| The latest news from and for state health care advocates |
March 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
A new report, compiled by California consumer organizations, shows millions of Californians benefit from the Affordable Care Act just two years after passage. This report marks the second anniversary of the federal health reform law and highlights the work that has been done in California, the benefits that Californians are already enjoying, and the outstanding issues that need to be addressed.
On March 16, more than 200 seniors attended a town hall in South Florida that addressed Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, long-term care, and Social Security. Instead of a standard panel format, panelists responded to a series of true/false questions. Attendees also signed pledge cards in which they committed to protecting programs that benefit seniors. Upon signing the card, they received a raffle ticket to a popular deli. The event was sponsored by Florida CHAIN, in partnership with SEIU Retirees and Medicare Rights Center.
Michigan Consumers for Health Care recently created a new microsite that features information about the Affordable Care Act and its benefits. The site also has resources about the Affordable Care Act and a blog.
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States in Focus
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As health care advocates, it can be difficult to find common ground with insurers and other nontraditional partners. When consensus can be established on issues, such as enrollment policy, it is important to work closely with one another. In Kentucky, an unlikely partnership with a variety of stakeholders is drawing attention to critically important issues that will ultimately lead to seamless enrollment and better consumer outreach and assistance programs.
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Enrollment Brings Diverse Partners Together in Kentucky
Millions of people stand to benefit from new health insurance options in 2014. However, even though the health care law reduces barriers to coverage, many individuals and families will still encounter challenges to getting and staying enrolled. Over the last year, Kentucky Voices for Health brought together an informal coalition of health care providers, insurance companies, community organizations, and employers with the mission of making sure that Kentuckians don’t have to face these barriers.
Bringing together such a diverse group wasn’t easy. According to Jodi Mitchell, executive director of Kentucky Voices for Health, “To engage nontraditional partners, we had to depoliticize the health law and focus on the opportunity our state has right now to use federal dollars to streamline [information technology] systems and decrease the number of uninsured.” The coalition held several roundtable meetings throughout the year to build trust and facilitate communication with new partners. In addition, partner organizations recently completed a short survey about their enrollment priorities. Based on the survey results, the coalition decided to prioritize the following: (1) reaching out to the uninsured; (2) minimizing documentation requirements for eligibility; and (3) enriching consumer assistance programs.
In coming months, the coalition will develop a series of recommendations that coalition members can use as they advise state officials who are also developing strategies and systems to address these priority areas of work. There will be times when partner organizations disagree, but Jodi is optimistic that the work done this past year will enable the coalition to have a significant impact on enrollment policy in Kentucky.
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Partnerships and collaboration with other organizations are important to coordinating a successful event. Partner organizations can reach out to membership or grassroots bases for publicity and, when available, can also provide facilities and audio visual equipment for events.
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Public Forum Presents a Balanced, Civil Discussion of the Affordable Care Act
In Portland, Maine, Consumers for Affordable Health Care collaborated with the University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Policy and the University of Maine School of Law to coordinate a public forum about the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. The forum consisted of a legal panel and a policy panel.
The legal panel focused on the recent Supreme Court oral arguments and, specifically, on the individual mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act. The policy panel followed, and addressed myths associated with the Affordable Care Act, benefits of the law, and the issue of state flexibility. Both panels were balanced—half of the speakers support the Affordable Care Act and the others oppose it. The diverse perspectives and the unique format of two different panels allowed for a robust and comprehensive discussion.
The event was advertised as an informative, civil discussion about key aspects of the Affordable Care Act. It attracted an audience that was genuinely interested in learning more about the law. There were 150 people in attendance, most of whom were community members, and an overflow room was required. The event was also approved to be a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) event and lawyers in attendance earned two CLE credits.
The various co-sponsors of the event publicized it by reaching out to their membership bases through email lists and social media. The USM Muskie School provided the venue for the event and used their broadcasting capabilities to televise the forum to an even larger audience throughout the state. The forum was also recorded and later aired on the public broadcasting network as part of the “Speaking in Maine” series.
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Innovate and integrate! Find new, innovative tools and strategies that can be integrated with more traditional advocacy and outreach efforts to create a strong campaign. In particular, it is helpful to think about how to leverage new social media resources in your advocacy work.
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Facebook Petitions Integrate Social Media with Traditional Organizing
Citizen Action of Wisconsin is using Facebook petitions to gain support for BadgerCare, the state’s affordable health care program for children and families. The Facebook petitions are an innovative strategy that combines social media, email, and traditional advocacy to increase awareness about important health care issues. The petitions are visible on the organization’s Facebook page. They can also be shared via email and posted on blogs to reach a broad audience.
In October and November 2011, a petition campaign to gain support for BadgerCare garnered 2,000 signatures. The petition was promoted via Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s email list and Facebook, and it was also featured on several local blogs.
Citizen Action printed out 2,000 copies of the petition and brought them to a Medicaid town hall event. The focus of the town hall was Medicaid cuts, including cuts to BadgerCare. The town hall was hosted by Dennis Smith, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Citizen Action presented the stack of petitions to Secretary Smith, a moment that was perfectly captured by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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At the beginning of March 2012, Citizen Action of Wisconsin launched a new petition to support the BadgerCare Protection Act and demand closure of corporate tax loopholes. In just two weeks, this Facebook petition garnered almost 500 signatures. Signers of this petition also had the option to “email-your-legislator” and “tell-a-friend” as another way to gain support for these issues.
These Facebook petitions are also a way to build relationships with new contacts. When an individual signs an online petition, his or her email address is automatically saved into Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s database. Since the launch of the second petition in March, 385 new people have been added to the database. The number of new contacts added to the database is almost 700 individuals when the people who opted for the “email-your-legislator” and “tell-a-friend” option are included.
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Beat of the Month
The United States Supreme Court has finished hearing the oral arguments in the legal challenge to the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Although the Court could issue a decision in this case at any time, a ruling is expected at the end of its term in late June. As we wait for the decision, let’s listen to “Power to the People” by John Lennon!
Advocate Tip:
Use This Interactive Map to See How Health Reform Is Helping Your State!
Learn how members of your community are benefitting from the Affordable Care Act by using this interactive map. Simply point to your state to view statistics, such as how many Medicare beneficiaries received free preventive services and how many young adults gained health insurance through their parents’ plan.
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New Resources from Families USA and Stand Up for Health Care
Other Resources
Take me to back issues of the Beat!
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