Miscellaneous

Tennessee Statewide Independent Living Council is seeking candidates to serve as potential volunteer council members appointed by the Governor to three-year terms. The council is looking to fill a number of vacancies and terms that will expire at the end of the year. The council seeks diverse membership, including individuals with various disabilities, cultures, ages, and gender, geographically distributed across the State.

Based on current council membership, the TNSILC hopes to enhance its diversity with members located in all geographic areas in addition to individuals with disabilities.  All individuals are encouraged to apply including, but not limited to, veterans with disabilities and young adults with disabilities.

Interested candidates should complete an application form in its entirety and include a copy of their resume plus two references with contact information. This information should be sent electronically to ensure equal access during the review process to mark_m@tnsilc.org by the end of business on Friday, September 16, 2011.

The recommendation and appointment process will proceed in the next few months. If you have any questions about the application, process, or duties of council members, contact the TNSILC office at (615) 255-0283 (Voice), (615) 255-2495 (Fax), or mark_m@tnsilc.org. Thank you for your interest in the council.

Mark Montgomery, Executive Director
TNSILC

About TNSILC

The Tennessee Statewide Independent Living Council, Inc. (TNSILC) is an independent federally mandated state council that advances Independent Living philosophy through the network of Centers for Independent Living (CILs) by promoting, supporting, and providing independent living services that are consumer controlled by and for a cross-disability population which are non-residential within an integrated, fully inclusive setting to ensure the maximum empowerment and independence of individuals with disabilities.

The state has announced that there will be a brief window for individuals to apply for one of 2,500 slots program on Monday, September 12th from 6-8:30pm CST.  However, you must call in to apply as soon as the phone lines open because the window of opportunity could literally close in only a few hours.

Download an overview of the program here

The State's Press Release (an adapted excerpt):

Standard Spend Down is available through a waiver to the Medicaid program for a limited number of qualified low income individuals, or those with high, unpaid medical bills who are aged, blind, disabled, or the caretaker relative of a Medicaid eligible child. Eligible individuals must have enough unpaid medical bills to meet the “spend down” threshold to qualify for coverage.

“We are pleased to again work in this collaborative effort with several entities including TennCare, the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS), the Tennessee Hospital Association, advocacy groups and the federal government in offering Standard Spend Down,” said DHS Commissioner Raquel Hatter. “This program offers additional assistance to qualified low-income individuals or those with very high medical bills who are not already on TennCare.”  

A special call-in phone line through DHS has been set up for interested applicants. The only way to request an application is by calling the toll-free number -- 1-866-358-3230 -- which will be open between 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. CST on Sept.12.  The phone lines will be open from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on subsequent weekdays until 2,500 interested applicants call in.  

Prospective applicants are encouraged to check eligibility qualifications before calling in. More information on the Standard Spend Down program and more detailed eligibility criteria are available on TennCare’s website: www.tn.gov/TennCare.

The toll-free number system is used to ensure equal access to Tennessee citizens interested in this program. After the first 2,500 calls are taken, the phone lines will be closed. The Tennessee Department of Human Services will send applications to all callers who are not already on TennCare and will review their eligibility for any open Medicaid categories and the newly opened Standard Spend Down category.  Advanced notifications will be made to the public and other stakeholders prior to subsequent openings of the application request line.

Legislation called for the "expansion of the Standard Spend Down category for TennCare enrollment up to a maximum of seven thousand (7,000) individuals in FY 2010-2011.” The program will continue to open and close on a rolling basis.

The Standard Spend Down category first opened to applicants on Oct. 4, 2010.  It was opened a second time on Feb. 22, 2011.  The 2,500 call limit was reached in approximately one hour during both enrollment periods.

Standard Spend Down Eligibility:

• In addition to being aged (65 or older), blind*, disabled,* or a caretaker relative,
• An individual must meet certain income restrictions, or be able to “spend down” qualifying unpaid medical bills to that limit. (*To be considered blind or disabled, an individual must meet standards set by the Social Security Administration.)
  

