July 1, 2009  
 

As state budget talks in Illinois grind to a halt and health care reform legislation begins to pick up pace in Congress, the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition plans to keep our members and supporters current on developments through several new avenues of communication.

Become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or visit our soon-to-be-launched blog, where we will post information about legislation, policy developments, opportunities for action and other exciting updates related to women and children’s health.

Federal and State Policy Updates

Congressional Updates - Health Care Reform

Both chambers of Congress are swiftly moving forward with proposals to reform health care on a national level. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is reviewing the “Affordable Health Care Choices Act” which was introduced by Senator Kennedy (D-MA).

Provisions included in the 600+ page bill would: 

• No longer allow for pregnancy to be considered a preexisting condition by prohibiting all preexisting condition exclusions.
• Guarantee availability AND renewability of health insurance coverage.
• Require coverage of preventative health services, such as immunizations and preventative screenings for children and adolescents.
• Extend dependent coverage to age 26.
• Eliminate lifetime or annual coverage limits, which would be especially beneficial to families of children with special health care needs.
• Require insurers to develop a payment structure that incentivizes preventative care, the medical home model, coordinated care, case management and other cost-saving measures.
• Improve the health care infrastructure through investments in more primary care providers, community health care centers and health IT.
• Establishes a federal authorization and grant program for school health centers.
• Creates several councils, funds and campaigns that encourage the use of physical and oral prevention, as well as wellness programs and practices.
• Mandate the purchase of health insurance by individuals and require employers to provide it as a benefit; also, would provide a subsidy to those who qualify to help with purchase.

Sen. Kennedy’s bill does not address any expansions to Medicaid or Medicare, as it is expected that the Senate Finance Committee will handle legislation related to these programs. This bill also DOES NOT include a public health insurance option, which has been strongly supported by President Obama and many health care advocacy groups, including IMCHC.

Many experts think that offering the public health insurance option as a choice to private plans is the only way to ensure choice and control for consumers, as there is no indication that private insurance companies will reform their practices otherwise. Additionally, The Commonwealth Fund estimates that significant cost savings of $3 trillion over the course of a decade could be achieved by offering the choice of a public health insurance option.

Three House committees have been working jointly on health care reform legislation. Some of the major provisions in this bill include:

• Prohibits exclusions for preexisting conditions; requires insurers to offer coverage to everyone and renew all policies.
• Requires insurers to spend at least 85% of collected premiums on medical care; a refund to the consumer would be issued in the event less is spent.
• Expands Medicaid to 133% FPL, with full funding from the federal government, and allows for coverage of childless, nondisabled adults.
• Institutes affordability by providing sliding-scale subsidies to those under 400% FPL, offering credits to small businesses and limiting out-of-pocket expenses.
• Requires everyone to have health insurance; includes a “pay or play” requirement for businesses to encourage them to offer comprehensive health insurance to employees.
• Creates a Health Insurance Exchange to help consumers and small businesses compare plans, including the option of a public health insurance plan.
• Strengthens Medicare by providing new drug coverage subsidies to get rid of the “donut hole”.
• Establishes better coordination of care and promotion of culturally appropriate care to improve quality and reduce racial health disparities. 

Thanks to the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs for the Senate bill summary and to Community Catalyst for the summary of the House proposal.
 


Public Support

The majority of Americans continue to list health care reform as a top domestic priority, especially with the growing number of unemployed who are unable to purchase affordable, quality health insurance.

Recent polls have also indicated that an overwhelming majority favor the inclusion of a public health insurance option to provide another choice to private insurance AND would be willing to pay higher taxes so everyone could be guaranteed coverage and peace of mind.

IMCHC has been working on the Health Care Justice Campaign with the Campaign for Better Health Care to mobilize community members, small business and faith leaders to take action on this issue. If you are interested in learning more about our efforts or want to get involved, please email Sara Howard or contact her at 312-491-8161x29.

You can also take immediate action next week by participating in a national call-in day to members of Congress on Tuesday, July 7th and Wednesday, July 8th. Tell your Congressman and Senators that health care reform must happen NOW and MUST include the option of a public health insurance plan. Make a toll-free call to 1-866-210-3678 on July 7th or 8th and join tens of thousands of others in urging Congress to take action on health care reform! 


 
Illinois - State Budget Updates

Illinois’ state budget situation continues to deteriorate as lawmakers have been unable to reach an agreement of how to fill the state’s massive budget shortfall. Without new revenue, family planning services, breast and cervical cancer screenings and treatment, early childhood education, child care and many other health and human services programs will be cut to the bone.

