Tuesday, May 31, 2005

HEALTH ACCESS ALERT
Tuesday, May 31st, 2005

LEGISLATIVE ACTION REPORT

• Bills on Medical Debt, Prescription Drugs, Children's Coverage Up Later This Week
• SB840(Kuehl) Universal Health Care Bill Passes Senate

Health advocates in Sacramento are busy this week, as this Friday in the deadline for bills to pass their house of origin. For a list of active bills that Health Access, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, is supporting, visit the newly-updated legislative resource at:
http://www.health-access.org/advocating/2005_bills.htm

MEDICAL DEBT: The Assembly is expected to take up two bills to prevent medical debt on Wednesday, June 1st, when they will vote on AB774 (Chan), to prevent hospital overcharging and provide other consumer protections for self-pay patients, and AB977 (Nava), to place public oversight over high deductible plans and other out-of-pocket costs that force patients into debt and lead them not to get needed care.

ACTION: Health advocates should CALL their Assemblymembers on WEDNESDAY to urge them to vote for these two bills to prevent medical debt. Last minute calls and letters to legislators should also be made on the issues below:

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: On Thursday, the Assembly is expected to consider the full range of bill addressing the cost and safety of prescription drugs, including AB71 (Chan), AB72 (Frommer), AB73 (Frommer), AB74 (Gordon), AB75 (Frommer), AB76 (Frommer), and AB78 (Pavley). A few prescription drug bills, including AB 8 (Chu), SB380 (Alquist), and SB401 (Ortiz) have already passed the first house.

COVERAGE: SB840 (Kuehl), to establish a universal health care system, passed out of the Senate earlier today (see below). Later this week, both AB772 (Chan) and SB437 (Escutia), to expand coverage to all California children, are expected to be voted on by the Assembly and Senate, respectively. Other bills to expand coverage include AB1698 (Nunez), to extend dependent coverage to a higher age level.

Bills that do not pass out of the first house this week will die, with only a small chance of resurrection at the beginning of next year. Of those bills both supported and opposed by health advocates, here is a newly-updated list of bills that have already stalled in either policy or appropriations committees:
http://www.health-access.org/advocating/stalled2005_bills.htm


SB840 (KUEHL) PASSES SENATE ON PARTY-LINE VOTE

Today the California Senate passed SB840 by Senator Sheila Kuehl, the California Health Insurance Reliability Act (CHIRA) on a 24-14 vote. The vote was a party-line vote, with all Democrats present voting for the measure, and all Republicans present voting against it. (Two Senators, one from each party, were not on the floor at the time of the vote, but all indications were that they would have followed their colleagues.)

"It's often the case that the most efficient solution to a problem is also the most compassionate solution," presented Senator Kuehl in a statement. "And we must find a solution to our ballooning healthcare crisis. One in 5 Californians is uninsured. Those of us who have coverage are seeing everything rise: premiums, deductibles, co-pays and out of pocket expenses, while our coverage continues to decline. Half of the personal bankruptcies in this country are the result of medical expenses, and the majority of the people bankrupted for that reason had insurance at the time they became sick or injured."

Health Access legislative advocate Beth Capell reports that there was a long and reasonable debate on the measure. She reconstructs the flavor of the discussion here from memory and notes below:

Opponents included Senator Dave Cox (R-Fair Oaks), who said that SB840 would lead to rationing. He knows that people from other countries come here to get care, such as MRIs and other advanced technology, that they cannot get in their own country. He asked, why is this such a problem if 80% of Californians have health insurance? Senator George Runner (R-Lancaster) asked why we were moving this bill forward if it was not fully worked out. He said he was sympathetic to the problem of the uninsured, but did not regard SB840 as the solution.

Supporters included Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), who said that he had spent more time thinking about this bill than any other bill, other than his own, this year. He had been carrying around a binder on the bill for weeks. Simitian said that he was not sure that this was the perfect bill and he still had lots of questions about it--and he did not promise to vote for it if and when it returns from the Assembly. But he said he was voting for it today because it was an important discussion to move forward.

Senator Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata) said he was proud to be a co-author. He noted that a prominent businessman in his district had recently broken his leg while traveling in Europe and came back raving about the great care he had gotten and was now a supporter of SB840. Senator Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara) said that there are only four things a society must do, and "assure health care for all our citizens" should be alongside other responsibilities like "educate our children" and "provide a safe environment." She spoke of someone she knew who had died of breast cancer, uninsured and unable to get care. Senator Richard Alarcon (D-San Fernando) gave a fiery statement about the need for children and seniors and all of us to have health care and how every other industrialized country has health insurance.

Senator Jack Scott (D-Pasadena) critiqued the current system, stating that last week he looked up the statistics on infant mortality, longevity and health care spending and the United States does not stack up very well: our infant mortality is high, only Denmark has shorter longevity (apparently they smoke a lot, he said), and we spend 15% of GNP on health care while almost every other country is in single digits. Responding to the opponents argument, he indicated that while 80% of Californians have insurance, this was not a very good system for the one in five that did not have health care. Maybe it was good for rich people like those Europeans who came here to get care, but for most of the rest of us, it was not a very good system, he continued.

