Finding Copernicus

The remains of astronomer and priest Copernicus were found three years ago near an altar in Frombork Cathedral and confirmed to be his based on DNA samples, news services reported yesterday.

Copernicus was one of the key proponents of the idea that the Earth orbits the Sun.

For many years he was a canon and only carried out his astronomical studies in his spare time. People had speculated about his final resting place for centuries.

via news.bbc.co.uk

[Although his was not the first book in the area] his publication of a scientific theory of heliocentrism, demonstrating that the motions of celestial objects can be explained without putting the Earth at rest in the center of the universe, stimulated further scientific investigations. via Wikipedia.org

Six decades passed before the Catholic church issued a decree in 1616 suspending Copernicus' book De revolutionibus, until it was changed regarding the Pythagorean doctrine. Four years later, nine sentences were thus altered.

This was in connection with the Galileo affair "- a defining moment in the history of the relationship of religion and science". Galileo was tried and sentenced for heresy for following the position of Copernicus which was felt to be against Scripture. He was put under house arrest for the remainder of his life.

Prohibitions against De revolutionibus were finally dropped in 1835 from the Catholic church's Index of Prohibited Books.

Copernicus died without "ever knowing what a stir his work would cause."

"Of all discoveries and opinions, none may have exerted a greater effect on the human spirit than the doctrine of Copernicus. The world had scarcely become known as round and complete in itself when it was asked to waive the tremendous privilege of being the center of the universe. Never, perhaps, was a greater demand made on mankind - for by this admission so many things vanished in mist and smoke! What became of our Eden, our world of innocence, piety and poetry; the testimony of the senses; the conviction of a poetic - religious faith? No wonder his contemporaries did not wish to let all this go and offered every possible resistance to a doctrine which in its converts authorized and demanded a freedom of view and greatness of thought so far unknown, indeed not even dreamed of."

Goethe

Knit One, Save One campaign

Charlie is a fifth grader who is knitting caps, along with many others in his school, for the Save the Children Knit One, Save One campaign.

For more information visit their site.

Oakland University Student Works Toward Fully Inclusive Education

hat tip to F.R.I.D.A.

21 year old Micah (pictured at left outside a campus building) was told by Oakland University in 2007 that he could move into the dorm. OU took his deposit and confirmed his move in date, but he was later advised that there is an administrative policy prohibiting that. Micah has a cognitive disability and attends the school under the OPTIONS program.

The OPTIONS program was founded in fall 2007 by OU associate professor and associate dean of Education and Human Services Robert Wiggins. OPTIONS, which derives from Oakland University Post Secondary Transitions, is “designed to provide a fully inclusive, age appropriate post-secondary education experience for students with mild cognitive disabilities.”

Fialka-Feldman wants OU’s housing policy changed so that he and the other OPTIONS students would be allowed to live on campus. Even if it’s not on a permanent basis, he would at least like to see this happen on a trial basis so OU administrators can see how it works out and then decide whether or not to continue it.
via oaklandpostonline.com

Micah's fight is about being included in the community. Many students support his request to allow OPTIONS students live in the dorms.

Below is a clip of the November board meeting at OU. The Board will not meet again until February 2009.


Take Action!

. Spread the word to the media, to disability activists and concerned community members across the country.
. Please make comments after you view the You Tube videos
. Send the stories and articles to your local media friends.
. Get the story on CNBC, CNN, NPR, Oprah. It is time for national media coverage.
. Place the links on Face Book, on your favorite blog.
. Check out http://www.throughthesamedoor.com/
. Write Governor Jennifer Granholm at: P.O. Box 30013, Lansing, Michigan

You can reach Micah at:

Micah: micahff@aol.com
Rich and Janice: ruaw@aol.com

A sneak peek at the Macy's balloons 2008

Want a sneak peek at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade floats ?

And here's a look at the inflation of last year's balloons, including surprise visits by all kinds of cartoon characters for the kids. You can see how large the balloons are when they're on the ground being worked on....

Carol Ann Campbell passes away

Former Philadelphia city council member Carol Ann Campbell has passed away. She was responsible for the creation of the Committee of the Disabled and was an advocate for people with disabilities.

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

This week is National Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Week. For suggestions on five actions you can take in five minutes, click here.

For five things you should know about homelessness, click here.