Some specific cuts include:

• Elimination of the Vaccines for Children Plus program in IDPH that provides underinsured children with immunizations that can help prevent influenza, measles and meningitis.
• Reduction in the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program in IDPH which provides free screenings and treatment to uninsured women.
• Elimination of multiple programs in DHS’s Division of Mental Health, including psychiatric services, juvenile justice, direct clinical services and psychiatric medications, to name a few.
• Elimination of DHS grants that provide health care coverage for SEIU child care providers
• Reduction in eligibility limits for child care subsidies, which will result in thousands of parents without access to quality, affordable childcare.
• Up to a 75% reduction in teen pregnancy and domestic violence prevention programs, as well as the complete elimination of other programs funded through DHS’s Division of Community Health and Prevention.

Massive protests have taken place throughout the state, including in Chicago at the Thompson Center and at the State Capitol, but legislators continue with their budget stalemate. Visit IMCHC’s homepage to see how your legislators voted on a key tax bill that could have averted the disastrous “partial” state budget.  Legislators who voted “no” need additional pressure from their district. Find their contact information in IMCHC’s e-advocacy section of our website.


Governor Pat Quinn has threatened to sign any "partial" budget that is sent to him by the General Assembly and continues to push for an income tax increase in order to help fix Illinois structural deficit problem. 

Thanks to Voices for Illinois Children for posting the DHS memos and other information about the cuts.

IMCHC Annual Meeting Highlights

Thanks to everyone who attend our annual meeting on June 2nd. Governor Pat Quinn addressed over 180 luncheon attendees and spoke about the need to increase state revenues to avoid cuts to critical state programs and services.

Visit our website for pictures of the Governor, as well as our Loretta Lacey Awardees.

Inaugural Junior Fundraiser and Junior Board

Thank you to the 70+ supporters who braved the humid and stormy weather for our first annual junior fundraising event on June 19th! Many of the attendees learned about IMCHC’s work for the first time. Also, a special thanks goes out to 4th Ward Alderman Toni Preckwinkle who made a special appearance and addressed our attendees. Pictures from this event are posted on our website.

The event was also an opportunity for us to recruit for our junior board, which seeks toengage young professionals in our advocacy and program activities in order to build greater capacity and new, engaged membership. Junior board members have the opportunity to gain valuable skills in policy development and learn about cutting-edge public health topics, while volunteering with a statewide nonprofit organization.

Join us at our first junior board meeting on Monday, July 27th at IMCHC’s West Town office at 1256 W. Chicago Avenue from 5:30 – 7pm. Email Kathy Chan or call her at 312-491-8161x24 for more information or to RSVP.

RSVP for the CAIC’s Summer General Meeting on Wednesday, July 15th 

The Chicago Area Immunization Campaign will host its Summer General Meeting on July 15th at the UIC Student Center West at 828 S. Wolcott in Chicago from 8:30am - 12pm. 

The topic of the meeting will be “Adolescent Vaccines: Information and Inspiration.”  Guest speakers include, Rachel Caskey, MD, MPP, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at UIC and Frankie Milley, mom to Ryan Milley who died from a vaccine preventable form of meningitis, Founder/Executive National Director of Meningitis Angels. A complimentary breakfast will be provided.   

For more information or to RSVP, email Melissa Ponce, Project Coordinator or call 312-491-8161 x 33. 

 
Staff Updates and Job Opening

Blair Harvey, Project Director with the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers has been accepted to the University of Chicago’s School of Social Work Administration where she will pursue a Masters in Social Work. She will be leaving her full-time position with IMCHC in September. Congratulations to Blair for her 6+ years of work with ICSHC!

As a result, IMCHC is seeking a new project director for ICSHC. Visit our homepage to download a job description.

Newsletter Archive

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

• Federal and State Legislative Updates
• Register Today for the Health Care Programs Training Tour!
• Schedule a facilitated viewing of “Unnatural Causes”

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Urge your legislators to protect children and support an adequate budget!

As we begin Illinois' new fiscal year, pressure on legislators to support a fully-funded budget with new revenue is more important than ever! Without new and sustainable funding, Illinois' families, children and pregnant women are at risk of being denied child care services, after-school programs and health care. 

Urge your legislators today to support fair tax reform that includes:

1. Increasing the personal income tax to 5% to create a more consistent revenue source to support health care, human services and education;
2. Protecting low and moderate-income families with an increase in the state earned income tax credit (EITC); and
3. Expanding and updating the state sales tax base to capture additional revenue from services.

Visit IMCHC’s e-advocacy center to take action today.


 
Participate in National Health Care Reform Call-In Days – July 7th and 8th

Next week, several national groups, including SEIU, AARP, Consumer’s Union, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and Families USA, are urging people to call Congress on July 7th and 8th and tell them to pass health care reform this year.

