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COVID-19 Advocacy Resources & Guidance

COVID-19 Relief for the Disability Community

United Spinal encourages everyone to get involved and be an advocate and activist. Make your voice heard.
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COVID-19 Resources and
Assistance

Our Resource Center hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staff is not able to give specific medical advice.
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Disability Rights

Discrimination Impacting the Disability Community Regarding the Provision of Healthcare

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, United Spinal has been very active in defending the rights of people with disabilities against discrimination as states and health care providers adopted policies that put people with disabilities at the back of the line to receive treatment.

United Spinal advocacy and policy staff helped draft and signed onto a letter to the Director of the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), Roger Severino, at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), asking for federal guidance to be issued to states and health care providers regarding their responsibilities under federal law not to discriminate against people with disabilities in providing health care, as certain states and health systems had begun issuing blatantly discriminatory and illegal medical rationing policies.  United Spinal also supported a bipartisan letter sent by thirty-two members of Congress to HHS Secretary Alex Azar and Attorney General William Barr asking for federal guidance on this topic to be issued.  OCR then issued that federal guidance and is considering issuing further guidance.

United Spinal signed onto a guidance memo developed by the disability community outlining principles for states and health care providers to follow in adhering to the federal guidance.  United Spinal also joined over 400 organizations in calling for additional federal guidance on nondiscrimination in health care to be issued by OCR.

We are continuing to monitor discriminatory medical rationing policies at the state level. Since the federal guidance was issued by OCR, the federal government has forced changes to the medical rationing policies in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Utah. There are still outstanding federal complaints pending against the States of Kansas, New York, Oklahoma, and Washington. If you have concerns about potentially discriminatory medical rationing policies in your state, please reach out to United Spinal’s advocacy and policy team at advocacy@unitedspinal.org.

If you would like to advocate within your state about your state’s policies regarding medical rationing, we suggest reaching out to your Governor, your state Attorney General, and your state Department of Health.

HHS Office for Civil Rights Bulletin, March 28, 2020
Non-discrimination Guidance Memo

Health Care Facility Visitor Policies

Another issue we have been monitoring very closely is the issuance of no-visitors policies by states, hospital systems, and other facilities. Such policies can discriminate against people with disabilities who require support from family members or personal care attendants.

The federal government reached a settlement with Connecticut to resolve multiple complaints that their hospital no-visitors policy did not allow a large portion of the disability community to have their support personnel on hand to assist them. Connecticut was the first state to have a complaint filed against them over hospital visitor policies.

Other states that include exceptions to no-visitor policies in hospitals for people with disabilities include Alabama, California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

United Spinal will continue to monitor this issue. If you have concerns about your state’s hospital visitor policies, please reach out to United Spinal’s advocacy and policy team at advocacy@unitedspinal.org.

HHS Office for Civil Rights Announcement on Resolution of Connecticut Hospital Visitors Policy Complaints

Economic Impact Payments

NEW – IRS Extends Deadline to September 30 to Ensure People with Children Receive $500 Economic Impact Payments.

Learn more here.

Supplemental Security Recipients Deadline: May 5

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the third coronavirus relief package which was signed into law at the end of March, grants individuals a cash payment up to $1,200. Married couples who file taxes jointly will receive up to $2,400, and there is a $500 supplemental payment per child under the age of 17. To receive these payments, a person must have a Social Security number.

Initially people were required to have filed tax returns with the IRS in order to receive payments, however, through a lot of disability community advocacy, this was updated recently so Social Security, retirement, survivors and disability insurance recipients no longer need to file tax returns to receive these payments. SSI recipients who have dependent children and did not file 2018 or 2019 taxes need to act by Tuesday, May 5, in order to receive additional payments for their eligible children quickly.

Check on the status of your Economic Impact Payment
Economic Impact Payment Resource Guide
Social Security Administration Press Release – April 15, 2020
Social Security and Coronavirus Disease

Employment Resources

Temporary Rule: Paid Leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor announced new action with the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, both part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

  • Provides direction for administration of the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA), which requires that certain employers provide up to 80 hours of paid sick leave to employees who need to take leave from work for certain specified reasons related to COVID-19. These reasons may include the following:
    • the employee or someone the employee is caring for is subject to a government quarantine order or has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine;
    • the employee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking medical attention; or,
    • the employee is caring for his or her son or daughter whose school or place of care is closed or whose childcare provider is unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19.
  • Provides direction for the effective administration of the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA), which requires that certain employers provide up to 10 weeks of paid, and 2 weeks unpaid, emergency family and medical leave to eligible employees if the employee is caring for his or her son or daughter whose school or place of care is closed or whose child care provider is unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/ffcra.

Learn how to File Unemployment Insurance During COVID-19

The CARES Act signed into law by President Trump on March 27, 2020, gives states the option of extending unemployment compensation to independent contractors and other workers who are ordinarily ineligible for unemployment benefits. Please contact your state’s unemployment insurance office at the website or phone number provided below to learn more about the availability of these benefits where you live.

Additional Resources