last night caps a very busy week in Congress on NAMI's federal legislative agenda. The House passed measures to broaden the scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act and to stop abuse of teens in "boot camp" residential programs. Unfortunately, the Senate failed to vote on a measure that would have strengthened Medicare. Congress has now begun its July 4th recess and will not return until July 8. Click on the links below for details on the actions taken by the House and Senate during this very busy week.

Medicaid Regulations Delayed

Senate Falls Short on Medicare Package

House Passes ADA Improvements Act

Congress Begins Work on FY 2009 Spending Bills

House Approves Measure to Stop Abuse in Teen Residential Programs

WHAT WILL KIDS EAT THIS SUMMER?

Summer’s here.

America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network

Will the children in your community have enough to eat?

Listen to the NPR podcast!

Tell a Friend!

When summer vacation starts, more than 12 million children in America who live on the brink of hunger will lose the one place they can count on for a meal. The USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) offers relief for hungry children when the school year ends. Unfortunately, it only reaches 2 million of America’s hungry children during the summer months. The Hunger Action Center supports the SFSP, and we’re pushing for expanded awareness and funding of this important program.

Under the SFSP, sponsors—such as food banks, schools, public agencies, camps, and other non-profits— receive reimbursement for the cost of providing two meals or snacks per day to children in need. You can learn more about the SFSP by listening to this NPR podcast. In it, Maura Daly of America’s Second Harvest joins Debbie Hammill, site director of Washington, D.C.’s Brooklyn Manor Housing Development, to talk about the issues driving seasonal child hunger.

Unfortunately, only 2 million children nationwide currently benefit from this program, which faces some key challenges:

Awareness. Many families simply don’t know the program exists in their communities.

Sponsorship. The SFSP needs more local organizations and volunteers to support summer food service locations in their communities.

Transportation. Many children who are eligible to participate have trouble getting to an SFSP location because they don’t have or can’t afford transportation.
Learn how the SFSP helps children in need.
Increasing awareness is the first important step.