Page - Advocacy
Starting as an all-volunteer organization in the 1980s, BIAIA has worked for decades as an advocacy hub for statewide legislative and policy change. As a result, the Governor’s Advisory Council on Brain Injuries (ACBI) was established in 1989 as part of the Department of Public Health—and it has been a powerful partner for governmental and systems change in Iowa.
BIAIA has become increasingly active in legislation and policy impacting not only Iowans with brain injury, but also other Iowans with disabilities. We take very seriously our role as advocates and as a source of information and encouragement for those who wish to become advocates themselves.
Our Neuro Resource Facilitation staff are available Monday-Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, to answer questions from Iowans affected by brain injury about legislative and other issues. Please call us at 855-444-6443 or email info@biaia.org.
2024 ADVOCACY DAY
Click links below for more Information
ADVOCACY NEWS / ANNOUNCEMENTS
90 Days of Advocacy 2021
Action Alert: Protect Medicaid Medical and Community-Based Services and Supports for Americans with Disabilities
USBIA PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEE ACTION ALERT: Action needed this week!!! Last week, Senators Bill Cassidy and Lindsey Graham unveiled a plan for Congress to consider, to repeal the Affordable Care Act and drastically cut the Medicaid program that is vital in providing the medical and community supports needed by Americans with brain injury. Although the
From: USBIA Executive Committee, USBIA Public Policy Committee Please join us and advocates around the country TODAY for a National Call-in Day to oppose the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Details at https://medicaid.publicrep.org/events/national-disability-call-in-day/ This bill will hurt people with disabilities because: It dramatically cuts the revenue necessary to fund Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, housing,
It has been announced that AmeriHealth Caritas will no longer be a Managed Care Organization (MCO) for Iowa Medicaid and hawk-i (Iowa Health Link programs). AmeriHealth Caritas will withdraw from the program effective November 30, 2017. AmeriHealth Caritas members’ coverage will be reassigned to one of the other two MCOs (AmeriGroup or United Health Care)
Legislative and Policy Links
- InfoNet – Iowa’s Disability Policy Resource
- United States Brain Injury Alliance – Public Policy
- Brain Injury Association of America – Advocacy & Government Affairs
- Iowa – Find your legislator
- Iowa Mental Health and Disability Services (MHDS) Commission
- Iowa Olmstead Consumer Taskforce supporting the full inclusion of people with disabilities in housing, employment, transportation, healthcare, and other areas
- Iowans with Disabilities in Action – dedicated to generating greater civic and political participation among people with disabilities
- Americans with Disabilities Act Home Page at the Department of Justice
- Iowa State Plan for Brain Injury 2018-2021 from the Iowa Advisory Council on Brain Injury