While SB840 only needed 21 to pass, it got votes from all 24 Democratic Senators present. It now goes on to the Assembly policy committees. A companion bill is expected to be introduced later this year that would include the financing for the universal health care system envisioned in SB840.

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 9:37 AM


 

Friday, May 27, 2005

HEALTH ACCESS ALERT
Friday, May 27th, 2005


MEDICARE DRUG ALERT: ACT NOW TO PROTECT MEDICARE PATIENTS

• CA Budget Conference Committee To Start Wed; Decisions on Medicare Rx Coverage in Early June
• Key Bill Needs 2/3 Vote Next Week to Provide Consumer Protections Under Medicare Drug Plans

Medicare soon will be introducing Part D, the prescription drug benefit, set to begin on January 1, 2006. The implementation of this new program is starting now, but it raises many questions and concerns. Senior, consumer, low-income, and patient advocates need YOUR VOICE in the next week to support proposals to protect seniors and patients. Please take action and forward this alert to a friend or colleague.

PROTECT ACCESS TO NEEDED MEDICINES

Nearly one million low-income seniors and people with beneficiaries in California need protections as they are forced into an entirely new and more restrictive type of drug benefit through Medicare Part D. These are the aged, blind and disabled Californians with both Medicare and Medi-Cal coverage. They currently get comprehensive coverage from Medi-Cal, but on January 1st they will be switched into a Medicare drug plan with higher cost-sharing and less access to certain drugs. Continuity of care will not be guaranteed. The very short transition period will leave no margin for error.

Urge your legislator and all legislators, and especially members of the Budget Conference Committee, to provide emergency drug coverage to ensure that the nearly one million vulnerable Medicare recipients with Medi-Cal coverage continue to get their needed medicines without interruption. To protect these patients during the implementation of Medicare Part D, this emergency coverage will be essential to ensure access to anti-psychotics, HIV/AIDS drugs, anti-seizure or other specified classes of drugs or conditions.

The Budget Conference Committee, which will start meeting Wednesday, June 1st, will consider this in the first several days in June.

Urge them to:

• Augment the Governor’s Budget to include an emergency drug coverage plan for the Medicare-covered drugs for first two years of Part D to ensure continuity of care for “dual eligible” beneficiaries. This will ensure patients get needed medications pending appeal or exception processes.
• Augment the Governor’s Budget to provide assistance with new co-pay and premium burdens for “dual-eligible” beneficiaries.

Conference Committee Members:
Send to: The Hon. __, State Capitol, Room __, Sacramento, CA 94248
Senator Wes Chesbro (D-Solano/Sonoma/Napa/Humboldt) 916/651-4002, Room 5035
Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-Riverside/San Diego) 916/651-4040, Room 4081
Senator Dennis Hollingsworth (R) (R-Riverside/San Diego) 916/651-4036, Room 5064
Assemblyman John Laird (D-Santa Cruz/Monterey) 916/319-2027, Room 6026
Assemblywoman Judy Chu (D-Los Angeles) 916/319-2049, Room 2114
Assemblyman Rick Keene (R-Butte/Placer/Nevada/Yuba) 916/319-2003, Room 6027

For more info on this issue, see the letter written by over a dozen senior, consumer, low-income, and patient advocacy groups:
http://www.health-access.org/preserving/letter_medicare.htm


PROVIDE CONSUMER PROTECTIONS IN MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLANS

Urge your legislator and all legislators to support AB1359 (Chan), to ensure the new Medicare prescription drug plans are licensed, and abide by California health consumer protections.

Under the HMO Patients Bill of Rights, consumers have key protections under the Department of Managed Health Care, and this bill simply allows those same protections apply, where applicable, to these new prescription drug plans.

Due to the urgency of getting these protections in place before Medicare Part D starts, this bill requires a 2/3 vote, needing both Democratic and Republican support, and must be passed in the Assembly by June 3rd.

To take a look at the letter that Health Access California sent in support, go to the Health Access website at:
http://www.health-access.org/docs/2005BillLetters/AB1359_hac_asm_health.doc

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 9:03 AM


 

Thursday, May 26, 2005

HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Thursday, May 26th, 2005

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES VOTE FOR MANY HEALTH BILLS

• Many Health Consumer Protections Heading for Floor Votes in Next Week
• Some Bills Held "on Suspense"; Stalled for the Year

Yesterday and today, the Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees reviewed the hundreds of bills that were “on suspense” and voted to pass most of them out of committee and onto the full floor, including many of interest to health care advocates.

Appropriations is a major hurdle for legislation, and many bills were “held on suspense,” which effectively stops them for the current year. For those bills that were passed out of committee, they face an even bigger hurdle in this next week: all bills must pass out of the floor of the first house by next Friday, June 3rd, or they will also be dead for the year.


HEALTH CARE CONSUMER PROTECTIONS ADVANCED: Of interest to health advocates, bills released from the Appropriations Committee and heading to the floor include: proposed expansions of health coverage, including two bills to expand coverage to all children, and one bill to create a universal health care system; over a dozen bills to address the cost and safety of prescription drugs; a ban against hospital overcharging; public oversight on high deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs; consumer protections for those buying individual health insurance, or a Medicare prescription drug plan; disclosure requirements on hospital cost and quality; and a measure to streamline enrollment for child health coverage programs.

