2022 Reeve Advocacy Round-Up

In 2022, the Reeve Foundation advanced important advocacy priorities due to the dedication and focus of our entire grassroots community, including our invaluable Reeve Regional Champions. 

Below the Reeve Foundation would like to highlight a few of these accomplishments. Among them is reaching our 2022 goal of recruiting 10,000 Reeve online advocates nationwide. Thank you for helping us reach this ambitious goal. In 2023, we need to keep this momentum up. Below are some more highlights.

FY 2022 & FY 2023 Appropriations (Omnibus Bills)

Congress passed FY’ 22 (March 2022) and FY’ 23 (December 2022) funding bills in the same year after months of gridlock and several continuing resolutions. With strong advocacy and bipartisan support from across the aisle, this resulted in a $2 million increase for the Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) over Fiscal Year 2021 levels, bringing total program funding to $10.7 million for Fiscal Year 2023. The Reeve Foundation celebrates this win for our community, as the PRC can continue to expand services and assist more individuals impacted by paralysis.

Other relevant provisions in the year end Omnibus included:

• Enhancements to the ABLE Age Adjustment Act - updates the age of eligibility from the onset of disability prior to age 26 to age 46.
• Additional $450 million each year for extensions to Medicaid Money Follows the Person through 2027.
• HCBS Spousal Impoverishment Protections through 2027.
• Extension of Telehealth coverage for Medicare beneficiaries through 2024.
  
  

Across both fiscal years, there was a $4.5 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), bringing the total funding to $47.5 billion and a $4.5 million increase for the National Institute of Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), bringing the total funding to $119 million.

Air Travel

In 2022, we continued to build support for the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act (ACAAA) and urged advocates to continue to share their experiences and difficulties traveling safely with Congress and the Department of Transportation (DOT). Some other key highlights include:

• The DOT’s publication of a Bill of Rights for Airline Passengers with Disabilities.
• In September, the Reeve Foundation co-sponsored the All Wheels Up Working Group Meeting, which focused on in-cabin wheelchair securement.
• Former Congressman Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) participated in his last Congressional hearing before his retirement, which focused on the air travel experience of passengers with disabilities, as a member of Congress.
  
  

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

This past summer, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. This legislation did not include funding for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS), but granted Medicare authority to negotiate the prices of certain prescription drugs and extended expiring health care subsidies for three years.