For a guide on how to get involved, click here. From their site:

Why is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week so important? Participating in National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week not only brings greater awareness to your community, but also helps to promote the national endeavor to end hunger and homelessness. The plight of those without a home can be both lonely and difficult. Addressing their struggles by organizing and participating in this week may bring greater solidarity and understanding, as well as promote future involvement. Events, such as "One Night Without a Home," help people realize the difficulties that homeless persons daily face. Talk about these issues with your coordinators and discuss what impact such an event might have on your community. It is imperative to dispel myths that label homelessness as someone else's problem or claim that an end to homelessness is impossible.

VIa YouTube:
"This is a slide show we did using a song Tyler wrote called Sister of Mercy.We hope it will help raise awareness of the homeless problem in our country and disspell the many misconceptions about homeless people.
According to The National Alliance to End Homelessness, (www.endhomelessness.org) 50 percent of the homeless population are families. Sources estimate that between 23 and 40 percent of homeless adults are veterans.
An overwhelming majority (80 percent) of single adult shelter users enter the homeless system only once or twice, stay just over a month, and do not return. Approximately 9 percent enter nearly five times a year and stay nearly two months each time.
This group utilizes 18 percent of the system's resources.The remaining 10 percent enter the system just over twice a year and spend an average of 280 days per stay—virtually living in the system and utilizing nearly half its resources. Many of these individuals are defined as chronically homeless.They often cycle between homelessness, hospitals, jails, and other institutional care and often have a complex medical problem, a serious mental illness like schizophrenia, and/or alcohol or drug addiction.Chronically homeless people use up more than 50 percent of the services.
It may surprise some people to find that there are more shelters available for animals than there are for people. Due to the bad economy and funding cuts,most homeless shelters are constantly full. And those shelters are in constant need of supplies and donations."
To find out more about the homeless problem and what we can do to help, go to:
http://www.endhomelessness.org

See also Summary of HEARTH Act, passed by the US House of Representatives October 2008

A beautiful Irish hymn

Be thou my vision. O Lord of my heart - I used to play this on guitar. Found this arrangement and thought I'd share it.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
...
Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

(Full lyrics here.)

Adventures in Parking

Quite a few people who have accessible vans have told me that parking can be an adventure.

They told me stories about coming out and finding their vans blocked in by drivers who parked in the hash marks of handicap spots. Others told me how curious people are about their ramps or lifts. Many said they had trouble finding van access spots to begin with. I've included a video of a van opening and the ramp deploying for those who are unfamiliar with the space required.


The first thing I noticed was that older malls and office centers lack van access parking for the most part. The newer the buildings, the more likely I can park in the handicap spot and there's room to use the ramp. Without that, since I have errands to run or work tasks to accomplish, I have to get creative. I park in two spots, using a cone to alert drivers not to block me in or find a spot next to the end of the lot with an open space. One day I parked next to a dumpster. Not glamorous, but it did the trick.

Another thing I've noticed is that some van access spots are built right next to office entrances, meaning that deploying the ramp blocks ingress and egress into the building itself. In less crowded places, it's no big deal but in busy places, it's inconvenient for everyone. So far people have been friendly about it and are indeed curious about how the van and ramp work.

I haven't had too many problems overall. My guess is that the area I live in has better van access parking than most. I'm not leaving my Christmas shopping for the last minute though - I can imagine that in crowded conditions, finding a place to park will be an adventure.

As for being blocked in, so far so good, except for a truck that parked BEHIND the van. The explanation? *I* was parked in the loading dock spot, the driver said , pointing at the handicap spot. "I always use that to load my truck and if you're there, you can just wait for me," he said, ignoring my explanation that it was a handicap parking area.

Since he had an entire truck to unload, I just called the police and had them handle the situation so I could pull out. They gave him a ticket and also confiscated a handicap placard he had been using to park in those spots to unload his truck.

Diocese sponsors retreat for the deaf

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Catholic Deaf Association is sponsoring a retreat for the deaf Nov. 21, 22 and 23 at St. Joseph's Oblate Seminary, Pittston.

The Rev. Joseph A. Mulcrone, director of the Catholic Office for the Deaf in the Archdiocese of Chicago, will be the presenter.

The theme of the retreat is "Growing in Faith through Saint Paul."

For details, call Sr. Mary Beth Makuch, SS.C.M., at (570) 207-2213 ext. 1013.

via www.poconorecord.com

People like you

Noticed yesterday while reading an article online in the Chicago Sun Times, that my blog post Disabled, Not Disabled from the day after the election appeared in the Chicago Sun Times via Blogburst.