These bills, LISTED BELOW, and others that did not have to go through the Appropriations Committee, will be heard on the floor in the next week. For links to all these bills, and the letter that Health Access California sent on them, go to the "Legislative Corner" on our webpage, at:
http://www.health-access.org/advocating/2005_bills.htm


BILLS STALLED: There are some bills of interest to health advocates that were held "on suspense" in Appropriations Committee, and thus are stalled for the year. They include:

• REGULATION OF DISCOUNT HEALTH PLANS: Both bills to regulate so-called "discount health plans" were held, including the one supported by consumer groups, AB562 (Levine), as well as the one sponsored by the industry, AB1091 (Parra). Consumer groups continue to maintain that these often-fraudulent "plans" are currently illegal.
• BALANCE BILLING: AB1321 (Yee) to prevent the practice of "balance billing" stalled, as did AB757 (Chan), on the issue of selling provider networks.
• PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: While many of the measures on prescription drugs survived, AB95 (Koretz) was stalled, around the marketing costs of drugs.
• STREAMLINING MEDI-CAL: Two bills to steamline Medi-Cal were held, including AB699 (Chan), to eliminate semiannual status reports, and AB1239 (Chan), to allow self-certification of assets.
• CHARITY CARE: SB24 (Ortiz) was held, which would have provided hospital patients basic consumer financial protections and require certain levels of "charity care." An Assembly bill to prevent hospital overcharging did make it out of committee.
  

HEALTH CONSUMER BILLS NOW HEADING TO THE FLOOR

The following bills were voted out of the Senate or Assembly Appropriations Committee, and will be voted on by the full house in the next week. They include:

CHIRA/UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE:

• SB840 (Kuehl) which would create a publicly financed system of universal health benefits for every Californian.

EXPANDING CHILD HEALTH COVERAGE:

• SB38 (Alquist), would expand the Healthy Families program by covering children up to 300% of the federal poverty level.
• SB437 (Escutia), which would expand and protect health insurance coverage for children in order to assure that all California children have the opportunity to have health insurance coverage.
• AB772 (Chan) which would expand and protect health insurance coverage for children in order to assure that all California children have the opportunity to have health insurance coverage.

HOSPITAL OVERCHARGING:

• AB774 (Chan), sponsored by Health Access California, which would provide hospital patients basic consumer financial protections and protect self-pay hospital patients from being charged more than the insured.

OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS:

• AB977 (Nava), sponsored by Health Access California, which would require the Department of Insurance and the Department of Managed Health Care to review and approve out of pocket costs for consumers in a public process with specific standards.

INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE REFORM:

• AB356 (Chan), which would require disclosure of the criteria and process for denying individuals health insurance coverage.
• AB1199 (Frommer), sponsored by Health Access California, which would require HMOs to give consumers a copy of their medical information record used in determining whether to cover an individual in the individual market.

MEDICARE DRUG PLAN CONSUMER PROTECTIONS:

• AB1359 (Chan), sponsored by Health Access California, which would license prescription drug plans permitted under the Medicare Prescription Drug Act, so they abide by California consumer and patient protections.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS:

• AB71 (Chan), which would improve reporting of adverse drug reactions by creating a toll-free number for receiving reports, maintaining a website for public information on adverse reactions, and providing information to the FDA regarding adverse drug reactions.
• AB72 (Frommer, Chan), which would require drug manufacturers to report on all studies of the effect of each prescription drug and allow the California Attorney General to take action to enforce this provision.
• AB73 (Frommer, Chan), which would create a website with information on affordable prescription drug prices for Californians.
• AB74 (Gordon), which would create a California Rx Prescription Drug hotline to provide information to consumers and prescribers.
• AB75 (Frommer, Chan), which would establish a drug discount program for Californians facing high drug costs, including low and moderate income Californians without insurance and those with high out of pocket costs.
• AB76 (Frommer, Chan), which would create an office of pharmaceutical purchasing to purchase prescription drugs for state programs.
• AB78 (Pavley, Bass) which would protect consumers by regulating pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

STREAMLINING ENROLLMENT:

• AB624 (Montanez), which would streamline the process for children to enroll into Medi-Cal or Healthy Families through the CHDP gateway.
• SB23 (Migden) which would provide information to all employees about the availability of Medi-Cal and Healthy Families.

EMPLOYER DISCLOSURE:

• AB89 (Horton), which would require disclosure of employers of persons dependent on Medi-Cal and Healthy Families.

HOSPITAL REPORTING ON COST AND QUALITY:

• AB1045 (Frommer) which would clarify existing law by requiring that the charges for 25 most common inpatient hospital procedures and the 25 most common outpatient procedures be made public.
• AB1046 (Frommer) which would require the creation of a hospital report card.