The following chart shows the income limits:

Household Size - Monthly Income Limits

• 1 person: $241
• 2 people: $258
• 3 people: $317
• 4 people: $325
• 5 people: $392
• 6 people: $408
  

Coalition Note: excessive health care bills can be used to "spend down" into these categories if you currently have a larger income

Applicants also must not have resources that:

• Exceed $2,000 for a family of one and $3,000 for a family of two with an additional $100 added per additional individual in the family.
• A person’s unpaid medical bill must have been accrued within the past 90 days.  Medical bills paid by the applicant within the past 30 days may count towards meeting an applicant’s spend down requirement.

Pregnant women and children still are eligible for the Medically Needy Spend Down program which has never closed and does not have an enrollment cap.

The ONLY way to request an application for the TennCare Standard Spend Down Program is through the toll free number (1-866-358-3230). Those wishing to apply for other TennCare categories should contact their local Department of Human Services county office, call the Family Assistance Service Center at 1-866-311-4287 during normal business hours, or visit www.tennessee.gov/humanserv/.

Her submission was one of nearly 12,000, but her personal story left a lasting impression.  I loved your feature on handicapped parking and would love to do something else on disabilities," was how Amy Saffell, of Franklin, Tenn., began her submission.

Using her idea, we (ABC's "How Would You Do it?") set up a scene where a disabled shopper is met by a well-intentioned woman whose excessive acts of kindness border on harassment. It is a scenario that resonated with Amy since she, herself, has been bound to a wheelchair since birth.

When we selected Amy's idea from the "How Would You Do It?" contest entries, we decided to hire Shannon DeVido, the same actress from a past program, in which Shannon played a woman who lost out on a handicapped parking spot because a non-disabled person had taken it.  We flew Amy and her mother to New York City to experience a "What Would You Do?" shoot from start to finish. While on set, she got a chance to chat with Shannon.

"I really identified with you as a woman who was ready to enjoy life," Amy told her. "It is something that I pride myself on too; that I want to be out there and be in regular society and do things and just be a really independent person."

"One of the biggest issues that I face is attitude," Amy said. "People often pity me, petting on my head in public. I am a grown woman with a college degree. What are people thinking? My life is actually pretty great, and I wish that they knew that."

In our short time with Amy, we learned that she currently works for a Nashville record label, EMI; coaches a wheelchair basketball team; and enjoys waterskiing among other activities. She is also Miss Wheelchair Tennessee 2007.

"That's what I try to let people see, that I'm just a normal person," Amy said. "I get around a little differently, but that's really all it is."  To read more about Amy's appearance at the taping.

To watch the episode online visit (Amy's segment begins about 25 minutes into the 42 minute episode).

Amy's Commentary on her Experience

As a longtime follower of "What Would You Do?", when I heard that the show was asking for submissions, I jumped at the chance to have my story heard. Being born with spina bifida, I've used a wheelchair all of my life, but I haven't let it stop me from doing the things that a lot of other people aspire to do.

After graduating college, I moved to a suburb of Nashville where I have my own place and car and work for a record label. I spend my time going to concerts, volunteering, and enjoying the company of friends. I've navigated life's twists and turns by learning to adapt to my circumstances, knowing that my belief in my abilities can carry me further than any physical limitation could weigh me down.

Unfortunately, the rest of the world doesn't always understand that someone with a disability can be successful and independent. Not a week goes by when I don't experience someone thinking that I'm far less capable than I really am, and I wanted to bring my experiences to light through "What Would You Do?" with the hope that viewers would begin to reconsider how they think about someone with a disability. I had only seen one previous episode of "What Would You Do?" that featured someone in a wheelchair in a scenario surrounding accessible parking, and just as that scenario told the story of someone with a disability who was striving to be an independent adult in society, I wanted the opportunity to show the same in a little different way.

To read more of Amy's commentary on her experience.