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TWIN CITIES, MN PERMIT NO. 4766
Volume 35, Number 5
May 2024
WWW.ACCESSPRESS.ORG
Limits on drive-throughs are eyed
LIMITS To page 3
A snapshot of health Page 3 A crisis in transportation Page 2 MINNESOTA COUNCIL ON DISABILITY
This was a key message at the recent Disability Advocacy Day at the capitol.
As adjournment draws near, lawmakers pick up the pace Advocates for Minnesotans with disabilities are in the home stretch of the 2024 legislative session, as an adjournment date of May 20 is coming up quickly. And while the status of some bills is clearer, there are many questions about what is to come. The Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MNCCD) and other groups continue to meet and provide updates on legislation. One date everyone was eyeing was April 19, which marked a critical deadline for bills. That date was when any
Protect group homes Page 4 Voting rights eyed Page 8 CILs need input Page 11 Award winners feted Page 6
proposals with fiscal notes attached needed to have been heard in committees in both the House and Senate. That hard deadline meant many measures with costs attached would be dropping off, and shelved until next year. Sean Burke, who leads lobbying efforts for MNCCD, noted that after the Passover break of April 22-23, state lawmakers would delve into the process of preparing larger omnibus bills. That is after this issue of Access Press went to press. SESSION To page 5
Those who live with limb loss hope for improved coverage By Margie O’Loughlin More than 35,000 Minnesotans are living with limb loss, and thousands more are living with limb difference and mobility impairments. Many are unable to access prescribed orthotic and prosthetic care due to a lack of insurance coverage, forcing individuals and families to incur huge out-of-pocket costs. Some of their stories were shared at the state capitol this spring at a day-long event, called “So Every BODY can Move Minnesota.” It drew more than 100 advocates for two bills affecting people with limb loss and limb difference. The goal of the two bills is to change the climate of insurance denials for orthotics and prosthetics prescribed by physicians for the health of their patients. Seven other states are introducing similar legislation for fair insurance compensation this year, and five others passed similar legislation in 2022 and 2023.
MARGIE O'LOUGHLIN
By Jane McClure St. Paul could become the latest city to limit new drive-through sales and services if a proposal is adopted this summer. The St. Paul Planning Commission hosts a public hearing at 8:30 a.m. Friday, June 7 at City Hall on the proposal. If the regulations are adopted, St. Paul would join other cities including Minneapolis in such restrictions. While some cities have adopted outright bans on drive-through services, the capital city is taking a more nuanced approach. While drive-through traffic can pose hazards to people crossing them on foot or with mobility devices, using a drivethrough service is a way many people with disabilities get their medicine, do their banking and get their food. Restrictions typically raise red flags and calls for compromise. As of Access Press deadline, the St. Paul Mayor's Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities and the Minnesota Council on Disability had not weighed in on the proposal. City Planner Bill Dermody told the commission recently that drive-through sales and services can negatively impact walkability and active streetscapes. That is seen as being in conflict with the city’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan goals and policies for pedestrian-friendly environments along city streets. Drive-through services are typically found at fast-food restaurants, coffee shops, banks and pharmacies. A Planning Commission study found that St. Paul has more than 77 of businesses with drive-throughs, including 36 restaurants, two coffee shops, 31 banks, and eight pharmacies. That’s out of a total of about 640 restaurants, 51 coffee shops, 40 banks and 17 pharmacies in the city. But the city staff report notes that demand for drive-through services may be growing, as some suburban grocery stores and big-box retailers have experimented with drive-throughs. If that is successful, it could spread. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a surge in demand for drive-throughs nationwide. Since March 2020, St. Paul city officials have approved site plans and/ or conditional use permits for three new drive-throughs, for two banks and a coffee shop. Also approved are at least five drive-through reconstructions or redesigns, all for fast food restaurants. One drive-through service was removed in 2022 after a Starbucks coffee shop at the corner of Snelling and Marshall avenues generated considerable controversy with long traffic backups, blocking of a sidewalk and bike lane, and a few accidents. Motor vehicle off-site queuing that blocks sidewalks, bike lanes, or traffic lanes was cited as a reason to restrict drive-through services. Exhaust from idling vehicles, noise and challenges with pedestrian access in reaching a business were also cited. Some cities have banned new drivethrough services outright. St. Paul officials proposed a more nuanced approach, with new drive-through services banned in some parts of the city and still allowed in others. Existing drive-through services would be grandfathered in. A
NEWS DIGEST
Not medically necessary
Elsa Keeler is a retired pediatrician. Five years ago, she was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer that required a full leg amputation. She received a prosthetic leg with a microprocessor knee, which was expected to last five years. Keeler is an active outdoors-person who loves to paddle in remote places like the Boundary Waters Canoe area. Her first prosthesis began to wear out after three and one-half years. When her doctor wrote a prescription for a replacement with a waterproof microprocessor knee, the claim was denied as “not medically necessary.” These are three words that every person
Children looked on during the capitol event. living with limb loss or limb difference quickly learns to dread. Being denied an orthotic or prosthetic device prescribed by one’s physician brings a range of feelings including frustration, disappointment, shame, and anger. Like many advocates throughout the day, Keeler told stories about non-disabled relatives who received hip and knee replacements routinely so they could maintain their previous lifestyles. Artificial
hips and knees are internal prosthetic devices. Keeler said, “People needing external orthotic and prosthetic devices should have those same privileges, too.”
Bills receive bipartisan support
Limb loss can affect anyone at any time. It’s estimated that about 500 Americans lose a limb every day. Sen. Karin Housely (R-Stillwater) co-authored the Senate bill,
COVERAGE To page 4