Consumer health advocates are also tracking other bills that are heading to the floor of the Assembly and Senate, but did not need to go to the Appropriations Committee. To see a full list of bills of interest, visit the Health Access California website, at:
http://www.health-access.org/advocating/2005_bills.htm

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 8:29 AM


 

Monday, May 23, 2005

HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Monday, May 23, 2005

BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEES WRAP UP WORK

• Most of Medi-Cal Redesign Rejected; Managed Care Proposal Modified
• ACTION Needed to Ensure Access to Drugs for "Dual-Eligibles" Under New Medicare Part D Plan
  

The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San Diego), moved forward Friday with a range of decisions on health budget items, and joined the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health in closing its business on Saturday.

In most cases where the subcommittee adopted the Administration's May Revise proposal, the vote was 3-0. In most cases where the committee made a rejected or modified the Administration's proposal, the vote was 2-1, with Democrat Senators Ducheny and Tom Torlakson voting for the change, and Republican Senator George Runner generally voting to stay with the Adminstration proposal. The detailed recommendations of the committee were included in their agenda, available at:
http://www.senate.ca.gov/ftp/SEN/COMMITTEE/STANDING/BFR/_home/NEWAGENDA.HTML#three

MEDI-CAL REDESIGN: In previous sessions, the subcommittees rejected proposals to impose premiums on a half-million Medi-Cal patients, and to outsource single-point-of-entry application processing. The legislators also rejected a Administration proposal to impose a $1000 cap on dental services for three million adults on Medi-Cal. Instead, they proposed a higher, $1800 cap, along with additional exclusions, and instituted a sunset so the cap would be lifted after three years.

For a one-page chart of how the Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposals under "Medi-Cal Redesign" fared, visit the Health Access website at:
http://www.health-access.org/preserving/docs/MediCalRedesignScorecard2005.doc

HOSPITAL FINANCING: No decisions have been made on the proposed hospital financing waiver, since no details have been made public at this date. However, the subcommittee did get a report from the Administration, who continued to report that they will soon report a deal with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for a new hospital financing waiver. Chair Ducheny responded that "you've been optimistic since February."

In addition to the major shift of hospital financing from "intergovernmental transfers (IGTs)" to "certified public expenditures (CPEs)," Stan Rosenstein of the Department of Health Services did report that the federal government is now asking for "reforms" to "bring down the cost of Medi-Cal," which included the Medi-Cal Redesign managed care proposal. Chair Ducheny argued that California is already the last in the nation in per-patient spending, and has been the most pro-active in controlling costs, including underpaying providers. She understood the request for cost controls, but didn't think the "reforms" should be dictated, stating she is "resentful if the federal government thinks they know better than our folks." On the proposed linkage of a hospital waiver to Medi-Cal managed care proposal, she asked the Department to "tell me to who I should send the 15 tapes of hearings" of people expressing concerns about the managed care proposals.

The federal government was reported to also be interested in using some of this money that currently supports public hospitals to reduce the number of uninsured. This concerns many health care advocates, who believe that the safety-net systems is already underfunded, and that the great need for health services will continue even with marked reductions in the number of uninsured.

Other concerns were with the creation of a fixed amount for a "safety net pool," and the Administration suggested that the question of how the money would be distributed would be be decided later, through a policy process in the summer. This poses a great concern for hospitals, that won't be able to determine if they will lose money under the hospital waiver, and be forced to close services. It would also set up a divisive situation where hospitals would be pit against each other for needed resources, and an increase to a hospital can only come from reducing funds for another institution.

MANAGED CARE: The Subcommittee rejected the Administration's trailer bill language that would have, among other things, broadly required mandatory enrollment of aged, blind, and disabled Medi-Cal patients into managed care. Advocates were particularly worried about the implementation timeline of this proposal, and the problem of mandatory enrollment disrupting patient's access to their doctors and other providers.

However, the Subcommittee did allow the five County Organized Health Systems (COHS) to expand to new counties, if those counties choose, and that could include some mandatory enrollment. The Subcommittee also allowed for the geographic expansion of managed care as well, and adopted new trailer bill language to "carve-out" the California Children's Services program.

OTHER ACTIONS: The Subcommittee also voted to provide rate reimbursement increases for CalOptima in Orange County, and for the Alameda Alliance for Health in Alameda County, to prevent further financial difficulties that threaten these local initiatives.

MEDICARE DRUGS: The Subcommittee responded to constituency group concerns about the coming implementation of the Medicare prescription drug program, and especially the switch of "dual-eligibles"--those who are both in Medicare and Medi-Cal--from getting comprehensive prescription drug coverage from the Medi-Cal program to getting less comprehensive drug coverage from the Medicare program, with higher cost-sharing.

The Subcommittee voted to create a process to provide "emergency drug coverage for a dual eligible for up to 60 days during the first year of implementation" of the Medicare drug benefit. "The intent would be for emergency coverage--such as for antipsychotics, HIV/AIDS drugs, anti-seizure or other specified classes of drugs or conditions."

Western Center on Law and Poverty, Health Access California, Congress of California Seniors, Older Women's League, SF AIDS Foundation, ARC of California, and others urged support for this and broader efforts to ensure that these nearly one million people have access to needed medicines. The Assembly did not include such language, and so this issue will be considered in Conference Committee.

MEDICARE ACTION FOR EMERGENCY COVERAGE: Senior, low-income, consumer, and other patient advocates are now urging members of the Budget Committees to provide emergency drug coverage to ensure that the nearly one million vulnerable Medicare recipients with Medi-Cal coverage continue to get their needed medicines without interruption, to protect them during the implementation of the Medicare Drug program.