I needed that after finding not one, but two, inaccessible handicapped bathrooms yesterday. Got a pointless, senseless response from one of the managers, who muttered and said "We don't owe people like you nothing."

People like you.

I wasn't shocked or stunned, as I would have been years ago. But I did remember:

Disabled. Not disabled.

Words of hope for a better tomorrow.

Food banks in trouble

Economic woes trickle down and food banks nationwide are experiencing shortages in meeting an increasing need. Some are facing closure, which would be devastating to those who need their help.

I've noticed that some comedians and musicians in my area are performing while asking for the admission price to be a can of food for their local food bank. Bruce Springsteen has done a newspaper ad proclaiming We Can't Let This Bank Fail.

But we can help as individuals or as members of organizations we belong to as well. Food banks keep families and others living in poverty going. No child should go hungry. See this wonderful backpack program, for instance, that helps children in South Carolina and Georgia. A four dollar donation can provide a child with a backpack full of food to carry him or her through the weekend when no school meals are available.

And seniors who sometimes have to choose between buying medication or food are also affected Food banks also assist the working poor and those in rural areas.

Please take a moment to visit the NHC Database and find a foodbank in your area. Please drop off a can (or cans) of food or donate or, if you can, contact the director to organize a food drive with your group. For more information, go here.

The FoodBank is low on food

Playing in a wheelchair

3 year old Matteus, who has spina bifida, is shown playing in his new TiLite wheelchair with his sister, who is on a bike, in their driveway in this video. His laughter is infectious!

Frustration free packaging

You know those plastic clamshells that cover so many products? Apparently Amazon is leading the way toward eliminating them and finding packaging that doesn't fight back. Consumers have gone to ER's with injuries (reportedly 6000 Americans a year) and are tired of dealing with the hassle.

Light blogging this weekend - am working. But check out my sidebar -I'll be adding posts by other bloggers.

Father Dan has passed away

Fr. Dan Schuh, pastor of St. Susanna's parish, passed away overnight. He was diagnosed in April 2007 with ALS.

I blogged about Fr. Dan this past week, having seen his photo on the back of New Mobility magazine. He was a widower who became a priest in 2003 and was much beloved by his parishioners.

Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk called Schuh’s death a “sad surprise.”

“He was a dedicated priest and a real father to his people,” Pilarczyk said in a statement issued through Andriacco. ”His death leaves us all poorer.” via communitypress.cincinnati.com

That's some transferring!

A reader sent me this video of a paraplegic and his two kids exiting and re-entering the family van - in under 1 minute and 17 seconds.

How did we all get here

Yesterday , while Meredith was running into New York to sign books, I was telling her about the number of people I've been running into this past week who I haven't seen in a few years. And I was in a testy mood because of it. It hasn't been easy figuring out what to say, if anything , to some people who look so shocked to run into me.

These would be the people who I didn't see because I didn't have independent transportation. The folks who sent invitations along with the phrase "...if you can get here yourself". The ones who stopped calling months ago.

"How did you get here?" one person asked me when she ran into me at a store.

"I teleported," I said, smiling.

When I went into a power chair, the exodus of folks from my life was of biblical proportions: now if I was included, I had to be transported. And I found out very quickly that it wasn't a happening thing for most people. This surprised a friend of mine, who pointed out that my manual chair was very lightweight, easily put in a car and I could be pushed in it.

Of course, that is all true. But it's not always about what effort is involved, but expectations, attitudes, perceptions.

Until I ran into this transportation issue with a power chair, I never realized that my life would become so circumscribed by how people reacted and the shamefully low level of available transportation options.

How did you get here? to a power chair user in America is not so much a question that deserves a quip as an answer, but a weeklong discussion in Washington DC .

How did we all get here?

How did we get to a place where the perception of inconvenience - and some work- keeps people literally homebound? Why are we in a place where accessible vans cost 50 thousand dollars, yet accessible mass transit is still not a viable solution in many places for so many people?

I know now that until we ask the question as a group - as Americans- who have elderly parents, family members, neighbors, church members and friends - who will be and are affected by this, it won't be answered. Not until we make a concerted effort to give the right of mobility.

