Did you know that over 4 million people in this country were
born with a right to health care? Through treaties, American Indians and Alaska
Natives were guaranteed the right to health care and protection from the United
States government in exchange for land.
Shockingly, though they are born with this right, according
to a recent Kaiser
Family Foundation paper, American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have
the worst health outcomes for preventable conditions compared to other racial
and ethnic groups; a higher percentage of AI/AN people live with more than two
chronic conditions than other groups; and AI/AN adults have the highest rates
of some health conditions, such as diabetes and obesity. In addition, on
average, they are dying 10 years earlier than the general population, according
to Donald Warne, the Executive Director of the Aberdeen
Area Tribal Chairmen's Health Board.
At the American Indian
Health Policy: Where We're Going workshop at our Health Action conference,
Donald Warne, along with Jennifer Cooper of the National
Indian Health Board and Cara Thunder of the American
Indian Community House emphasized that the unique issues facing the
American Indian and Alaska Natives are often ignored and have not been a focus
in the health care reform debate.
But Indian issues should be a focus of the health care
reform. One of the most pressing issues is that the Indian Health Service, the
agency responsible for providing care for the AI/AN population, is
significantly underfunded and cannot provide quality care. As Donald Warne
pointed out in his presentation, IHS gets only $2,130 per person per year,
compared to Medicare, which receives over $7,000.
There are things you can do to help in their fight for
health care equity. For one, support the current health care reform efforts.
The Senate bill renews the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), which
authorizes the appropriation of funds towards American Indian and Alaska Native
health. It also focuses on eliminating health disparities, attracting Indian
health care professionals to programs, and providing more efficient delivery of
health care services. IHCIA is vital to the health of American Indians and
Alaska Natives.
Another important thing you can do to help is to educate
yourself about the unique problems facing American Indians and Alaska Natives,
and share what you learn with others. Spreading awareness of these issues is
vital to American Indian and Alaska Native health becoming more of a priority
for our legislators.
As the health reform debate rages on, proponents of reform
are finding it more and more difficult to find effective messaging against the
opposition. Lucky for the attendees of Health Action 2010, we were able to
attend the workshop "Messaging Challenges for States," where we were provided
effective messaging tips to help advocates effectively address health reform
implementation and connect with the public.
As many health care advocates, and any one paying attention
to the debate, know, the biggest challenge to convincing the public of the
benefits of health reform is the public's general distrust of government. But
how do we overcome this distrust, especially when the opposition is working so
vigorously to spread this message with lies like, "health reform is a
government take-over of medicine" and "the government is trying to get between you and your doctor!"
Here are some helpful tips to take back the debate and win over
the public:
Be proactive and take back the health reform
discussion - make the opposition explain why they don't want reform
Explain the bill. People like the bill, they
just don't truly believe the policies will be implemented. Break down the bill
for them, and make it easy to digest.
Story telling. Bring real stories to the public.
Not only show them how our broken system has hurt their friends, families and
neighbors, but also show them how reforms that have already been implemented,
like CHIPRA or the extended COBRA, have helped people.
Respond effectively to the opposition. This can
be especially effective for people who are on the fence, and not sure whether
or not reform is good for them. A strong response can sway them.
Respond to fears created by the opposition.
Jim Duffett from Campaign for Better Health Care, Illinois,
Cynthia Zeldin, Georgians for a Healthy Future and Jeffrey Liszt, Anzalone
Liszt Research also spoke. Jim and Cynthia gave us a state perspective and
explained what they were doing in their communities to get an effective message
across. Both were using traditional approaches as well as taking innovative
approaches to tried and true methods. For instance, to ensure that the Illinois
legislature is on message with reform, Jim Duffett and his group have put
together a resolution that reinforces the benefits of the health reform bill
and the need to embrace the bill after it passes and implement its policies.
Although we still have a few tough battles ahead of us in
the fight over health reform, I'm confident, with the tips and strategies our
advocates learned in this workshop, we will overcome these challenges and pass
health reform soon!
I just want to say one thing to all of you who are worried:
Health reform is NOT dead. Seven hundred health reform advocates descended on
DC last week to attend Families USA's annual conference, and everyone here is
re-energized and ready to tell Congress and tell the President that the time is
now to pass health reform.
Headlines about health reform have been heartbreaking lately
to those of us who have worked so hard for so long. They say health reform is
dead, or that Congress is moving on to other legislative priorities. The
coverage of reform has become focused on the petty fights between Senate and
House members and Democrats and Republicans and the process behind reform, while
WHAT this reform is all about has been lost.
Being at the conference has helped me remember what we are
fighting for, and the fatigue that I began to feel after last week has
dissipated. It's important that we all stay in the game, and that we all stay
focused on our goal.
Talk to your friends and educate them. Maybe they are
concerned about the costs. Tell them that thousands of pilot programs in the
bill will help us build more efficient systems--urge them to read this
article about how pilot programs have worked in the past. Preventive care
measures and making sure doctors are rewarded for the quality of care not the
quantity of care will also save money.
