Mission

The CCD Health Task Force works on all the issues encompassed in the very broad term "health". Specific emphasis is placed on private health insurance; public programs such as Medicaid and Medicare; managed care, as well as quality assurance and consumer education and protections.

Co-chairs

• Natalie Kean
  Justice in Aging
  (202) 621-1038  
  nkean@justiceinaging.org

• David Machledt
  National Health Law Program (NHELP)
  202-289-7661 phone 
  202-289-7724 fax 
  machledt@healthlaw.org

• Rachel Patterson
  Epilepsy Foundation
  301-918-3791 phone
  rpatterson@efa.org

• Erin Shea
  Center for Public Representation
  202-455-5829 phone
  eshea@cpr-us.org

  Peter Thomas
  Brain Injury Association of America
  202-466-6550 phone 
  202-785-1756 fax 
  peter.thomas@ppsv.com 

ACTIVITIES

Health Task Force Annual Report - Health Task Force (January 8,  2021) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force Joint LTSS and Health Task Force Comments on CMS' COVID-19 Interim Final Rule. The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Health and Long Term Services and Supports Task Forces appreciate the opportunity to submit comments on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Interim Final Rule “Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency." (January 4,  2021) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Health Task Force Co-Chairs Comment Letter on NBPP for Plan Year 2022 The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. We, the co-chairs of the CCD Health Task Force, appreciate the opportunity to comment on this proposed rule. (December 23,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force Comments on HHS' proposed 'Securing Updated and Necessary Statutory Evaluations Timely' Regulation. The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration, and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. (December 4,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force Letter from the CCD LTSS, Health, and Rights Task Force to the Biden-Harris Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration, and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. CCD members represent a broad range of stakeholders – people with disabilities and their families, older adults, disability service providers and workers, healthcare professionals, and state systems that provide disability services – who advocate on behalf of adults and children with all types of disabilities, including people with physical, intellectual, developmental, and mental health disabilities, chronic health conditions, and older adults. (November 20,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Vaccine Allocation Principles October 2020 The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. The COVID-19 pandemic has required our health systems to prepare for and consider the implications of allocation of scarce medical resources in a number of contexts, and the same remains true regarding allocation of a potential coronavirus vaccine. (October 23,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Comments to CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Thank you for the opportunity to provide public comment for the October 2020 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. (October 23,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Health Task Force PFS Comments CY 2021 The undersigned members of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Health Task Force appreciate the opportunity to comment on the Calendar Year 2021 proposed rule for payment policies under the Physician Fee Schedule (the Proposed Rule). CCD is the largest coalition of national organizations advocating together for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration, and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. (October 5,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Comments from LTSS and CCD co-chairs on HHS Good guidance proposed reg. The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is the largest coalition of national organizations advocating together for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. We, the co-chairs of the CCD Health and Long Term Services and Supports Task Forces, thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. (September 16,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD OCR Vaccine Allocation Letter The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. We, the co-chairs of the CCD Health, Long Term Services and Supports, and Rights Task Forces, write to provide input regarding allocation of a potential coronavirus vaccine. (September 9,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Vaccine Allocation Comments Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Discussion Draft of the Preliminary Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine. The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. We, the co-chairs of the CCD Health, Long Term Services and Supports, and Rights Task Forces, appreciate the opportunity to comment on this important framework. (September 4,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Health Task Force Telehealth Principles July 2020 The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. (August 7,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Rights, LTSS and Health TF Letter re Senate COVID Package The undersigned co-chairs of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Rights, Health, and Long-Term Services and Supports Task Forces write to express our strong opposition to the SAFE TO WORK Act and deep concern about critically important measures that are not included in other portions of the Senate’s COVID-19 relief package. CCD is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. (July 30,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Health TF Comment o Medicaid Value-Based Purchasing Arrangements The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. We, the co-chairs of the CCD Health Task Force thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. Our comments are limited to the definitions of value-based purchasing arrangements. (July 20,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Health Task Force covid package 4 letter The undersigned members of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Health Task Force write to underscore our support for urgent legislation to help all Americans, including people with disabilities, to cope with the ongoing risks and ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. A fourth COVID-19 response package is necessary to provide critical resources to the disability community, which has been disproportionately affected by the disease. (July 6,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force Health and LTSS Task Forces Letter of Support for Coronavirus Medicaid Support Act On behalf of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) task forces on Health and Long-Term Services and Supports, we write to express our support for the Coronavirus Medicaid Response Act (S. 4108) (July 6,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Co-chairs letter with comments on the OK 1115 proposal The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Health Task Force appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on Oklahoma’s SoonerCare 2.0 1115 project proposal. CCD is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. For the reasons stated below, we urge HHS not to approve the proposed SoonerCare 2.0 demonstration. (June 26,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force Comments on Coordinating Care From Out-of-State Providers for Children on Medicaid We, the undersigned members of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) task forces on Health, Education, Long-Term Services and Supports, and Rights, appreciate the opportunity to comment on this Request for Information. CCD is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. (June 3,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD HTF Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans Rule 2021 Comments We, the co-chairs of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Health Task Force appreciate the opportunity to comment on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule outlining policy and technical changes for the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and other programs. This letter primarily addresses Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans. (April 6,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force Letter re COVID-19 and Disability Discrimination We write as co-chairs of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Rights and Health Task Forces to urge you to ensure that, if the current pandemic results in government decisions to ration treatment, decisions about how medical treatment should be allocated are made without discriminating based on disability. The CCD is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for Federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. (March 20,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD letter to Secretary Alex Azar The undersigned members of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) strongly condemn the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) new policy inviting states to apply for block grants and per capita caps, as announced in its January 30, 2019 Dear State Medicaid Director Letter. (March 20,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Health Task Force NBPP Comments We, the co-chairs of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Health Task Force appreciate the opportunity to comment on the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2021. 1 (the Proposed Rule). The CCD is the largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for federal public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. (March 2,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force CCD Comment on Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Rule The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Health Task Force would like to thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation. The undersigned co-chairs of the CCD Health Task Force are seriously concerned that the proposed rule would have a negative impact on states’ ability to finance their Medicaid programs and we strongly recommend that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) withdraw the parts of the proposed rule that would substantively change Medicaid financing mechanisms. (January 31,  2020) - Download [ PDF ] Health Task Force Annual Report - Health Task Force (January 9,  2020) - Download [ PDF ]