On my sidebar there's a Call to action, asking people to email Obama with issues of concern related to the disability community. If you share concerns about housing or transportation, equipment or assistance, if your eyes are open about these things, then take a moment and write in. Speaking up about all of these basic needs is vital to planning solutions.

And maybe one day instead of asking a power chair user or a person with disability the question How did you get here? , the question will become How can we all get there?

Sometimes I blame myself....

that my cat is so inactive. I think - it's my disability - I don' t move around enough to help him exercise. But then I saw this video:





and I realized: it's the cat....
[visual description: A female dances to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy while twirling a hula hoop while a cat sleeps the entire time underneath her. He does raise his head near the end.]

On the road again

I was driving on the highway yesterday in my van. It still has the "new used car" stickers plates etc. on it and is clearly marked as a converted van, with access ramp signs on the sides and back. (It helps when I park so no one blocks me in.)

All of a sudden I heard honking and looked over at a truck next to me.

The driver was holding up a sign that said

Disabled vet.

I nodded and waved at him. Then he held up another sign that said

Congrats on your van!

Geeze, is the disability community cool or what?

Arranged: a movie worth seeing

In this film about arranged marriages, two young female teachers, one Jewish, one Muslim, share their experiences as they go through the process. A film about diversity, faith and love. No time to write a review, but recommend seeing it.

Veteran's Help Network

The National Veterans Foundation offers help to vets with live help available daily 9AM to 9PM. Operation Dignity is for veterans helping homeless vets. This site (Veteran's Help Network) offers help to vets and opportunities for people to learn about their experiences and extend a helping hand.They need volunteer attorneys. Fisher House offers help to families while a vet is hospitalized. And there is Welcome Back Veterans.

There are so many organizations doing good work, but we need to remember that our donations and our help as individuals is also important. Veterans returning home face a myriad of issues. This story, about the parents of a critically injured soldier who lingered for months before dying, shows what families often face. Then there are those who lack family support.

"Often when veterans return to civilian life the transition is difficult, and they are left to face a complex set of issues including psychological disorders, homelessness and unemployment," says Jim Gibbons, President and CEO, Goodwill Industries International. "Goodwill's holistic approach to providing services to veterans hinges on developing and maintaining working partnerships with other service providers to meet the multiple needs of the veteran seeking services. via www.marketwatch.com

Some of the first wheelchair users I met were vets. They were extraordinarily helpful to me. Many extended themselves by giving me wheelchair parts, helping me fix my chair, and spent hours talking to me about life in a wheelchair. I remember a few of these friends who have now passed on, who served in wars like Vietnam and Korea. I will always owe them a debt of gratitude and paying it forward is the best way I can think to do that.

Some of the vets from the current war who are newer to living with disabilities have contacted me. Many of these vets need the support of others from the disability community, who can ease their path in so many ways. Their spouses and family members also need your support. Opportunities to help folks like this are available over at any of these sites and many others. Donate to the USO, google for the site you'd like to donate even a dollar to. No amount is too small.

[To help soldiers still serving abroad in harm's way, visit anysoldier.com to send a care package. Busy? Use treatanysoldier.com for ready made packages. Call a VA hospital to volunteer to read to soldiers, a great way to connect with those dealing with disabilities.]

Veterans Day

Praying for our vets, their families and loved ones with gratitude for their sacrifices.

Blink and you miss it.....

My friend from Delaware drove up this weekend and we attached the various safety belts inside the van, hung up the CD holder, worked on my power chair so I could transfer into the van seat and then set out for Mexican food to celebrate.

"Where are we going now?" my friend asked as we left the restaurant.

I drew a blank. Hard to explain that, other than the fact that it's been a while that the wanting of going a place has been followed with the ability to do it. Hard to fathom that suddently I can go anywhere , anytime, that in the blink of an eye, it's all changed.

This is the same friend who taught me how to use a wheelchair from her own wheelchair. She taught me that brakes on a wheelchair aren't used to stop, but applied when you get in and out of the wheelchair. She led me down streets with lousy curbcuts and sidewalks and showed me how to traverse them. When I hesitated, she kept going, glancing over her shoulder, pulling out ahead but staying in sight, setting a pace. "Come on," she said. I had to set aside my fears and follow her to keep up. Not like I could get out of the wheelchair and walk. When I caught up to her, she said "You're getting faster" and pulled out ahead again. Tough love.

