**Updated March 31, 2009- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services presents an interactive Webcast: "Affordable Health Care for Kids: Moving Forward Without Delay" on Friday, April 3, 2009 – 2:00pm – 3:00pm ET. Share your experiences and ideas about how we can help millions of uninsured children get the health coverage they need...without delay. Special Guests include:
Rima Cohen, Counselor to the Secretary for Health Policy, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); Jackie Garner, Acting Director, Center for Medicaid and State Operations, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Please see the "Downloads" section below for the full participation announcement.

To find out when the New Freedom Initiative Open Door Forum scheduled, please see the "Related Links Inside CMS" to sign up on the E-Mailing List. A Listserv notice will be sent out 2 weeks prior to the scheduled date. 

***New Freedom Initiative ODF Overview

The New Freedom Initiative was announced by President Bush on February 1, 2001, followed up by Executive Order 13217 on June 18, 2001. The initiative is a nationwide effort to remove barriers to community living for people of all ages with disabilities and long-term illnesses. It represents an important step in working to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work, choose where to live and participate in community life.

The New Freedom Initiative Open Door Forum (ODF) is a quarterly call for all interested stakeholders to discuss topical issues related to the national effort to remove barriers to access for people with disabilities and illnesses. Some of the discussions in this ODF focus on individual efforts within CMS to provide regulatory flexibility for states to rebalance long-term care funding, help disabled workers enter or remain in the workforce, and help improve better self-direction of health care resources for individual beneficiaries.

Downloads
Friday, April 3, 2009- CHIP Webcast: "Affordable Health Care for Kids: Moving Forward Without Delay" (PDF, 24KB)
Related Links Inside CMS
New Freedom Initiative Open Door Forum Mailing List Sign-Up Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Open Door Forum Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) New Freedom Initiative Overview Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Matters Articles CMS Transmittal & Change Request Search
Related Links Outside CMS
Government Printing Office Federal Register CMS Survey and Certification Group Training Site

Page Last Modified: 03/31/2009 11:40:08 AM
Help with File Formats and Plug-Ins