The legislature will decide this crucial issue in the next few weeks. Given the uncertainty of the implementation of this Medicare drug benefit, California needs to maintain its commitment to this vulnerable population to ensure they get needed medicines during this transition.

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 1:18 PM


 

Thursday, May 19, 2005

HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Thursday, May 19, 2005

BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEES MEET ON MEDI-CAL REDESIGN, MEDICARE DRUGS


Earlier today, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services, chaired by Assemblyman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate), went through and made decisions on the budget proposals in the May Revise, and other outstanding issues.

Tommorrow, the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services, chaired by Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San Diego) will start its deliberations on health issues, probably to last into the weekend.

DECISIONS ON REDESIGN: Both committees have already made several decisions with regard to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposals around "Medi-Cal Redesign." These changes are reflected--and often updated--in the Health Access Medi-Cal Redesign Scorecard, on our website at:
http://www.health-access.org/preserving/docs/MediCalRedesignScorecard2005.doc

In previous sessions, the subcommittees rejected proposals to impose premiums on a half-million Medi-Cal patients, and to outsource single-point-of-entry application processing. The legislators also rejected a Administration proposal to impose a $1000 cap on dental services for three million adults on Medi-Cal. Instead, they proposed a higher, $1800 cap, along with additional exclusions, and instituted a sunset so the cap would be lifted after three years. Also, no decisions have been made on the proposed hospital financing waiver, since no details have been made public at this date.

MEDI-CAL MANAGED CARE: In Assembly Subcommittee today, there was some discussion of the proposal to shift more Medi-Cal patients into managed care plans. In previous meetings, the subcommittee voted to allow the expansion of managed care for children and families, and to carve out California Children's Services (CCS). In this meeting, the committee voted to allow County Organized Health Systems (COHS) to expand into new counties, but rejected mandatory enrollment of aged, blind, and disabled populations into managed care.

The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services is expected to consider this issue, as well as many others, tomomrrow. The agenda and staff analysis for the Senate Budget Subcommittee is available at their website, at:
http://www.senate.ca.gov/ftp/SEN/COMMITTEE/STANDING/BFR/_home/NEWAGENDA.HTML#three

MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG IMPLEMENTATION: Another important discussion item today was the upcoming implementation of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, starting in January 2006. Several issues are pending with regard to this new federal program, signed into law by President George W. Bush as part of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.

When proposed, the Medicare drug benefit was offered as a way to provide states with needed fiscal relief, as the federal government takes responsibility for covering the drug costs of "dual eligibles," those who qualify for both the state Medi-Cal program and the federal Medicare program. Recent analyses have indicated that due to a "clawback" formula, and the corresponding loss of the state's bargaining power, the state may actually lose money. The Legislative Analyst's Office has studied this issue in depth, in their paper, "Part D Stands for Deficit," on their website at:
http://www.lao.ca.gov/2005/medicare/medicare_031605.pdf

There are also issues of concern with the implementation of the prescription drug program for all seniors, but especially low-income and vulnerable populations. The Governor did acknowledge some of these issues in his May Revise, putting some funding for outreach activities around the launch of this new benefit. The Governor also proposed to continue providing drugs now covered by Medi-Cal for dual eligible beneficiaries where federal matching funds are available, as those classes of drugs will not be covered by Medicare. Medicare Part D excludes certain drugs from coverage, most notably benzodiazepines, barbiturates and over the counter medications.

Yet even with this, nearly one million low-income elderly and disabled dual eligible beneficiaries in California will be forced into an entirely new and more restrictive type of drug benefit through Medicare Part D. These dual eligible beneficiaries will be randomly assigned to drug plans based upon cost, not individual drug needs. Continuity of care will not be guaranteed. Of most concern, a very short transition period will leave no margin for error, since Medicaid drug coverage for this population ends the same day that Part D coverage begins.

Some of these issues will be discussed tomorrow before the Senate Budget Subcommitte. Several senior, disability, low-income, patient, consumer, and legal advocates, including Western Center for Law and Poverty and Health Access California, are making the case that the Budget Committees should:

• Augment the Governor’s Budget to include an emergency coverage plan for the Medicare covered drugs for first two years of the Part D program to ensure continuity of care for dual eligible beneficiaries. Medicare Part D is supposed to cover medically necessary drugs for beneficiaries but dual eligibles will be forced to purchase some drugs at “full-price” out-of-pocket if their particular drug is not covered by their plan. The state should provide emergency relief to disabled or aging beneficiaries who may have to pay full price for drugs pending an appeal.
• Augment the Governor’s Budget to provide assistance for dual-eligible beneficiaries with new cost-sharing requirements, including co-pays and premiums. While dual eligibles will not have to pay premiums for average cost drug plans, higher cost plans may better meet their individual drug needs, which could require them to pay added expenses for premiums. Unlike current Medicaid rules, pharmacies will be able to deny drugs to those who cannot afford to pay the co-payments.

For more information to assist on this issue, contact Anthony Wright, Health Access at awright@health-access.org.