Join in these efforts by making a toll-free call to 1-866-210-3678 on July 7th and 8th. When you call, tell your Congressman and your two Senators:

1. Health care reform must happen NOW and I urge you to support legislation that leads to affordable, accessible, guaranteed coverage for all.
2. I am also calling in support of health care reform that includes the option of a public health insurance plan.

Health care reform is only going to happen this year ONLY if there is a massive grassroots effort in support of it. We are stronger when we join together, so help us flood the Capitol switchboards next week.

Make a toll-free call to 1-866-210-3678 on July 7th or 8th and urge your co-workers, friends and families to do the same! 

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Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council Upcoming Meetings

The Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council has two upcoming regional meetings that are open to anyone who is interested in attending.

Western Suburbs – July 8
Where: Central DuPage Hospital
Address: 27W353 Jewell Road, Winfield, IL 60190
Time: 2:00 p.m.
*The meeting will be in Conference Room A (1st Floor).

West Chicago – July 10
Where: Norwegian American Hospital
Address: 1044 North Mozart Street, Chicago, IL 60622
Time: 2:00 p.m.
*The meeting will be in the Professional Medical Building (Fifth Floor Conference Room).
Please RSVP to Binita Desai via email at bdesai@mchc.com or by phone at 312-906-6089.
 


Save the Date – IFLOSS Conference on October 27th and 28th

IFLOSS’s statewide Oral Health Conference will take place on October 27 and 28 in Springfield, IL. The invited keynote speaker is Dr. Jay Anderson, the Chief Dental Officer for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Conference workshops topics will include: federal/state updates, nutrition, oral health workforce, geriatrics and community programs. Approximately 12-13 continuing education credits will be offered.

Visit the IFLOSS website for more information.

Recent Reports on Health Insurance Costs and Coverage

A new Families USA report shows that US families and their employers paid a “hidden tax” of $1,017 in their 2008 health care premiums to cover the costs of those without insurance. The $116 billion in health care to the uninsured came in the form of uncompensated costs provided by hospitals, providers, government programs and charities.
Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report – May 28, 2009 


The number of uninsured US residents is projected to increase by at least 6.9 million by 2010, according to a report from Health Affairs. The report based their estimates on increases in health spending compared to income, but does not take into account the recession and higher levels of unemployment, which could lead to great number of uninsured individuals.

Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report – May 28, 2009


The number of bankruptcies caused by medical bills has increased by fifty percent in just six years, making this the number cause of US personal bankruptcies. Most of those who experienced bankruptcy were insured, but catastrophic situations and loss of income during the illness resulted in the families paying more than a tenth of their income towards medical bills.

Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report – June 4, 2009

new report by The Commonwealth Fund finds that out-of-pocket costs (including premium shares, deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance) have increased by one-third between 2003 and 2007, affecting more than 170 million US residents in employer-sponsored plans. As a result, many of these individuals have joined the ranks of the underinsured who delay care because of costs.

Insurers Refuse To Stop Cancelling Some Sick Patients' Policies

Members of Congress grilled executives from the insurance industry's big three UnitedHealth Group, WellPoint, and Assurant for canceling coverage of more than 20,000 paying policy holders at a hearing Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reports. The executives responded that they would continue the practice, known as rescission, which has saved them an estimated $300 million over a five-year period.

The House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations found that "policyholders with breast cancer, lymphoma and more than 1,000 other conditions were targeted for rescission and that employees were praised in performance reviews for terminating the policies of customers with expensive illnesses." One executive said rescission is intended to stop fraud and abuse.

The Times reports that the executives "would not commit to limiting rescissions to only policyholders who intentionally lie or commit fraud to obtain coverage, a refusal that met with dismay from legislators on both sides of the political aisle. Experts said it could undermine the industry's efforts to influence healthcare-overhaul plans working their way toward the White House. 'Talk about tone deaf,' said Robert Laszewski, a former health insurance executive who now counsels companies as a consultant ... Proponents of a public plan seized upon the hearing, saying it showed why access to healthcare cannot be left to private insurance companies".

Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report – June 17, 2009

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IMCHC Southern Illinois Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, July 15th
12:15pm-2:15pm
Municipal West Building
200 Potamac in Mt. Vernon
Contact Lilah Hander for more information


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IMCHC Southern Illinois Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, October 21st 
12:15pm-2:15pm
Municipal West Building
200 Potamac in Mt. Vernon

IMCHC’s Chicago Area Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, December 9th
1pm-3pm
Metropolitan Family Services
1 N. Dearborn, 10th Floor in Chicago.

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