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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

NCIL Announces the Creation of New Task Forces to Focus on Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) and Chronic Pain / Opioids

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) is happy to announce the creation of two new Task Forces.

NCIL EVV Task Force: The 21st Century Cures Act that passed into law in late 2016 included a provision requiring states to implement electronic visit verification (EVV) systems. With implementation deadlines of January 1, 2019 for personal care services and January 1, 2023 for home health services, states are developing plans and beginning implementation. In some states, we have already seen harmful effects of intrusive and burdensome systems. The EVV Task Force will work to coordinate NCIL’s national advocacy strategy as EVV continues to be implemented across the country. If you are interested in joining the EVV Task Force or want to learn more, contact Charlie Carr at [email protected] or Lindsay Baran at [email protected]. For background information, see NCIL’s Position opposing EVV.

NCIL logo - National Council on Independent LivingNCIL Chronic Pain / Opioids Task Force: As efforts to address opioid addition around the country increase, people with chronic pain and other disabilities continue to be left out of the conversation. This has resulted in increased barriers to effective pain management for people with chronic pain, discrimination against people who use opioids to manage their pain, and treatment / recovery options that are inaccessible to disabled people. The Chronic Pain / Opioids Task Force will work to ensure that the voices of people with chronic pain and other disabilities are part of the ongoing national discussion and to develop a broader advocacy strategy for NCIL. If you are interested in joining the Chronic Pain & Opioids Task Force or want to learn more, contact Lindsay Baran at [email protected].