February 23, 2009 
 

Now that President Obama has signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law, state officials and local municipalites have the opportunity to draw down billions of federal dollars to create new jobs, improve infrastructure and strengthen supportive services such as health care, education and housing. 

In response to member inquiries about health care and other funding opportunities in the economic recover package, the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition and the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law are co-hosting a policy forum on the new law and what it mean for Illinois programs and residents.

We will also provide information on how provisions in the reauthorized Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) legislation may affect Illinois' All Kids program. See "IMCHC Announcements" below for more information and RSVP instructions.  

Legislative Updates

Federal - Economic Recovery Package
President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on Tuesday, February 17th. The total cost of the bill is estimated to be $787 billion and was not supported by any Republicans in the House and by only three Republicans in the Senate (Collins, Snowe and Specter).
Specific health care and public health provisions in the bill include:

• $10 billion for the National Institutes of Health
• $19 billion to fund health IT to implement electronic medical records
• $87 billion to increase Medicaid funding to states - All states will receive a minimum of 6.2% increase to their current match rate for the next 27 months. States with higher unemployment rates may also be eligible for even higher match rates.
• $25 billion to help provide recently unemployed workers help paying for COBRA with a 65% federal subsidy
• $2 billion for community health centers
• $500 million for training programs for primary care providers, including pediatricians, dentists and nurses
• $1 billion for the Prevention and Wellness Fund, which includes $300 million for the CDC 317 immunization program, $650 million to carry out community-based strategies to reduce chronic disease rates and $50 million to reduce health care associated infections
• $300 million for the National Health Service Corps

The White House has created the website www.recovery.gov to provide transparency to the funding process. Illinois has its own website at www.recovery.illinois.gov, which is currently accepting suggestions for projects that may be eligible for stimulus funding.
 
Federal - Regressive Directive Rescinded 
A directive issued to state Medicaid and CHIP directors in August 2007 by the Bush administration was recently reversed by President Obama. The original directive would have limited states' ability to expand CHIP eligibility without first enrolling at least 95% of eligible children into Medicaid. The directive also would have required HHS to verify that children with incomes above 250% were uninsured for at least a year before applying for CHIP.
The new Obama memo that lifts the original restrictions does set forth that states must confirm that the number of eligible children enrolled in private insurance does not decrease by more than 2% as a result of Medicaid or CHIP.
 
Federal - HHS Secretary Position Still Open
Earlier this month, former Senator Tom Dashcle withdrew his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) over controversies with unpaid taxes. The HHS Secretary is expected to be a major force in moving forward legislation for comprehensive health care reform. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Nancy-Ann DeParle, a former CMS administrator, and Jack Lew, who worked on health care reform in the Clinton White House, have all been mentioned as potential nominees.

RSVP Now for Opening Doors for Student Health Fundraiser

Join the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers for Opening Doors for Student Health, a fundraiser and social event on Thursday, February 26th at Small Bar, 2049 W. Division in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Funds raised at the event will support this year's Youth Advocacy Day and continue to build youth leadership within school health centers.

The cost of the fundraiser is $35 per person and includes appetizers and drinks. Visit our evite page for more information and to RSVP.

Contact Megan Erskine, ICSHC Project Coordinator, at 312-491-8161x32 for more information.



Upcoming Policy Forum - Friday, March 6th 

The Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition and the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law are co-hosting a policy discussion on the implications of the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program and the economic recovery package on Illinois programs and residents. Representatives from the Governor's office, as well as Illinois House and Senate appropriations leaders have also been invited to attend and provide comment on how Illinois plans to use anticipated funds.

The discussion will take place on Friday, March 6th at Metropolitan Family Services, 1 N. Dearborn, 10th Floor from 9am-10:30am. Please RSVP by calling Felix at 312-491-8161 or by emailing felix@ilmaternal.org.