We got into the van, deploying the ramp, transferring into our seats. My mind was still blank. I couldn't think of anywhere to go.

She waited. I was navigating a different terrain now, an internal one, one that in some ways was more difficult, one that she understood and knew. It was a full ten minutes after she asked me where we were going that I finally answered her. It took five minutes before I answered her the next time. A minute after that.

And then, suddenly, it hit me. She was setting a pace, then waiting for me.

When we got back home, we said goodbye and she rolled up the ramp into her car. Just as she did after she taught me how to use my wheelchair, she said "I think you're good now."

After she left, I got back in the van and drove somewhere. Didn't think about it much at all.

Kind of happened in the blink of an eye.

When mobility is a dream

Remember Christmas when you were a kid? You'd wake up early and sneak down to the tree to check your presents. The last few mornings, I've been waking up at 5 a.m. The first thing I do is look outside to see if it's real. And, yes, it is. There's a mobility van out there. Like Christmas morning, I don't go back to bed. I sit, amazed, and these words of C.S. Lewis come to mind:

The waking world is judged more real because it can thus contain the dreaming world: the dreaming world is judged less real because it cannot contain the waking one.

I am in the waking world, I tell myself. The dream I had of mobility is now part of the waking world. And then I look again.

I used to assume mobility was a right, but have learned that, for people with disabilities, it's still a privilege. When you use a power chair and need an accessible vehicle, if you can't afford the equipment, you don't get mobility of the kind others take for granted.

Yet in the waking world, your dream of mobility is with you all the time. If you go somewhere in a car, you sit in a manual wheelchair, unable to push yourself, to move independently, your autonomy denied. In your power chair , you sit watching cars pass by, knowing they won't hold you and your chair and can't take you places where others are free to go.

Maybe you don't think of words like right and privilege, but you dream of mobility. And, sometimes, it hurts. You scream down alleys but the only echo in the waking world is a voice saying this is the way it is.

When you sleep, you dream of flying carpets, teleportation, magic. You wake up and know it would take far less than magic to have mobility, but is far less likely to happen.

This is the way it is.

Every time we treat mobility as a privilege, not a right, we teach that physical limits carry a myriad of other limits with them, that people with disabilities should leave their dreams in the dreaming world and not dare to carry them into the waking world.

Yet the waking world is the only place where dreams can become real, where mobility can become a right. And to say this is the way it is keeps mobility in the category of privilege, kills hope, denies equality.

Perhaps I wake up early now because I know the limits of the dream world. I need the waking world to change the way it is.

Dreams matter.

ReliOn insulin syringe recall

Information here for recall of products sold at Walmart and Sam's Club.

U.S. health officials warned doctors and patients on Wednesday that Covidien Ltd was recalling nearly half a million single-use syringes that could pose a serious risk to diabetics.

The Food and Drug Administration said the possibly mislabeled ReliOn syringes could lead to patients receiving an insulin overdose of as much as 2.5 times the intended dose, leading to low blood sugar levels and serious health consequences, including death. via abcnews.com

According to the article the products were sold from August 1 to October 8 . For the lot number and 800 number, click on the above link.

Information for seniors, caregivers and loved ones

The National Senior Citizen's Law Center has materials and information on assisted living and Medicare Part D.

It also includes a link to J&J's Strength for Caring, connecting caregivers. The resource center provides information about housing, money, financial planning and insurance as well as pointing families and caregivers toward more materials. There is a message board area as well.

What a broken wheelchair means

Dave writes movingly in his post I Cease to Be, about the effect of a broken wheelchair and the unavailability of a replacement on his life - even for one day.

Then there's 11 year old Stephanie, who ran into red tape and couldn't get to school because of a broken wheelchair.

There's also waiting for the wheelchair guy, leaving you kind of stuck.

Plenty more folks in that boat.

God bless the folks out there who do understand and work hard to fix broken wheelchairs

and find other ways to keep us rolling.

I will tell my children of this day..

“I will tell my children of this day, and they will pass it on from generation to generation and know about the first black president . And I know that he will certainly not be the last.”
essay, 10 year old Torin Wilson, Eagle Academy, Brooklyn NY

There's a great article and video in the NY Times about the reactions of sixth graders to the election of our first African American President. Pupils follow strict rules and constitute the first class at the new school, which plans to expand.

