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We're looking for examples of innovative uses of art in spreading a public policy message. If you know of a good example, please use this form to let us know.
And as always, if you have news from your state to share with other advocates, feel free to send it to Ann Vogel. We'll put the top stories on our "Across the States" Web page, and on the appropriate state page. Use this form to send in a brief report on what's happening, links to your (or other) Web sites for more details, and photos, if you have them. If you see a broken link or incorrect information, let us know. | |
September 19, 2006
Inside this Issue:
Oregon Chalks up Successful Event
Oregonians are lucky to have a governor who is pushing for reforms to increase access to health care for children in their state. Seeking to build on this momentum, Oregonians for Health Security used a national day of health care action to call attention to the growing problem of uninsured children in their state. The "Chalk it Up" campaign was a national day of action on health care, held on August 22, sponsored by Americans for Health Care. Oregonians for Health Security used the day for more than just your typical press conference and rally. The event focused on children's voices in the health care debate, asking children to write about a time they had to see a health care provider and why they think health coverage for children matters. Volunteer health professionals read stories to children about health care and even taught them about their bodies and how to keep themselves healthy. The kids got to do more than learn, however—they got the chance to draw chalk outlines of themselves and to "chalk" one of Portland's city commissioners.
Read more about the Portland event in Oregonians for Health Security’s Weekly Monitor, see pictures on their Web site, and find out more about other events across the country from Americans for Health Care.
Pennsylvania Budget to Cover All Kids
The state of Pennsylvania was already on track toward providing all children with quality health coverage—96 percent of its children had some form of health insurance. Only 133,000 children were uninsured. Not content to rest on their laurels, in early July, the Pennsylvania state legislature passed its budget, which included an appropriation for a new initiative "Cover All Kids" initiative. Aimed at all the state's uninsured children, the new initiative will extend SCHIP program benefits to children with family incomes of up to 350 percent of poverty ($70,000 a year for a family of four). SCHIP benefits include well-child care, emergency care, hospital stays, prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, mental health treatment, and home care. The initiative also allows families with higher incomes to pay the state-negotiated premium (approximately $145 a month) for the SCHIP insurance package.
There’s just one glitch: Despite the fact that the legislature appropriated the money to fund the program, it failed to pass authorizing legislation during the last session. However, advocates are gearing up to push for the legislation to start the program in 2007. Legislators are now working on writing the bill, and all the caucuses of the legislature have agreed to pass a bill by October.
Essay Contest on Kids Coverage Started September 5
The Campaign for Children’s Health Care launched its “When an Apple a Day Isn’t Enough” national essay contest on September 5, 2006. The essay contest asks students aged 9-18 to explain how the ability to get the health care they need affects their lives and lives of those around them. Winners of the contest will be selected from two age groups in each state (9-13 and 14-18). These state winners will each receive a $250 cash prize and will have their essays published in a campaign publication. A Grand Prize winner will be selected from among the 51 state finalists in each age group. The Grand Prize winners will receive a $2,500 cash award, as well as an overnight trip to Washington, D.C. (along with a parent or guardian) for a special awards ceremony in February 2007. One teacher or program facilitator for each Grand Prize winner will also receive a trip to Washington, D.C. and will be recognized with his or her student at the awards ceremony. In addition, the school, institution, or local group that submits the most entries will receive $2,000 for school supplies.
The contest ends on October 31, 2006. Complete contest rules, entry packets, and lesson plans for each age group are available online at: http://www.childrenshealthcampaign.org/events/national-essay-contest/. Questions about the essay contest and how to participate should be directed to Beth McCarthy at info@childrenshealthcampaign.org or by U.S. mail at Campaign for Children’s Health Care, P.O. Box 34143, Washington, D.C. 20043.
From Our Readers
Pennsylvania has two bills for Single Payer Health Care, one in the Senate and one in the House. The House bill now has 21 co-sponsors. We are building momentum and working with candidates for elected office by providing them with educational materials about the need for health care reform and specifically for single payer health care.
On July 1, 2006, a newly created Pharmaceutical Expense Assistance Program was launched to aid Medicare and Medically Needy program transplant and cancer treatment recipients. Our group alerted legislators to this coverage gap, and we organized a grassroots effort to get this legislation passed (the legislation is F.S. 409.9301). This program, through our Medicaid agency, will pay the 20 percent of medication costs not covered by Medicare Part B, eliminating any co-pay on cancer and immunosuppressive drugs for at least one year.
New Resources
- Families USA has released a new brief in our “Stop Bad Ideas” series. TABOR: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing analyzes the damage that so-called “Taxpayer Bill of Rights” amendments do to health care programs that help the sick and vulnerable.
- Our Minority Health Initiatives department released a new brief in early August entitled New Medicaid Regulations Discriminate against U.S.-Born Children of Immigrants. The brief highlights the problems the so-called Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) will cause for this group.
- We’ve also worked hard on updating the Medicaid & SCHIP Action Center on our Web site. The updates include information on the federal Medicaid Commission and the DRA as it applies to both the federal and state levels.
- We have a newly updated Waiver Tool Box, which includes Frequently Asked Questions about Section 1115 waivers and an updated chart on the status of various Section 1115 waiver proposals.
- In addition to these great resources, you may want to visit the Tools for Advocates section of our Web site, including the Guides and Other Tools pages. Both pages provide links to information from other organizations to help you in your work.
- The National Health Policy Training Alliance for Communities of Color (a partnership among Families USA, the Joint Center Health Policy Institute, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, and the National Medical Association) has launched their new Web site: www.healthpolicyalliance.org. The Web site serves as a one-stop shop for up-to-date information and tools on health, health policy, and health disparities information from the four partner organizations. The site will be updated throughout the year to include resources on Alliance community leader and journalism trainings and events, publications, and other related resources.