Welcome to Sara Howard, IMCHC's New Health Care Organizer! 
Sara Howard recently joined IMCHC as an organizer for the Health Care Justice Campaign. Sara will be working in the 9th and 10th Congressional Districts where she will work to mobilize residents, small businesses and members of the faith community to take action on state and federal health care legislation.
Sara is a recent graduate of Loyola University's Law School where she specialized in child and family law, as well as tax law. Prior to entering law school, she managed her mother's campaign for legislature in her home town of Omaha, Nebraska. You can contact Sara at showard@ilmaternal.org or at 312-491-8161x34.
 


"Sound the Alarm" Materials and Registration Now Available

Now is the time for people of faith to call for a more just and equitable health care system!  Faith organizations, institutions and leaders from all denominations are invited to participate in Sound the Alarm events. Past activities have included:

• Sound an instrument 18 times for the 1.8 million uninsured people in Illinois,
• Pray for the uninsured and others suffering from the health care crisis,
• Hold discussion groups about the issue, and/or
• Write to legislators in support of reform.

Visit the Campaign for Better Health Care's website to learn more about the event and to download FREE customizable materials for your house of worship. All participating organizations will be recognized on press materials. 
Contact Laura Leon at 312-913-9449 for additional information if you are in the Chicagoland area; contact Josephine Kalipeni at 217-352-5600 for all other areas.
 


Cover the Uninsured Week - March 22 - 28
Events throughout the nation will be organized for Cover the Uninsured Week 2009, which will take place from March 22nd through March 28th. Cover the Uninsured Week seeks to draw attention to the 47 million Americans without health insurance through health fairs, enrollment opportunities, panel discussions and other events.

Newsletter Archive

Visit our newsletter archive to read about recently listed articles from past issues. Past topics include:

• Legislative Updates
• 5th Congressional District Candidate Forum
• Job Posting

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Coordinated School Health Forum - March 30, 2009

The Stakeholders Collaborative Forum on Monday, March 30, 2009 will feature Dr. Pat Cooper. While serving as Superintendent of the McComb, Mississippi school district, Dr. Cooper implemented a longitudinal study on coordinated school health that resulted in improvements in academic achievement, teacher productivity, as well as attendance and discipline rates among other issues. Dr. Cooper is currently the CEO of the Early Childhood and Family Learning Foundation in New Orleans, LA.

Monday, March 30, 2009
9:00 am to 11:30 am (registration and continental breakfast begin at 8:30 am)
Conference Center at UBS Tower
1 N. Wacker - Michigan Ballroom (2nd Floor)

If you would like to attend this event, please complete and return the registration form. Please contact us for additional details concerning this event.  
 


Healthy Smiles Check Off Fund on IL Income Tax Form

As we all prepare to tackle our 2008 Income Tax Returns, please keep oral health in mind. Last year, the IFLOSS Coalition was able to obtain a tax check-off account on the Illinois State Income Tax Return. The money donated to this fund will help support children's oral health care. 
Many kids do not receive any care other than care received in some schools.  To assure the continuation of the tax check off, it must have a minimum balance of $100,000. 

Recent surveys have found that more than half of Illinois' third graders have tooth decay and one out of every 20 suffers from toothaches. Good oral health is essential to a child's behavior, speech, language and overall growth and development. Your contribution will help ensure every Illinoisan has a healthy smile.                                   

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease affecting children in our state. Please support the Healthy Smiles Fund (Line J, IL-1040 Schedule G). 


 
Save the Date-Preconception/Interconception Satellite Training on June 16th

The satellite training "Taking Charge of Your Reproductive Health" will address the need to educate males about their role in reproductive and family health.  This training will also provide techniques on how to enhance interaction with males before/after they have families.
The training will take place on June 16th from 10am-12:30pm and is sponsored by the IDHS Bureau of Maternal and Infant Health and targets frontline staff in Illinois clinical settings and programs.
Registration will be available at the Community Health Training Center website closer to the training date.



Encourage Families to Avoid Refund Anticipation Loans

Refund anticipation loans (RALs) and other instant refund products costs Illinoisans millions each year. These unnecessary loans charge exorbitant fees to provide refunds a mere 7-14 days early.
RALs and other instant refund products have annual interest rates (APR) that can range from around 50% to 500%. Difficult economic times can make RALs tempting to families struggling with household expenses. However, by filing electronically and having the refund directly deposited into a bank account, individuals can often receive their refunds within 8 - 15 days.
Families and individuals can save money by avoiding RALs and other instant products and still get their refund in a few days by using resources from the Center for Economic Progress or from the Free File Alliance.