You may know people who are upset that reform isn't going
far enough. Ask them to think of this as a step-a step towards a greater goal.
And encourage them to think of what will happen if we do not pass health care
reform: Medicare will run out of money, millions of kids and adults will remain
uninsured, costs will continue to rise, and every year, tens of thousands of people will die
because of lack of coverage. The system we have isn't sustainable, and it isn't
working.
Senator Al Franken spoke
to the Health Action conference attendees yesterday, and he told us that he is
dedicated to the passage of reform. So tell your health reform fatigued friends
that there is hope.
And for those who wonder just what the Senate bill does,
tell them what Sen. Franken told us:
Coverage for 31
million more Americans.
No denying coverage
or charging more for pre-existing conditions or gender.
Subsidies for low-income
Americans to purchase insurance.
Getting rid of
lifetime and annual limits.
Small business tax
credits.
Getting recommended
preventive care covered by all insurance plans at no cost.
And health plans
putting more money towards actual health care.
So that is what it is all about. And the people
who need to hear from you the most right now are your Senators and
Representatives. Call them and tell them that you want to see health reform passed
now, and encourage your friends and family members to call too. We are still
here, and we will continue to fight.
Promoting equity in health care is one of the most important
and difficult efforts for communities to undertake. Yesterday's workshop -
Beyond Health Care: Health Equity Strategies - offered some great strategies
for improving health equity.
Brian Smedley from the Health Policy Institute and Joint
Center for Political and Economic Studies moderated the discussion and Chinwe
Onyekere from Project HEALTH and Carol Bryant Payne from the Department of
Housing and Urban Development shared how they approached this issue and some of
the success they've had.
Carol's background as a registered nurse has helped her
transform the Department of Housing and Urban Development into an agency that
looks at how social determinants like housing, food security, and environment
affect health. She talked a lot about partnering with other agencies and
community based organizations to attack this issue in individual communities.
Chinwe's work in urban hospitals has transformed the way
physicians deliver care. Project HEALTH operates help desks in urban hospitals
that help patients get connected to needed social services outside of health
care like housing, food stamps, and other assistance. (Check out if Project
HEALTH operates in your city and get involved!)
Health equity continues to be a tough issue to deal with,
but communities across the country are making a difference and so can you!
My grandparents are
monumentally confused about health care reform. And rightfully so-opponents of
health reform have told them that they're going to lose their Medicare, and
that they will have to defend their life in front of a death panel.
Today, at the Families
USA Health Action Conference, I attended a workshop that gave me information
that will assuage my grandparent's fears. Speakers at the Medicare after Health
Reform workshop outlined how Medicare will really change with reform: How the claims
of opponents are far from the truth.
Let's start with Medicare
program cuts. There will be no cuts in guaranteed benefits. And, instead of
losing benefits, benefits will be improved. For example, preventive care will
be free. That way, seniors will be able to catch health issues before they
become deadly. And I will make sure that my grandparents take advantage of this
new benefit.
Also, many seniors are
scared they will fall into the doughnut hole, the gap in the Medicare prescription
benefit where seniors have to pay for prescriptions out of their own pockets.
Without reform this gap is projected to grow, and every year, millions of
seniors who land in the doughnut hole are forced to pay thousands of dollars
for the medicines they need. Health reform will reduce or completely eliminate
the gap. Reforms will also stabilize Medicare fiscally, ensuring it will be
around for generations to come.
These facts will reassure
the seniors in my life and the seniors in your life too. Make sure to share
them with someone you love. If you have any questions about what will happen
with Medicare in reform go to familiesusa.org or seniorstoseniors.org to get
your questions answered.
Health Action 2010 has so many great workshops that it's
hard to figure out where to start! After an amazing plenary presentation with
great speeches from Sec. Kathleen Sebelius, Senator Al Franken, Representative
Donna Edwards, and a moving tribute to Senator Ted Kennedy's contributions to
the health reform movement, I wanted to hear what different advocates were
doing on the ground to get health reform across the finish line.
The workshop - Implementation Challenges Roundtable:
Post-Reform Grassroots Organizing - was led by two long-time advocates: Jim
Duffet from the Campaign for Better Health Care in Illinois and Amy Smoucha
from Missouri Jobs with Justice.
Jim and Amy shared their experiences organizing and working
on health reform. The discussion focused on how we can build on the existing
movement; how we can reenergize our communities and take back the conversation
that Republicans have been hyjacking for the past few months.
Advocates discussed the challenges they face and the
successes they've had in their communities educating people about health
reform. We walked away with a lot of helpful ideas and a renewed sense of
strength and optimism about passing health reform. Yes we can and finally, yes
we WILL!
With the possibility of an expanded Medicaid population
imminent, how will newly-eligible people receive care? Will there be
enough health care providers and facilities to treat them?
