| The latest news from and for state health care advocates |
July 2012
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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
Health advocacy groups across the country celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. Here’s a sample of your amazing work in the hours and days following this historic decision: Georgia | New Hampshire | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Wisconsin
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States in Focus
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Taking steps to involve consumers in the decision making process will help to ensure reform is implemented effectively. This can involve partnering with other organizations, or even seeking out unlikely allies within the existing institutional structure.
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Advocates Help Implement System Reform in Oregon
Advocates in Oregon are helping to implement crucial changes to the state’s Medicaid delivery system. Medicaid officials in the state expect the newly formed coordinated care organizations (CCOs), which are similar in function to accountable care organizations, to help bring down health care costs for the state by coordinating care and improving enrollee health. The Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP) and its partners laid out the fundamentals of reform for Oregonians in the ABCs of CCOs fact sheet.
An administrative rules advisory committee was tasked with developing and recommending regulations and rules for the new delivery system. To ensure that coordinated care organizations provide the best care to Oregonians, the Oregon Center for Public Policy and its partners made sure that consumer voices were represented. Advocates spread the word about the advisory committee through multiple networks. Ultimately, the state was overwhelmed with applications for the committee, forcing the administration to formalize what is usually informal committee recruitment. Thanks to the efforts of the Oregon Center for Public Policy and its partners, instead of a small committee dominated by institutional and industry interests, the committee of more than 40 members has a significant number of consumer advocates.
Janet Bauer, policy analyst at the Oregon Center for Public Policy, realizes that reforming Oregon’s Medicaid delivery system is a tremendous undertaking. However, she believes that by working to keep consumers and constituents informed and engaged, establishing relationships with other organizations, and working to keep the new coordinated care organizations accountable, reform has a better chance at success.
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Unlikely partners spoke with a unified voice so New Hampshire’s state legislature could pass legislation to move the exchange in their state. To strengthen our advocacy, agree to disagree and find common ground with unlikely partners whenever possible.
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New Hampshire Establishes Federally Facilitated Exchange
Health care advocates in New Hampshire scored a momentous victory last month. After nearly two years of battling opponents of the Affordable Care Act in the state legislature, they successfully amended and weakened legislation that prohibited state agencies from working with the federal government to establish a federally facilitated exchange.
Working in close partnership with officials at the Departments of Insurance and Health and Human Services, key state legislators, and a variety of “strange bedfellow” partners, advocates ensured the exchange legislation was amended to allow the state to coordinate with a federally facilitated exchange and to explore partnership opportunities. Providers, insurers, brokers, and members of the business community worked together with health care advocates to create a unified voice so they could stop opponents of the law from continuing to derail implementation.
Another critical revision of the legislation created a 12-person advisory council, including individuals representing consumer advocates, providers, individual consumers, employers, and navigators. Lisa Kaplan Howe, policy director at New Hampshire Voices for Health says, “We hope the advisory council will open the door for us to provide meaningful input to state and federal officials who are tasked with implementing the exchange.”
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Removing the Barriers to Health Access for Immigrant Mothers in Virginia
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By keeping the issue out of the media and away from the public eye, advocates prevented unwanted controversy. Instead, they focused on developing credible research and convincing legislators of the cost-effectiveness of lifting the five-year bar. In doing so, Virginia advocates achieved a major victory.
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On July 1, Virginia celebrated a major milestone for health care justice and sound fiscal policy. The state lifted its five-year waiting period for legal immigrant pregnant women to become eligible for the Medicaid and Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) programs. In practice, the change allows these legal residents to obtain prenatal and postpartum care, resulting in healthier birth outcomes.
Advocates at the Virginia Poverty Law Center began working with a coalition of other advocacy groups on this issue when Congress allowed states to lift the five-year bar through the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009. During this coalition’s three-year campaign to change the state policy, it worked to frame the issue in terms of cost-effectiveness and public health, while also keeping the debate out of the public eye and minimizing controversy.
Rather than launch a public campaign advocating for the rights of legal immigrants to health care access, the coalition appealed to lawmakers by demonstrating the fiscal impact of eliminating the waiting period. Advocates produced research that outlined the potential cost-savings that would be generated by healthier birth outcomes, and they worked with allies in the legislature to ensure that accurate fiscal impact statements were developed. The research about the cost-effectiveness of prenatal care ultimately convinced legislators to pass legislation to lift the bar and to allocate new funds for the program in spite of a state budget shortfall.
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Beat of the Month
I am woman, hear me roar! And someone finally listened. Celebrate on August 1 by spreading the word about the gains to women’s health preventive health coverage.
Advocate Tip:
Share the New Health Care Benefits for Women
Being a woman just got easier. On August 1, women will start receiving free preventive care benefits, including annual well women visits, gestational diabetes screening, contraception, breastfeeding supplies and support, and more. Spread the word on Twitter. Here’s a sample tweet: Did you know? Starting #Aug1 women's services such as mammograms and HPV testing will now be covered under #ACA. http://1.usa.gov/PEydQY
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New Resources from Families USA and Stand Up for Health Carey
Take me to back issues of the Beat!
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