The Eagle Academy opened in September with sixth grade and plans to expand through high school. David C. Banks, president of the Eagle Academy Foundation, said the group intended to create additional schools in the same mode across the city, in seven neighborhoods that, as he put it, “generate a substantial portion of the prison population for the State of New York.” (In 2007, the graduation rate of black male students in the city was 39 percent, according to the Department of Education.) via NY Times.com

[image description: Four male pupils watch a video of Obama's acceptance speech in their sixth grade classroom at Eagle Academy, dressed in their uniforms of a light blue shirt and tie.]

Upcoming Paralympics TV coverage

NBC and Universal Sports present the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games presented by GE to TV beginning this Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports with a 90-minute documentary narrated by NBC Sports' Bob Costas. Following the special will be an unprecedented 28 hours of Paralympic event programming on Universal Sports taking place November 10-16.

PARALYMPICS TV SCHEDULE:

COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS: NBC Sports will present 2008 Paralympics, a documentary narrated by Bob Costas, on Sunday, November 9 from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. ET.

COVERAGE ON UNIVERSAL SPORTS: Universal Sports, available in 30 million homes, will present a broadcast on its 24-hour television network from 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. ET each day featuring the following Paralympic event competitions:

Mon. Nov. 10- Men's Wheelchair Basketball preliminary - USA vs. Great Britain; Wheelchair Rugby preliminary - USA vs. Japan; Swimming; Track and Field
Tue. Nov. 11- Women's Wheelchair Basketball preliminary - USA vs. Germany; Wheelchair Tennis - Men's Doubles Gold Medal Match; Swimming; Track and Field
Wed. Nov. 12- Men's Wheelchair Basketball preliminary - USA vs. Australia; Wheelchair Tennis - Women's Singles Gold Medal Match; Swimming; Track and Field
Thu. Nov. 13- Women's Wheelchair Basketball Semifinals - USA vs. Australia; Wheelchair Rugby preliminary - USA vs. Canada; Swimming; Track and Field
Fri. Nov. 14- Men's Wheelchair Basketball Semifinals - USA vs. Canada; Swimming; Track and Field
Sat. Nov. 15- Women's Wheelchair Basketball Gold Medal Game - USA vs. Germany; Wheelchair Rugby Semifinals - USA vs. Great Britain; Swimming; Track and Field
Sun. Nov. 16- Men's Wheelchair Basketball Bronze Medal Game - USA vs. Great Britain; Wheelchair Rugby Gold Medal Game - USA vs. Australia; Swimming; Track and Field
Paralympics event competition videos, video highlights, feature articles, photo galleries and more all available on UniversalSports.com.

h/t JFActivist

{image description : A wheelchair racer is shown crossing the finish line, both arms upraised in front of four other racers.]

New Rule Pares Outpatient Medicaid Services

Yesterday the Bush administration acted to narrow services which can be provided under Medicaid, amidst protests from public hospitals and state officials. It would reduce payments to hospitals in a time of growing need amidst layoffs and unemployment. This action conflicts with congressional efforts to increase federal aid under a new economic plan.

In a notice published Friday in the Federal Register, the Bush administration said it had to clarify the definition of outpatient hospital services because the current ambiguity had allowed states to claim excessive payments.

“This rule represents a new initiative to preserve the fiscal integrity of the Medicaid program,” the notice said.

But John W. Bluford III, the president of Truman Medical Centers in Kansas City, Mo., said: “This is a disaster for safety-net institutions like ours. The change in the outpatient rule will mean a $5 million hit to us. Medicaid accounts for about 55 percent of our business.”

Others say it will force them to possibly reduce outpatient services like dental and vision care in the midst of anticipating cuts at the state level due to the economy.

Carol H. Steckel, the commissioner of the Alabama Medicaid Agency, said the rule would reduce federal payments for outpatient services at two large children’s hospitals, in Birmingham and Mobile.

Richard J. Pollack, the executive vice president of the American Hospital Association, said these concerns were valid.

“The new regulation,” Mr. Pollack said, “will jeopardize important community-based services, including screening, diagnostic and dental services for children, as well as lab and ambulance services.”
via NYTimes.com

Congress issued a moratorium on six other rules affecting Medicaid over the past year and a half. The rule takes effect December 8, six weeks before Bush leaves office.

Larry S. Gage, the president of the National Association of Public Hospitals, said, “We will urge Congress to extend the moratorium to this rule, and we will ask the Obama administration to withdraw it.”