Welcome to the new home of LRM'S PLACE,
the personal web site of yours truly, Laura Remson Mitchell.
I am a public policy analyst, consultant and writer
with 20+ years' experience, primarily in the area of economic, health-care
and disability issues. (For more on my background, you can
read my online BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCH or check out my listing in
the 26th edition of Who's Who in the West.)
Although this site deals primarily with public
policy, it also includes other areas
that interest me. The site is an ongoing project.
Among other things, I hope to continue adding links to
other interesting sites.
As anyone who knows me could tell you, I've never
been shy about expressing my opinions.
So, of course, I have posted some of those opinions
here. Please remember that unless otherwise
indicated, these opinions are my own and don't necessarily
reflect the views of any group or organization with
which I have worked or currently may be working.
I also like to play and write music. For
the last several years, I've been working
with MIDI music. So I thought I'd include
links to a few of my songs, including one I wrote as
a theme for the disability rights movement. The disability
rights song is named Justice
for All, after a national network of disability rights
advocates associated with Medal of Freedom winner Justin
Dart, Jr., which is now part of the American
Association of Persons with Disabilities (AAPD).
[If you're curious, you can click here
to see some photos. Please
note that because of the graphics, this page
may take a while to load.]
This site is designed so that you
can check out whichever section or sections you may
like. Just click on what interests you. And check back
periodically for new items and features.
The default song
selected to begin listening is "Justice for All." I can't sing
anymore, but I have recorded spoken lyrics over the music. Only
a few of my songs have lyrics, and so far, this is the only
one for which I have recorded the words. However, the lyrics to
all of my songs are available through my Songs page and on the "track
page" for each of these songs at my mp3 website.
Real Audio versions of selected songs added Nov. 15, 2001. Real Audio of my originalcomposition, As Heaven Weeps,
added Nov. 19, 2001.] See Songs page for information on getting free Real
Player software. As Heaven Weeps and many more
of my songs also are now available in near-CD quality
.mp3 format at my MP3 web page, <http://www.MP3.com.au/LauraRemsonMitchell>.
(LRM's Place is part of several "web rings," which
link pages that share a similar theme. Clicking
on the Web Rings option above will take to a page that
lists the web rings to which LRM's Place currently belongs
and gives you several options for viewing the member sites
within each ring. Most recently added: Disability Studies Web Ring.)
Power Point Shows:
Follwing are links to two Power
Point shows that may be of interest. The first
is based on a presentation I made at the RespectAbility
disability rights conference in Los Angeles (Oct. 3-4, 2003).
The second is a brief explanation of the California legislative
system and ways to do legislative advocacy. Neither is exhaustive.
However, they may provide a good starting point for those
new to health-care issues from a disability perspective or
to legislative advocacy. These shows are interactive, not automated,
so that you will be able to control the speed of the show and
focus on each element individually until you are ready to proceed.
To advance the show, press the spacebar or the Page Down key on
your computer, or click your left mouse key. To go back to the
previous element in the show, press the Page Up key. (I'm not
certain whether the show will play on a computer that doesn't have
Microsoft Power Point installed. Please e-mail me if you have
any impairment-related accessibility problems with these
files.)
Based on my panel presentation
at the 2002 Workforce Inclusion Conference in
Los Angeles, CA, this is my attempt to share some of
what I have learned about effective public policy analysis
and advocacy. Long-time advocates probably already
know this, but for those just starting out, I thought it
might be helpful. (By the way, I welcom your feedback.
You can send me e-mail at af752@lafn.org
or dhcpolwnk@hotpop.com.)
Miscellaneous articles and stories
by yours truly. (Please check the main Articles/Stories
page if you are interested in reprinting
any of these copyrighted items.) [Latest
article added June 12, 2006.]
A memorial to my mother who
died on Jan. 3, 2000. [Photo of "Mom's rose" added
4-23-00.]
LRM's Place Surveys
Results
of completed surveys.
Under-Insurance (Preliminary
Statistical Results): Half of
the people I surveyed reported coverage gaps for
prescription drugs, and 43% reported gaps in coverage for
durable medical equipment (DME). Want to know
more? Click on the "Preliminary Statistical Results"
link above. [Results last updated Aug. 3, 2002.]
New surveys
(none currently active)
AS I SEE IT
Analyses and Opinions
To link to my analyses, commentaries and recommendations
on disability, health-care or other
issues, click on the subject that interests
you.
Remember:
Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed at this
web site are my own and do not necessarily express the
views of any organization with which I have been or currently
am associated.
A summary of key health-care reform issues of
importance to people with disabilities.
The text is from a flyer I developed as part
of the Southern California Campaign for Health-Care
Reform.
My outline of questions and concerns about MSAs
and their potential impact on people
with disabilities—especially low- to moderate-income
people with disabilities.
My comments on proposed regulations for California's
Medicaid program regarding coverage
for durable medical equipment. The
comments were submitted on July 28, 2000.
UPDATE: I am very pleased to
report that the Sept. 25, 2000, version of Medi-Cal
Regulation R-5-99E (which was revised following
the comment period) specifies that the Medi-Cal definition
of "durable medical equipment" includes equipment needed
because of a functional impairment and that it includes
equipment appropriate for use outside of the patient's home
as well as inside. This is a very significant change for the
better.
Mitchell remarks to HICAP managers and staff
regarding Medicare failure to meet
the needs of people with disabilities, especially
non-elderly beneficiaries. Includes discussion
of Medicare standards for coverage of wheelchairs,
scooters and other durable medical equipment.
[Added Aug. 25, 2000]
My written comments to the California Assembly
Committee on Human Services in response
to a March 14, 2001, videoconference/hearing
on "Supports for Californians with Disabilities: Enhancing
Independence." This hearing was conducted in Sacramento
with video links to several sites around the
staate. Many individuals with disabilities were
able to participate in the hearing via the "satellite" sites.
[Added March 28, 2001]
My comments on behalf of the California Disability
Alliance and the California Work Group on Work Incentives and Health
Care regarding California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's effort to "redesign"
Medi-Cal, California's version of Medicaid. Redesign was an effort to
effect a major overhaul of Medi-Cal in response to California's budget
crisis. The issues addressed in my comments don't sound much like the
kind of nitty-gritty, day-to-day things that worry many Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
Those concerns have been raised elsewhere in the process. But the concepts
of "evidence-based medicine" and "cost effectiveness" can have a big influence
on access to appropriate health care. If done right, applying these concepts
can improve care. If done wrong, they can undermine it.
[Html version of this file added
June 12, 2006. Note: the html
version has been slightly modified in recognition of
the fact that the comments apply to Medicaid in all states,
not just in California.]
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Remember:
Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed at this
web site are my own and do not necessarily express the
views of any organization with which I have been or currently
am associated. 