Deborah Kilstein from the Association for Community
Affiliated Plans, Claudine Swartz from the National Association of Public
Hospitals, and Phil Villers from Families USA, along with over 40 advocates
from across the country, tackled this tough subject, and explored innovative strategies
to increase access to care.
They discussed the myriad of ways Medicaid managed care
plans and public hospitals can work to increase access to care now, and after
health care reform implementation.
Claudine Swartz highlighted an example from North Carolina,
where a community care initiative to make sure patients have health care homes
has generated $60 to $160 million in savings over three years for the state's
Medicaid program.
Deborah Kilstein provided examples from Medicaid managed
care plans, one of which has increased the number of immunizations by over 40%
in the last seven years. Many more examples can be found at http://communityplans.net/.
These thoughtful presentations provide a clear path to implementation
and a health care system that will be ready to treat newly-covered patients.
In a word, the general mood at the opening plenary was
"optimistic." Senator Al Franken remarked, "this isn't a funeral," and HHS
Secretary Kathleen Seblius said, "We're at the one-yard line. We've received a
penalty but the game is still on!" According to the advocates around the room,
the game is, indeed, still on.
Last night during the State of the Union, President Obama
did not spend the majority of his time on health reform. It's not, however,
because it's not on the agenda- it's simply because now it's in the hands of
our elected officials in Congress. The President told Congress loud and clear:
do not walk away.
Secretary Sebelius made it clear that without each and every
one of our voices, we might not get this done. But with all of us demanding that
Congress pass this legislation and put people before profits, we can -and we
will- get this done!
We've already come so far. Lately, we've done more to
improve the security of working families in America than we've ever done. We
are truly at the one-yard line. We can't go for a field goal, or call a time
out. We have to make this happen, and we have to act now.
Sen Franken took the stage and not only brought the laughs
but he bought the facts: thousands of Americans die every year because they don't have access to health care, thousands of families are forced into bankruptcy due to medical debt,
and thousands of Americans stay up late praying their loved ones won't get
sick. And that's in Franken's homestate of Minnesota alone.
Across the United States millions of Americans are without
insurance and without access to quality affordable health care. With each day
that passes, they're losing hope. We have to pick the ball back up, and pass
this bill for them.
Sen. Franken reminded us that the opposition's answer to
solving the broken health care system can be summed up in one word: "No."
That's just not good enough for us.
Our message is longer, louder and more meaningful: Americans
need health reform, they need it now, and won't stop until we pass this bill.
In the holiday classic Home
Alone, Kevin McCallister is petrified of his next door neighbor, "Old Man"
Marley. That is, until the end of the movie, when he actually takes the time to
get to know him. "Old Man" Marley turns out to be a kind man with a good heart.
We've all learned lessons like this, where we've found out the hard way that
our fears or judgments are false. The same is actually true for health reform.
According to a new poll conducted by the Kaiser
Family Foundation, many Americans become supportive of the provisions in the
health care legislation when they are explained accurately to them. The Kaiser
poll found that
...large shares of people, including
skeptics, become more supportive after being told about many of the major
provisions in the bills.
Unfortunately, the scare tactics of our opponents have
worked to confuse people, and many still do not understand the most important
concepts in the bills. The rumors of killing grandparents, reducing doctor
choice, and higher costs have trumped reality, but when the truth emerges, a
brighter view of health reform comes with it. According to Kaiser,
...majorities reported feeling more
favorable toward the legislation after learning about key elements such as the
availability of tax credits for small businesses, the creation of health
insurance exchanges, the inability of insurers to deny people coverage because
of pre-existing conditions and the move to close the Medicare drug benefit's
"doughnut hole."
These are critical pieces of legislation, which a majority
of Americans agree are crucial. Although the future of health reform might seem
unknown, what we can learn from this poll is crystal clear: When
Americans are given the facts, they realize that death panels and scare tactics
are little more than sorry political plays by politicians.
It's time to speak out loud and clear about the benefits of
the bill-and there are many. Don't let the opposition control the debate-let
your friends know today why reform will make every American's life better.
SAWYER: So,
looking back a year, going before a joint session of Congress. What's the
biggest difference in going this week?
OBAMA: Well, you
know, this may seem counterintuitive, but the biggest difference is that I was
more worried about where the country was going a year ago than I am now.
Timothy Jost and I assembled a letter signed by 51 health
policy experts asking that the House pass the Senate bill and then fix this
bill's significant shortcomings through the reconciliation process. We got a
very strong group of people from across the ideological spectrum to sign on.
For the most part, our letter has been favorably received in most quarters.
A lot of things may have changed in light of the
Massachusetts special election upset Tuesday, but one thing that hasn't changed
is the health insurance crisis in America. We must address this crisis.
It would be a terrible mistake for Democrats to abandon
comprehensive health care reform just because voters in the Massachusetts
Senate race last week decided that they liked the Republican, Scott Brown, more
than the Democrat, Martha Coakley.
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Category: Congress,Racial and Ethnic Disparities,Underinsurance and Medical Debt,Uninsured Americans
