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WVABLE Launch Event

A program of the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office:

WVABLE Launch Event

Friday, February 9, 2018 at 10 a.m.
Lower Rotunda, State Capitol

West Virginians with disabilities can now save without losing benefits thanks to the new WVABLE program.

Program Features

Tax-Free Earnings

Earnings on savings are tax-deferred and tax-free when used to pay for qualified expenses.

Financial Benefits Not Affected

Balances and distributions do not affect healthcare benefits.

The STABLE Card

Receive your own STABLE Card that can be used to spend money on qualified expenses.

LEARN MORE!

House to Vote on Budget Resolution, Setting the Stage for Tax and Medicaid Legislation

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The House plans to vote on its fiscal year 2018 Budget Resolution on Wednesday, October 4.

Please review the summary of the House Budget Resolution, which includes plans to “reform” Medicaid, cut spending, and enact tax reform.

Passage of the House resolution (H.Con.Res.71) would set up a conference with the Senate on its budget blueprint. The House and Senate could quickly adopt a joint budget resolution to pave the way for legislation that can be passed by a simple majority (51) vote in the Senate.

Please contact your representatives today and tell them you OPPOSE the House Budget Resolution.

Shelly Moore Capito – 202.224.6472

https://www.capito.senate.gov/contact/contact-shelley

Joe Manchin – 202.224.3954

http://www.manchin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form

Today is a National Call-In Day to #ProtectOurCare

Today, July 21st, is a National Call-In Day to #ProtectOurCare.

From our friends over at West Virginians for Affordable Health Care:

The Senate’s quest to repeal health care for millions of Americans and make disastrous cuts to Medicaid is not over. Senators and administration officials met last night to continue negotiations on their harmful bill.

Senate Majority Leader McConnell aims to vote on the “Motion to Proceed” to move forward with health care repeal as soon as Monday.

Please urge your networks to contact their senators and tell them to oppose any attempts to rip health coverage away from millions and to undermine the Medicaid program.

Please Call Senator Capito at 304.347.5372 or 202.224.6472 and feel free to use this script to assist with your call.

The Senate’s efforts to repeal health care will destroy Medicaid for our country’s most vulnerable people and strip coverage from millions. These harmful proposals cannot be fixed with added sweeteners, try as Senate Republican leaders might.

Tell your senators to VOTE NO on the motion to proceed and to reject any effort to repeal the health law.

Please share this alert with your networks. Together we can save health care!

Thank you for your work,

Claire McAndrew
Director of Campaign Strategy, WVAHC

Medicaid to be cut by $800 Billion – ACT NOW

From our friends at:

MOUNTAIN STATE CENTERS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING

Medicaid.gov : Keeping American Healthy

Medicaid to be cut by $800 billion dollars.

The US Senate needs to hear from the Disability Community, your friends, family members, and neighbors, about the dangers of cutting $800 billion from Medicaid.

We need YOU to call your Senator. Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask the operator to connect you.

Senator Capito of West Virginia has not heard enough about the devastating effects of cutting Medicaid. If you live in West Virginia, we strongly suggest you contact her.

If you’re not in one of the key states, you can still take action. We need everyone from all states to let the Senate know that we see what they’re doing and demand that they hold hearings on the bill!

Call the Senate HELP Committee at 202-224-5375 and the Senate Finance Committee at 202-224-4515 and demand that they hold hearings before bringing the bill to a floor vote.

Priority Senators:

Alaska: Murkowski and Sullivan
Arkansas: Cotton
Arizona: Flake
Colorado: Gardner
Georgia: Isakson
Indiana: Young
Louisiana: Cassidy
Maine: Collins
Missouri: Blunt
Montana: Daines
Nebraska: Fischer and Sasse
Nevada: Heller
Ohio: Portman
Pennsylvania: Toomey
South Carolina: Graham
Tennessee: Alexander and Corker
West Virginia: Capito
Wisconsin: Johnson

Suggested Message

My name is (your full name). I am a constituent of Senator (name). I am disabled and I rely on Medicaid to live independently in my community. I am calling to ask Senator (name) to vote NO on any legislation that will cap and cut Medicaid and put healthcare out of reach for millions of Americans, including the upcoming ACA repeal bill. Senator (name) has a responsibility to fight for their constituents, and that includes those of us with disabilities and pre-existing conditions. People (like me/in the disability community) rely on Medicaid for our health and independence, and converting Medicaid to a per capita cap system would be detrimental to people with disabilities in (state). If this bill is passed, I risk losing access to services that I rely on to live in my community. This is unacceptable. This is an extremely important issue to the disability community, and we are following the Senator’s actions closely. I hope we can count on the Senator to do what’s right for people with disabilities in (state) and around the country!

It is imperative that you call now, and then do it again tomorrow, and every day after that while this legislation is still active!

The entire Disability Community is depending on you to make these calls and stop this legislation from moving forward.

Thank you to Bruce Darling, VP of NCIL, for the suggested message.

Mountain State Centers for Independent Living
Corporate Office
821 Fourth Avenue
Huntington, WV 25701
www.mtstcil.org
Voice/TTY: 304-525-3324
Fax: 304-525-3360
Toll free: 866-MTSTCIL (866-687-8245)

Honoring Tom and Betsy Edgar

Little Levels Heritage Fair

You are Invited to Join us at the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace in Hillsboro, WV

June 25, 2017 – 2:00 PM

For A Talk and Time of Sharing To Honor and Celebrate

Tom and Betsy Edgar

Honored For their Inspiring and Brave Lives! They were Always in pursuit of a Better Life for all Disabled. Hear their Story, Remember their Accomplishments, Recall their Example, Think of how they Encouraged Individuals, Learn how they Blazed a Trail for Others And Celebrate these Two People who Cared Enough to Try!

Facilitator and Speaker: Martha Edgar Ness, MS/CTRS Therapist and Daughter of Tom and Betsy Edgar

See you there!
Support the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation – Accessibility Project

Let’s build the perfect accessibility to this old home we all love and cherish! Make Checks Payable to: Pearl S. Buck Birthplace – Accessibility Project, Hillsboro, West Virginia 24946

Steps for Success

Pictured above: From left, Amber Hinkle, Julius McMillan, Dr. Beverly Ford, Demon Gary, Eli Barnette, Liz Pitzer and Cindy Tucker.

Lifeworks, a community rehabilitation program which is a division of Open Doors, Inc. held a workshop titled “Steps for Success” on May 2nd.

It was held at the Gus R. Douglass Building at the State Fairgrounds.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Beverly Ford from Durham, NC.  Dr. Ford holds a PhD in counseling psychology, and does a variety of trainings geared toward human service professionals, and youth.

This workshop was attended by juniors and seniors from Greenbrier East and Greenbrier West High Schools, a total of 90 students.  Dr. Ford’s presentation was very interactive, discussing change, as these students prepare to leave high school to enter the world of work, or to go on to high education.

They also discussed their success stories, learned tips on interviewing, and ways to use their network of acquaintances, such as friends, neighbors, church, grocery store, and so on to learn about job openings that may be filled before they are ever advertised.  The students had lunch, and several door prizes were given away.

This workshop was made possible through a grant from the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services.