| The latest news from and for state health care advocates |
March 2009 |
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The State Health Beat Is Back!
In the first few weeks of President Obama’s term, we’ve already seen substantial reforms enacted to increase coverage to millions more Americans. As the President moves forward with comprehensive reform, it is imperative that state advocates stay connected to lead the charge on the ground.
Families USA is re-launching the State Health Beat as an interactive tool to increase communication among health care advocates across all 50 states. The State Health Beat will serve as a mechanism to share health care news and stories across the states, provide examples about what is working and what is not and announce tools and resources offered by Families USA. We invite you all to be active participants in this newsletter by sending us your stories, pictures, and tips to share with your fellow advocates. E-mail stateinfo@familiesusa.org with your story.
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In This Issue:
Buzz around the States
Colorado Progressive Coalition holds their Health Day of Action on March 9, 2009 at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver.
Maine Consumers for Affordable Health Care asks Mainers to attend public hearings through March 12, 2009 to say "No Way" to insurance rate hikes.
Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage holds a health care advocacy and education day on April 1, 2009 in Columbus.
West Virginians for Affordable Health Care push for a tobacco tax increase that could bring more than $100 million in new revenues toward health care reform in West Virginia.
Wisconsin: Incremental Change Leads to Greater Reform
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Robert Kraig, Director of Program at Citizen Action of Wisconsin reports that the state may soon regulate private insurance practices. Some significant provisions include a tightening of pre-existing condition regulations, a limit to the look-back period, easier entrance into the high-risk pool, provisions to allow young adults up to 27 years old to stay on their parents’ insurance plans, and measures to increase transparency.
The move to institute these regulations was set in motion by the release of the Families USA report, Failing Grades in June 2008. The report prompted several legislators and the Governor to take action. Because these reforms are revenue neutral and do no affect the budget, they are expected to pass easily through both the Democrat-controlled Assembly and Senate.
Despite hopes for easy passage, Citizen Action plans to make the process as public and visible as possible to mobilize Wisconsites to action. Kraig believes these incremental reforms will serve as a springboard for work on comprehensive federal reform. By bringing attention to insurance industry abuses and emphasizing that more work needs to be done, Kraig hopes to broaden his base to fight for national reform.
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Robert recommends that advocates use revenue neutral legislation to advance reform in 2009. With many states facing severe financial constraints this year, the best way to pass reform is to institute health care reforms that don’t affect state budgets. For ideas about what your state can do, check out Failing Grades Scorecard, which suggests consumer protections on a state-by-state level and offers a revenue neutral path to reform. These consumer protections could provide you with easy wins to maintain the health care momentum while we wait for action on the federal level. |
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Maryland Takes an Important Step Toward Universal Coverage
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Vinny DeMarco, President of the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative, tells the Beat that legislation to cover all Marylanders will be heard in committee later this month. The Health Care Affordability Act of 2009 has finally come to the Maryland legislature due to the hard work of many advocates. The bill provides universal coverage through the creation of a new insurance pool and provides subsidies to low-income people to purchase health care. Reforms would be paid for by increased tobacco, cigarette, and payroll taxes.
DeMarco credits strategic planning, past victories, and a strong coalition as important components leading to the flurry of legislation currently emerging in Maryland. His group started this process in 1999, and today the Maryland Health Care for All coalition is over 500 organizations strong.
Although DeMarco is optimistic about the Health Care Affordability Act’s prospects, he does not expect it to pass this year. In the meantime, advocates are working to get a more immediate health care reform package through the Maryland legislature. This legislation should move quickly because it has no impact on the state budget. The package includes provisions to require better research on low-cost, highly-effective prescription drugs as well as greater regulations on private market insurance
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Vinny touts his strong coalition as an essential element to the progress of health care legislation in Maryland, and he suggests reaching out to faith communities and inviting them to be a part of your coalition. Faith groups have played a tremendous role in the Maryland in many capacities, including advising the coalition and mobilizing large, diverse groups in support of reform. |
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States Must Move Quickly to Enact or Extend Mini-COBRA Laws
The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (the economic stimulus) includes some important provisions that provide COBRA subsidies to help recently unemployed persons pay for health care. However, some states will need to take immediate legislative action to ensure that many of their residents can take advantage of this new benefit.
Under the Act, eligible unemployed workers will only need to pay 35 percent of premiums to continue the health coverage that they had through their jobs, and the federal government will reimburse employers or health plans for the remaining 65 percent of premium charges for up to nine months. People are eligible for premium assistance if they lost their jobs between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009, have annual income that does not exceed $145,000 for individuals and $290,000 for families, and have a right to continued health coverage under COBRA or another law. For more details, please visit our Understanding COBRA and Mini-COBRA Premium Assistance Web page.
People can get subsidies for their COBRA premiums if they worked in firms of 20 or more workers. If they worked in smaller firms, they are not eligible for a subsidy unless their state has enacted continuation benefits, often referred to as "mini-COBRA." For more information about what your state can do to get the most out of the COBRA subsidies, the Families USA issue brief on Protecting Unemployed Workers' Health Coverage: What States Can Do may be helpful in navigating your state’s needs. States that already have mini-COBRA may also need to make improvements in those programs to take full advantage of the subsidies (see our Understanding COBRA and Mini-COBRA Premium Assistance Web page).
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 Sick of hearing right-wing dominated talk radio? It’s time to get progressive voices on the airwaves! Take action by calling local radio stations to let them know health care is a priority. Families USA has an easy-to-use tool to help you organize a call-in day for your members. First, go to our Talk Radio. Then click on your state for a listing of local stations, shows, and contact information. Click “Push to Talk” for talking points and call-in tips. Listings are available for national and local programs with additional states being added shortly. As we all know, talk radio is a powerful media force that has been dominated by the right-wing for far too long, so use this tool to make your voice heard! |
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Tools and Resources from Families USA
Find your state on our State Information page.
Families USA 2009 Conference Call Series
Stimulus Package Resources
CHIP Resources
COBRA and the Unemployed
Other
What would you like to see in the State Health Beat? Contact Lydia Gottesfeld to share your thoughts and opinions.
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