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 5:22 PM


 

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Wednesday, May 18th, 2005


HEALTH ACCESS: POSITIONS AVAILABLE; NEW WEBSITE; CALENDAR OF EVENTS


NEW HEALTH ACCESS WEBSITE DESIGN

Health Access California is proud to unveil the new design of our website, to better serve health advocates in finding materials and resources. As before, the site features fact sheets and reports on a range of health care issues, a legislative corner tracking the many bills that would impact access to health care for consumers, a real-time blog featuring an archive of all E-mail alerts and updates, a continuously-updated Health and Budget Advocacy Calendar, and the ability to join Health Access, the statewide, health care consumer advocacy coalition. Much thanks goes to Serwar Ahmed, Health Access Communications Coordinator, for developing this resource. Please visit the new and always-improving website, at:
http://www.health-access.org


POSITIONS AVAILABLE AT HEALTH ACCESS

Health Access Foundation is currently seeking bright, motivated, and experienced individuals to join the effort for quality, affordable health care for all Californians. Full job descriptions are available at our website, at:
http://www.health-access.org/jobopps.htm

An exciting, high-profile, high-impact, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, Health Access is seeking both a Policy Coordinator and a Director of Operations and Development for our Sacramento office, and a Regional Organizer for our Los Angeles office. We also are looking for part-time consulting assistance for our Video Medical Interpretation (VMI) project, based in our Oakland office. Cover letters and resumes for all positions should be sent via E-mail to jobs@health-access.org.

Policy Coordinator: A new position in Sacramento, a health policy coordinator would track and analyze health care policy developments, to help coordinate advocacy activities in Sacramento, and to write fact sheets, summaries and reports for use by our coalition members. The position would have key responsibility to coordinate advocacy around the Medicare and prescription drug issues, but would also work on the dynamic Health Access agenda of expanding health coverage to the uninsured, preserving access to care against state and federal budget cuts, and winning key health care consumer protections.
http://www.health-access.org/jobopps.htm#pol

Director of Operations and Development: A revamped position based in Sacramento, the director of operations and devlopment would have key responsibilities in organizational planning, development, human resources, finances, and operations, for the organization and its three offices in Oakland, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. The operational task will include managing facilities, human resources, risk management, legal issues, and information technology. Additional responsibilities include board and vendor relationships. The development/fundraising tasks will include, working with the Executive Director to develop and execute a long term, viable funding model to sustain the organization over the next decade. Other responsibilities include grant tracking and report writing.
http://www.health-access.org/jobopps.htm#dir

Regional Organizer: This Los Angeles-based regional organizer will coordinate regional coalitions, campaigns, actions, and events in fighting to defend and expand access to health care. One energetic organizer will staff our Los Angeles office, and coordinate our Southern California activities, to prevent severe state and federal budget cuts in Medi-Cal and other health programs, to expand health coverage to the uninsured, and to win consumer protections in the arenas of prescription drugs, HMO’s, hospital billing and out of pocket expenses.
http://www.health-access.org/jobopps.htm#org

With the announcement of this opening, Health Access wants to acknowledge the work of Idabelle Fosse, who served in this job for several years and is now moving on. From organizing events to building relationships, she has represented Health Access well in Los Angeles, and she helped to advance our goals and mission through many campaigns on budget cuts, health care reform, and legislation. Idabelle is not departing immediately, as she has graciously offered to continue in her position for a time, so that we may conduct an appropriate search and have a transition for staffing our Los Angeles office. We have appreciated her service to the organization, and wish her well in her new pursuits.


LATE MAY EVENTS OF NOTE FOR HEALTH ADVOCATES

BILL AND BUDGET DEADLINES: With the May Revise now announced, budget committees will start working at a furious pace to evaluate all budget proposals. Those items that are part of the "Medi-Cal Redesign" will start to be heard tomorrow, Thursday, May 19th by the budget subcommittees, and they may go into the weekend. In related scheduling, legislative bills need to be heard and approved by the full house of origin by June 3rd in order to move further this year.

EVENTS: Below are selected events of interest to health advocates for the last half of May, but there are many more. More information on these and other events is available at:
http://www.health-access.org/calendarhome.htm

* THURSDAY, May 19: Medicare-MediCal Rx Changes for Disabled. Learn about Medicare for People with Disabilities. Learn about Medicare’s new Prescription Drug Benefit – Part D. Learn about the elimination of Medi-Cal drug coverage and the conversion to Medicare Part D; help providers understand enrollment process. Help identify issues of concern for people with disabilities; learn about current advocacy efforts. Guest Speaker – Bonnie Burns, California Health Advocates, Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm, Location: St Mary’s Cathedral - 1111 Gough St. San Francisco, CA. For more information, please contact Laura Ware at 415-546-1305 or laura@senioractionnetwork.org. Sponsored by Senior Action Network – SF HICAP, Self Help for the Elderly – San Mateo HICAP, Legal Assistance for Seniors – Alameda HICAP, San Francisco State University School of Public Health, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

* FRIDAY, May 20: ¡Adelante! Strengthening Latino Advocacy in the Bay Area. The event will bring together Latino serving non-profit organizations, local elected officials and community members from around the Bay Area, to share information and develop new advocacy strategies for addressing policy issues in the fields of Education, Health and the Environment. Time: 9:00am - 2:00pm, Location: First Unitarian Church, 685 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612. You can visit dbechler@value.net