Over Half of Unemployed People with Incomes Below 200% of Poverty are Uninsured

Fifty-four percent of unemployed U.S. residents under 200% of the federal poverty level are unable to afford private health insurance through COBRA and are not covered by Medicaid. COBRA allows recently unemployed workers to remain on their employer-sponsored health insurance for up to 18 months if they pay the full premium plus a 2% administration fee. 
A recent study by Families USA found that the average COBRA premium costs about 84% of an average individual's monthly unemployment check.

Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report - February 9, 2009
 


Obese Women Have Increased Risk of Having Babies with Birth Defects

According to a new study, obese women have an increased risk of having infants with birth defects, particularly spina bifida. Reasons for this may be because obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes and pregnant women suffering from diabetes can increase the risk of birth defects.

Another hypothesis is that because performing ultrasounds on obese pregnant women can be difficult, obese women might not become aware of fetal defects as often as thinner women and might not terminate pregnancies as often. Lastly, researchers found an association between maternal obesity and nutritional deficiencies -- particularly low levels of folate -- that could lead to birth defects. It is recommended that women who are obese might need more than the recommended 400 micrograms daily dose of folic acid during pregnancy to protect against spina bifida.

Source: National Partnership for Women and Families Daily Women's Health Policy Report - February, 11, 2009
 


Hawaii Legislature Considers Bill to Reject Federal Abstinence-Only Funds

Hawaii's state legislature is considering legislation that would reject federal Title V funding for abstinence-only education. Hawaii's public school system already does not accept Title V funding and teaches comprehensive sex education, but Hawaii's Department of Health accepts about $161,000 in Title V funding. Twenty-five other state currently reject abstinence-only funding.

Another sex-education bill would require any agency using state funds for sex education to use a comprehensive sex education curriculum that includes information on how to prevent pregnancy and STIs.

Source: National Partnership for Women and Families Daily Women's Health Policy Report - February 13, 2009


 
Washington Post Examines Wal-Mart's Shift in Health Coverage for Employees

Once vilified for health benefits NOT offered to their workers, Wal-Mart has been praised by The Washington Post for their implementation of electronic health records, partnerships with health care providers such as the Mayo Clinic and targeting expensive health problems including obesity and premature births. Additionally, recently released figures show that 5.5% of Wal-Mart employees are uninsured, compared with a national average of 18%.

According to the article, about 52% of Wal-Mart employees are covered by a Wal-Mart plan, including high-deductible plans, of which enrollment increased by 78% from 2007-2008. 

Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report - February 13, 2009      


 
US Court Finds No Link Between Autism and Vaccines

An overwhelming majority of scientific studies have found no connection between vaccines and autism. Now, a special federal court has concurred with these studies and has ruled that families with autistic children are not entitled to compensation from the federal government.

About one in twelve children do not receive the MMR vaccine, which helps protect against measles, mumps and rubella. As a result, outbreaks of these previously rare diseases have occurred in communities throughout the US.

Source: The Washington Post - February 13, 2009


 
Preventative Medicaid Coverage Could Reduce Low-Weight Births and Lower Costs

Maryland advocates are pushing for state Medicaid expansions to cover women who have delivered low birth-weight babies as a preventative measure to ensure that future births result in normal weight infants.

Infants with birth-weights of less than 5.5 pounds account for more than 50% of Maryland's birth expenses, with the average hospital cost for these infants being $84,000 compared to $2,300 for normal weight infants. Low birth-weight babies also have increased risks for physical and mental disabilities that can result in higher health care needs and costs throughout their lives.

Source: National Partnership for Women and Families Daily Women's Health Policy Report - February 18, 2009

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IMCHC’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
Maggiano’s Little Italy
516 N. Clark Street in Chicago
Contact Lilah Hander for more information

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