Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa’s 2018 Legislative Priorities

The Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa (BIAIA) is committed to leading efforts that makes brain injury prevention, rehabilitation, and support services a priority within the state of Iowa. BIAIA works with policy makers at various levels to help grow services for those that have experienced a brain injury. We help individuals with brain injury, their caregivers, and providers to stay informed about policy priorities and provide assistance with contacting legislators to ask for their support on crucial issues.

BIAIA’s 2018 Legislative Priorities

1. Allocate funding to reduce the waiting list for the Medicaid Home and Community Based (HCBS) Waiver for Brain Injury (BI)
   • More than 1,147 Iowans are listed by DHS on the HCBS Brain Injury Waiver waiting list as of January 2018.
   • There is greater than a two year wait time for individuals on the BI Waiver waiting list (next application date for slot is 10/26/15).
   • There is less than a 25% uptake for slots due in large part to the loss in ability for DHS to contact applicants as they have changed address during the two-plus year wait.
   • A delay in brain injury services leads to a much higher cost in high levels of care placement, admission to corrections system, inpatient psychiatric placement, and other outcomes (such as further disability or death).
2. Increase funding by $100,000 to the Brain Injury Services Program (BISP) at the Iowa Dept. of Public Health (IDPH)
   • The BISP at IDPH supports services that improve the health of Iowans with brain injury and return 184% of the funds allocated. See supporting documentation HERE.
   • Adding $100,000 directed to Neuro Resource Facilitation (NRF) services that would serve 450 individuals resulting in significant savings to the Medicaid and Corrections budgets.
3. Protection of Iowa’s youth age 17 and under by requiring the use of a helmet when riding mopeds and motorcycles (“Line’s Law”)
   • Young drivers are among the most vulnerable to brain injury on our streets and highways.
     • They are the least experienced drivers on the roads.
     • Their brains literally are not yet developed to the degree that they can anticipate the consequences to their actions. The frontal lobes of the brain do not fully develop in humans until their early 20s.
     • The cost of brain injury is too high in both economic and personal terms to ignore.
     • Prevention is the only cure for brain injury.
4. Reinstate Medicaid Retroactive Coverage back to 90 days.
   • In the last legislative session, retroactive coverage was removed.
   • This resulted in:
     • Bankruptcy for families,
     • A transfer of costs to providers, and/or
     • Denial of critical care and services to some of Iowa’s most vulnerable citizens.

We Need Your Help!

There are a variety of other ways that you can support BIAIA’s support efforts:

• Contact your legislators -This allows you to voice your support for services and supports for individuals that have experienced a brain injury. It encourages legislators to keep brain injury at the forefront of their minds and continually be reminded that brain injury affects many more than the eye can see.
• Sign up to receive our newsletter – If a call to action is needed, you will be the first to hear about it through our newsletter that will be delivered directly to your email inbox!
• Tell us your story – By sharing the real life, day-to-day successes and struggles you face, we are able to better communicate to legislators the need for services and supports here in the state of Iowa.

Our Neuro Resource Facilitation staff are available Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm, to answer questions from Iowans affected by brain injury about legislative and other issues. Please call us at (855) 444-6443 or email at info@biaia.org.