Disability Action Network NC

🗳️ Our voice. Our vote. Our power.

Elections shape every decision that affects the disability community — from Medicaid and Innovations Waiver slots to the supports that let people live and thrive in their own communities. So how do we make sure the people serving in office actually fight for us?

Join the Disability Action Network of NC (DAN NC) for a FREE webinar:
"Our Voice, Our Vote: Electing Disability-Friendly Leaders That Fight for Us!"

📅 Monday, June 30
🕖 7:00 – 8:15 PM
💻 Online — register free!

We're featuring Mike Kondratick, Co-Founder of Relate Advocacy, for a powerful conversation on "How We Motivate Legislators to Make Life-Changing Decisions." If you've ever wondered how advocacy actually moves the people in power, this is the place for you!

This is for the WHOLE disability community and our allies — self-advocates, families, DSPs, providers, and anyone ready to turn frustration into ACTION!

👉 Register free here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Hoa_uq_KQdWBwnrrs9cjbg

Bring a friend!

On June 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that details all the policies around new Medicaid work requirements.

These work requirements, approved by Congress in 2025, will lead to disabled people losing their life-saving benefits. Work requirements threaten the health, safety, and independence of the millions of people with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to pay for essential health care, Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and other supports and services.

While the work requirements don't go into effect until January 1, 2027, AAPD is working hard to educate our community about what these requirements mean and how you can prepare for them.

We will have many resources for you, starting with our new FAQ! Check it out for our answers to common questions and concerns about these new requirements: aapd.com/medicaid-work-requirements-faq

Comments on the IFR remain open until July 31, 2026. Watch this space to join an upcoming action alert, when AAPD will provide a template for you to submit a comment.

ID: A graphic announcing a new resource says "Medicaid Work Requirements FAQ"

The bad news just keeps coming for some of our most vulnerable citizens!

https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2026/06/11/medicaid-work-exemptions/?fbclid=IwdGRjcASXrZ9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe10QdusAYt1cnfDzH_xOvjx-36lFs4IVBpGLxoHFntQSQWOqZh17Nvt1PZKE_aem_g5KWxguhB6-obFNlTR8xmQ

Federal curveball upends NC’s plans for Medicaid work rule New exemption guidance from CMS on who qualifies as "medically frail" has forced the state back to the drawing board.

We are sowing seeds of change!

SO proud of our team at i2i conference today in Raleigh. ❤️

Come see us next week at the i2i Conference in Raleigh. We are presenting: “Rooted in Community: Civic Power as a Path to Better Disability Outcomes” on June 9th at 3 pm.

AND we have an exhibit table! We have some fun giveaways to celebrate our grassroots movement to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families from the ground up. We are becoming rooted in communities across the state - sowing seeds of change.

📣 **DAN NC is heading to the i2i Spring Conference 2026!**

Join our team for:
**"Rooted in Community: Civic Power as a Path to Better Disability Outcomes"**
🗓️ Tues, June 9 · 3–4 PM
Featuring Cheryl Powell, Lynn Martin & Mike Kondratick

Better disability outcomes start with civic power — voting, organizing, showing up. Your vote is your voice!

Attending i2i? Come join the conversation!

Yes! The people most likely to lose coverage are those holding the system together. Let’s help others understand this.

National Alliance for Caregiving

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an interim final rule on Medicaid work requirements that will determine who can access essential Medicaid coverage.

We appreciate that CMS exempted many family caregivers from work requirements and recognized that caregiving is demanding work. But exemptions only matter if people can actually claim them.

We remain concerned that eligible caregivers risk losing coverage not because they fail to qualify — but because of paperwork and administrative barriers. And the rule's narrow definition of medical frailty puts people with serious health conditions like cancer at greater risk of losing coverage.

"Between the looming documentation requirement and a medical frailty standard that's more restrictive than states expected, the people most likely to lose coverage are the ones already holding our care system together." — Jason Resendez, President & CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving

Family caregivers deserve clear pathways to verify their status, fewer administrative barriers, and stronger protections. The care they provide is complex, demanding, and saves Medicaid and Medicare billions of dollars annually.

Read our full statement: 🔗 https://www.caregiving.org/nac-responds-to-the-interim-final-rule-from-the-centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services-cms/

We love seeing communities getting together for fun around North Carolina. Send us your events to highlight what’s going on around the state.

The Centers for Exceptional Children

Please join us for our Exceptional Families Summer Picnic, Friday June 5th, 6-8 PM. Meet old and new friends at a beautiful, accessible playground! Main dish provided, families will sign up to bring sides/desserts. Bring a blanket or folding chairs. Register below.
LOCATION:
King Recreational Acres Accessible Playground, 229 S Main St.
King, NC 27021

Questions? Email Erin with our Family Support Network at [email protected]

REGISTER HERE
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsIN856_08VxVFjJPEB_PoKPqSrSKuAYoIL_c1xZEfYTwULg/viewform

WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!