| The latest news from and for state health care advocates |
December 2010 |
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In each edition, we'll feature an action, victory, campaign, or interesting tactic shared by a state advocate. Send us your updates. |
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In This Issue:
Buzz around the States
Campaign for Better Health Care in Illinois hosts big names at their annual holiday dinner: Jonathan Cohn with The New Republic and Liz Fowler from Health and Humans Services.
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative sets a goal of raising $10,000 on their 10th anniversary.
The North Carolina Pre-existing Condition Insurance Program advertises by videotaping a participant’s story.
As court decisions come down, state advocates react. Bob Fulkerson in Nevada and Vinny DeMarco in Maryland both got good coverage.
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States in Focus
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Understanding the importance of addressing health disparities and the social determinants of health is critical to achieving true health reform. Working or collaborating with coalitions to develop an agenda to address improving the health status of individuals can also show how much the Affordable Care Act is needed in communities across the country.
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Taking a Broader View to Combat Health Disparities
A version of this article appears in the Minority Health Newsletter.
From exchanges to best practices for enrollment, state coalitions are working on the “nuts and bolts” of implementation. However, some organizations believe that, in order to fully address problems with the health care system, it is essential to address health disparities as well. Viewing health care using a social justice lens, the People of Color Health Equity Collaborative works to improve the health status of the residents of Oregon. In order to tackle health disparities in a comprehensive way, this coalition has chosen to focus on addressing the social determinants of health.
This collaborative arose after a local foundation gave seed money to several organizations to increase their work on disparities issues such as data collection, workforce diversity, language access, and cultural competency. Ron Williams, Director of Oregon Action, along with 14 organizations, jumped at the opportunity to expand their disparities work and created the People of Color Health Equity Collaborative. Despite having very few legislators of color, the newly formed coalition worked to push health equity as a top priority in the Oregon State Legislature. As a result of these efforts, the Oregon Health Policy Board, which is responsible for implementation of the Affordable Care Act, now must review all health policies through a health equity lens by using a health equity grid. This is a huge accomplishment for the coalition.
Working together as a collaborative, this coalition developed a statewide agenda that seeks to address many factors that affect health. Two major goals of the agenda are job creation and inclusion of minority voices in health reform implementation. Ron explains that minority-owned businesses have difficulty getting loans. The collaborative’s solution to this problem was to create a state bank that works with many small businesses to grant loans to those businesses. Helping minorities start small businesses strengthens the economic status of minority communities, which in turn stimulates the economy and allows financial resources to be dedicated to creating environments that promote healthy lifestyles. Better economic status allows people to choose healthier options. By addressing the root causes of health disparities, the coalition hopes to achieve better health for the community as a whole.
In addition to these important social determinants of health, the collaborative also focuses on key health reform implementation issues. The collaborative advocates for undocumented immigrants to be allowed to participate in the state exchanges so that these immigrants can get health coverage, and the collaborative is currently urging that all health care workers receive cultural competency training.
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Taking a new approach to advocacy, Catalyst Miami will support local groups in their efforts to increase economic, education, and health care access for local communities by fostering a more collaborative and efficient community of advocacy groups.
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Shifting Focus, Increasing Impact
Daniella Levine, Executive Director of the Human Services Coalition (HSC) in Miami, is excited. For 15 years, her organization has been dedicated to increasing health, education, and economic access for the Miami-Dade community. For the past two years, Daniella and her staff have also been involved in strategic planning conversations and have developed a new direction for the organization. That planning has resulted in a new name for the organization and a new lens through which they will view their work. So, as Daniella and her team celebrate their 15-year anniversary this month, they also celebrate the launch of a new identity and brand, Catalyst Miami.
HSC has done both service and advocacy over the years, focusing on an array of projects, including the Prosperity Campaign and the Standard of Life Academy. But a key part of their work that has evolved over time has been their efforts to build the capacity of other local groups. They have been the fiscal sponsor for dozens of local organizations, providing funding to do program planning and helping with other capacity building in groups. After much discussion, HSC decided to shift its focus more exclusively to this model of work.
Catalyst Miami’s new mission is to “develop and support individual leadership and strong organizations that work together to improve health, education, and economic opportunity in all our communities.”
Daniella explained the new framework as a way in which her group can maximize its impact by helping to build a more efficient and effective advocacy community as a whole. She is looking forward to creating a community where collective action is the norm. Catalyst Miami will work to develop a learning community where organizations and individuals can come together to foster innovation, creativity, and collaboration. In addition to creating a place for individuals and groups to grow and work together in to have a greater impact, Catalyst Miami will foster these relationships through shared infrastructure and space.
In order to inform the community about the changes ahead, the group recently got two op-eds published in the Miami Herald, one in English and one in Spanish.
Although there is much work to be done, Daniella is optimistic that by creating real partnerships, a shared approach can increase the impact of the entire community.
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As many states prepare to begin their next legislative session, health advocates should seize upon the opportunity to establish themselves as an invaluable resource to those newly-elected or appointed state leaders. The collective knowledge of the health advocacy community will prove essential in briefing decision-makers about the Affordable Care Act and how effective implementation will benefit constituents and the fiscal health of their state.
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A New Legislature Brings New Opportunities in Georgia
As a result of November’s elections, more than two-thirds of the Georgia State Legislature will be turning over in the next term. Georgia will also have a new Governor and Insurance Commissioner next year. The next legislative session will present these newly elected decision-makers with a slew of dire budget issues and important implementation decisions. While some might view legislators’ lack of experience as an obstacle, advocates in Georgia are capitalizing on the opportunity by educating newcomers and working to establish open lines of communication and positive working relationships with members of the incoming administration.
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| Speakers at “Health Care Unscrambled” included Anton Gunn Regional Director at the U.S. Department of Health, Human Services and Alan Weil Executive Director of NASHP, and Cindy Zeldin Executive Director Georgians for a Healthy Future, among many others. |
Advocates in Georgia are aware of the challenges that lie ahead in implementing the Affordable Care Act and are working to educate newly-elected legislators about what the state needs to do to comply with the law and how to maximize this opportunity to improve the health of Georgians. On December 16, Georgians for a Healthy Future, Voices for Georgia’s Children, the Georgia Budget Policy Institute, and the local American Cancer Society convened a small group of new state legislators to brief them on health issues, current programs in Georgia, and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. This meeting was the latest in a series of meetings they’ve conducted, having previously met with members of the Governor-elect’s transition team and leaders in the state’s Insurance Department. Joann Yoon, Associate Policy Director of Voices for Georgia’s Children, said, “To make our most recent meeting happen, we simply offered to serve as a resource on health policy issues to one new legislator.” That legislator, in turn, thought it was a great idea and invited other freshman legislators to participate in the briefing meeting as well.
Earlier in the month, Georgians for a Healthy Future held a more formal legislative breakfast, titled “Health Care Unscrambled: A Look Ahead to the 2011 Legislative Session,” where they unveiled their legislative agenda to members of the media, several state legislators, and the advocacy community.
Cindy Zeldin, the Executive Director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, said, “together, the legislative breakfast and the meetings we’re organizing within the state government are part of our overall effort to establish the consumer advocacy community as a united and coordinated group and to help establish good working relationships with state leaders for the long term.”
Beat of the Month
Everlasting Light by The Black Keys.
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New Resources from Families USA and Stand Up for Health Care
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