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August  2007

In this Issue:

New Resources

NEW MEDIA:

  • Kaiser Family Foundation introduced a new website, health08.org, which offers information on health care and the 2008 presidential campaign. This site features an analysis of the candidates’ health care plans, public views on health care, and campaign videos and podcasts.
  • The Annie E. Casey Foundation created a toolkit entitled Race Matters to aid decision-makers, advocates, and elected officials in addressing inequitable policies and practices that affect children, families, and communities.

PUBLICATIONS:

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

  • The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Community Catalyst are calling for grant proposals from consumer advocacy organizations based in the United States. The proposal should focus on the development of policies and programs that will expand health care coverage and maximize enrollment in existing coverage programs. Grants of up to $750,000 over a three-year period will be awarded per state. The deadline is September 18, 2007. For more details on how to apply, click here.

Activities in the Field

Policy Updates 

  Children's Health Coverage
     
    
Upcoming Events

Activities in the Field

South Carolina Network for the Elimination of Health Disparities

In South Carolina, minority women with breast cancer are more likely to die than white women. Also, African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as whites. Health disparities that fall along racial and ethnic lines have become a major issue in the national discussion of good health and quality medical care. In South Carolina, the discussion is now turning into action.

In 2001, the South Carolina General Assembly directed the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to conduct a study on health disparities within the state and prepare a state health improvement plan with objectives similar to the national Healthy People 2010 goal of eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities. The study included seven recommendations which formed the basis for a critical report, State Health Improvement Plan for the Elimination of Health Disparities: 1) creation of an action plan, 2) establishment of a health disparities council, 3) identification of best practices and implementation of community development models, 4) establishment of inter-institutional graduate degree and certification programs that focus on health disparities, 5) creation of a statewide research agenda to address health disparities and a system to evaluate outcomes, 6) development of a sustainability plan that includes private and public funding sources, 7) creation of a statewide database of health disparity programs and initiatives.
 
This report launched the creation of the South Carolina Network for the Elimination of Health Disparities (SCNEHD), comprised of the DHEC, Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina, the University of South Carolina, and some of the state’s historically black colleges and universities, such as Claflin University, South Carolina State University, and Voorhees College. The network’s role is to serve as a catalyst for bringing together educators, researchers, health care practitioners, students, and communities in a dynamic learning environment. It is one of only three task forces that will serve in a health advisory role to the Commissioner of South Carolina and the DHEC.

At present, SCHEHD membership is small. However, Ms.Gardenia Ruff, MSW, Director of the Office of Minority Health at the DHEC, commented, “There is a lot of work to do. We will need to be strategic in expanding the network.” Ruff sees the ultimate outcome of this collaborative effort is the elimination of health disparities in South Carolina. The network has chosen to focus on the social determinants of racial and ethnic health disparities. It will not only identify the conditions that cause health disparities, but will also put solutions into place to close the disproportionate gap of health status and care. According to Ruff, “Once racial and ethnic health disparities are eliminated, we can then focus the state’s energy and resources on improving the health of everyone.”

For more information on the network and its upcoming activities and meetings, contact Gardenia Ruff, telephone 803- 898-3808 or email ruffgb@dhec.sc.gov.


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Policy Updates

Children’s Health Coverage

Shortly before adjourning for the month of August, both the House and Senate passed legislation to reauthorize and expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). While the House CHAMP Act contains provisions for both SCHIP and Medicare, the Senate version, only addresses SCHIP reauthorization. The bills increase funding for the SCHIP program, enabling it to cover more children from low-income families, as well as conduct a number of activities designed to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.


The bills both contain provisions that are important to racial and ethnic minority communities. First, The Senate and House bills have relaxed their requirement for providing proof of nationality and citizenship. In the House bill, tribal membership documents are now acceptable forms of verification. The House bill also holds individual states responsible for approving these documents. Second, funding will be available for translation and interpretation services to enhance outreach and enrollment of English as Second Language (ESL) children. In the Senate bill, the funding will come from CHIP; the House bill will be funded by Medicaid. Third, both bills recognize community health workers in their capacity to assist in outreach and enrollment. Community health workers are now eligible to receive grant funding for their outreach programs in minority communities. In the House bill, community health workers are also allowed to do analysis and evaluation of outreach programs.

However, the bills also contain important differences. Perhaps the most striking is that the House bill includes the Legal Immigrant Children’s Act (ICHIA), which gives states the option of enrolling legal immigrant pregnant women and children. The House bill also includes a number of provisions to address racial and ethnic health disparities in the Medicare program. The bill:

  • requires CMS to collect data necessary to better track racial and ethnic disparities among Medicare beneficiaries;
  • creates two new demonstration programs, one to test reimbursement for LEP services and one to increase outreach and support for previously uninsured Medicare beneficiaries;
  • directs the HHS Inspector General to issue a report on Medicare provider and plan compliance with the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards;
  • requires all private plans to develop new data to assess disparities in health care and reinstate annual reports on plan efforts to reduce disparities.

The Senate bill allows federal money to be specifically allocated for the development of outreach programs targeting Native American children in an effort to increase SCHIP enrollment and improve access to health care. The House bill does not fund an enrollment program to target Native Americans.

For a side-by-side comparison of the House and Senate bills, see this comparison chart from Families USA.

The two bills must be reconciled in conference when members of Congress return in September. It is important that members, particularly those involved in the conference committee, hear from minority health advocates about the importance of addressing children’s health disparities through SCHIP reauthorization.

For the latest updates on SCHIP and children’s health coverage, visit the Medicaid and SCHIP Action Center.

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Upcoming Events

We’d like to hear from you!

If you would like to see your organization or event highlighted in a future edition of our newsletter, please send us a brief description of your organization and its activities, as well as your contact information. We also welcome guest authors for the Activities in the Field section of the newsletter. This section provides members of the minority health field with the opportunity to share their experiences and insights with other advocates. Please send all correspondence to: minorityhealth@familiesusa.org.
 

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