* MONDAY, May 23: Immigrant Day. Celebrate contributions to California's economy and culture at the 9th Annual Immigrant Day. Join hundreds of immigrants and advocates in raising our voices on behalf of immigrant families throughout the state. This year's state budget proposal once again places the burden of addressing the state's budget crisis on working families. The Governor has targeted families who receive work supports through CalWORKs, In Home Supportive Services, child-care workers as well as critical health care and human services for low-income families. Time: Agenda: 9:00am - 10:00am, Advocacy Training for Southern CA participants: 10:00am - 12:00pm, Rally: 12:00pm - 2:00pm, Lunch and Legislative Visits, Location: West Steps of State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA. Sponsored by the California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative (CIWC)

* TUESDAY, May 24: Dinner and Discussion on Faith and Public Policy, Dinner and in-gathering of people interested in the May 25th Legislative Issues Briefing or the focused discussion or both. Followed by a discussion on faith in the political arena. Featured speakers will include Susan Pace Hamill, Alexia Salvatierra, and an invited legislator who will talk about the link between faith and involvement in public policy. Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm, Location: St.John's Lutheran Church, 17th and L streets, Sacramento, CA, For more information, please contact Elizabeth Sholes, CA Council of Churches, at (916) 442-5447 or sholes@calchurches.org

* WEDNESDAY, May 25: Sabbath Economics: In Search of a Moral Economy. Morning speaker on faith values and tax equity; workshops on taxes; faith in action on children's health care; cost of corrections vs. rehabilitation; worker-faith justice; family economic self-sufficiency. Time: 8:00pm - 3:30pm Location: St.John's Lutheran Church, 17th and L streets, Sacramento, CA.

* WEDNESDAY, May 25: Action Day for a Better California in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Many participants, including those from places as far away as San Luis Obispo and Fresno, will endure a 7-hour bus ride to attend the rally and express their outrage at Governor Schwarzenegger’s reckless agenda, which includes cuts to vital education funds and health care programs. Time: 3:30pm in both locations, Location: Sacramento: State Capitol, South Lawn, N Street Side, Los Angeles: Pershing Square For more information, please contact the Sacramento Rally Media Contact: Robin Swanson (916) 443-7817 or the Los Angeles Rally Media Contact: Jim Farrell (916) 443-7817.

* WEDNESDAY, May 25: A Step Towards Technology…A Leap for Language Access. Come join Alameda County Medical Center and SF General Hospital in celebrating over 20 years of language services and the new horizon of innovative technology in medical interpretation, the Video-Conferenced Medical Interpretation (VMI) Program. Time: 5:00pm Location: Alameda County Medical Center, Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA. Sponsored by ACMC and SFGH.

* THURSDAY, May 26: Budget Briefing The Governor’s Proposed Budget....Good or Bad for Health of Latinos? The Latino Health Alliance and the Latino Legislative Caucus invite you to a Budget Briefing to examine the impacts the Governor’s proposed budget will have on the health of California’s Latinos. Time: 10:00am - 11:30pm, Location: Eureka Room, State Capitol, Sacramento, CA For more information and/or to RSVP, please contact Ayde Perez 916-448-3234 at aperez@lchc.org.

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 7:38 AM


 

Friday, May 13, 2005

HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Friday, May 13th, 2005


HEALTH CUTS CONTINUED IN FRIDAY THE 13TH BUDGET

• Despite Questions, "Medi-Cal Redesign" Proposals Intact
• More Cuts to Come If Governor Wins Unilateral Powers on Ballot

The Governor's "May Revise" budget, announced earlier today, was more of the same. The Governor refused to retract any components of his "Medi-Cal Redesign" proposal, nor did he consider increased revenues to sustainably deal with the ongoing budget crisis.

This sets the stage for the bigger budget fight this fall, where the Governor is seeking to win, through a special elecction, unilateral power to make cuts in health and other vital services. With that power, he would be able to come bacck with many of his previous proposals for health care cuts that have been rejected by legislators.

For a copy of the proposal for the California Health and Human Services Agency, go to the Department of Finance website, at:
http://www.dof.ca.gov//HTML/Budget_05-06/MayRevision2005-06/HHS.pdf

The Governor's budget didn't contain major changes, although it did include funding for expected caseload growth in the Healthy Families program for children, and about $13 million in funding for outreach and other related efforts around next budget year's implementation of the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

The Governor's did not change any of his original "Medi-Cal Redesign" Proposal. For a chart about the proposals, their financial and health impacts, and the legislative response to date, download the Health Access Medi-Cal Redesign Scorecard at:
http://www.health-access.org/preserving/docs/MediCalRedesignScorecardMay10.doc

The cuts that the Governor has re-affirmed include:

• PREMIUMS: Impose premiums on 550,000 children, parents, seniors, and people with disabilities on Medi-Cal just over the federal poverty level, including 460,000 children and parents. The premiums would be $4/month for each child under 21, and $10/month for adults, up to $27/month per family. Beneficiaries will be disenrolled if they do not pay premiums for two consecutive months.
• DENTAL CAP: Limit dental benefits to three million adults with Medi-Cal coverage. Dental coverage would be limited to $1,000 in a twelve-month period; Some exemptions would apply.
• OUTSOURCING SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY: Transfer a portion of Medi-Cal eligibility processing of “single point of entry” forms to Healthy Families vendor (Maximus), from counties.
• MANDATORY MANAGED CARE: Force hundreds of thousands of seniors, people with disabilities and families into managed care plans. The proposal would geographically expand Medi-Cal managed care plans into 13 counties now without such plans, and force this shift for 262,000 children and parents; would also shift into managed care 554,000 seniors and people with disabilities in 27 counties who are now in fee-for-service plans.
• HOSPITAL FINANCING: Restructure the funding for public and safety-net hospitals through a federal waiver, by shifting the risk and responsibility of reimbursements from the state to the counties. Would cap federal reimbursements. No specific details on the proposal have been released. Negotiations with the federal government continue.

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 8:12 AM


 

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Tuesday, May 10, 2005

SIGNATURES FILED FOR CHEAPER PRESCRIPTION DRUG BALLOT INITIATIVE

• Drug Industry To File Counter-Measure; Fourteen Drug Bills Pending in Legislature

Earlier today, Health Access California and the Alliance for a Better California announced that they are submitting signatures to place “The Cheaper Prescription Drugs for California Act” on the next ballot. The timing of the filing would allow it to qualify for a special election, if one is called by the Governor for November 2005 or later. Otherwise, the measure will go on the June 2006 ballot.

THE MEASURE: The Cheaper Prescription Drugs for California Act seeks to ease the hardships caused by the skyrocketing cost of pharmaceuticals. Americans and Californians without drug coverage end up paying more for prescription drugs than anybody in the world, since unlike in other countries, our government does not negotiate for better prices for our citizens. The measure would utilizes the state's purchasing power through the Medi-Cal program to require big pharmaceutical companies to provide low-cost prescription drugs to the uninsured, low- and middle-income Californians, and those with high health care costs. It is estimated that around 10 million Californians could be eligible for this discount card. For a full text of the measure, go to the Attorney General's website at:
http://ag.ca.gov/initiatives/pdf/sa2005rf0037.pdf

HISTORY: Many consumer, senior, and patient organizations supported many bills in previous years on the issue of prescription drugs. Six of those bills were vetoed last year by Governor Schwarzenegger, creating the rationale for a ballot measure strategy to advance the issue.

ACTION: As part of this overall push, consumer groups are also supporting fourteen measures on prescription drugs currently pending in both the Assembly and the Senate. For more information on these bills, and to sign up to support this ballot measure, visit the Health Access website at:
http://www.health-access.org/providing/ourx.htm

PHRMA RESPONSE: The measure was filed today after negotiations for a legislative compromise with the prescription drug industry broke down. In response, the prescription drug industry is likely to file signatures to place a competing drug discount ballot measure on the ballot.

OTHER EFFORTS ON SPECIAL ELECTION: The Alliance for a Better California, the coalition of teachers, nurses, firefighters and other interests that have organized opposition to Governor's special election agenda, funded the signature gathering for both the prescription drug measure, and an "electric reregulation" proposal. Supported by ratepayer advocacy groups, that proposal seeks to providing reliable electric service at reasonable prices for consumers. The Alliance for a Better California will also be leading the opposition to other measures, including the Governor's "spending cap" proposal to give him unilateral power to make cuts in health, education, and other vital services.

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 9:51 AM


 

Monday, May 09, 2005

HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Monday, May 9th, 2005

BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEES REJECT AND RECAST MEDI-CAL REDESIGN
* Premiums Rejected, Dental Cap Raised, Mandatory Managed Care Questioned
* May Revise Looms This Friday the 13th


In votes made today and previously, key budget committees voted to reject or change key components of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Medi-Cal Redesign." They include rejecting the proposal to impose premiums on Medi-Cal patients in near poverty, and raising the proposed cap on dental coverage for adults on the program.

The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Senate Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San Diego), and the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Assemblyman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate) met today and made some preliminary decisions in advance of "May Revise." This Friday, Governor Schwarzenegger will announce a revised version of his January budget, which will then set off a new set of frenzied month of quick negotiations and decisions before the June deadline for the budget.

While no decision is final until a budget is signed, BELOW is a description of the votes made to date. For a one-page scorecard of each of these proposals, their health and budget impacts, and their status in the budget process, go to the Health Access website, at:
http://www.health-access.org/preserving/docs/MediCalRedesignScorecardMay10.doc

PREMIUMS: Both subcommittee rejected the proposal to impose premiums on 550,000 children, parents, seniors, and people with disabilities on Medi-Cal just over the federal poverty level, including 460,000 children and parents.

DENTAL CAP: Both subcommittees decided to substantially modify the proposal to limit dental benefits to three million adults with Medi-Cal coverage. The Administration's proposal limited such coverage to $1,000 in a twelve-month period, with some exemptions. Both subcommittees approved language for a $1,800 cap, with more exemptions, and a sunset on the cap in three years.

OUTSOURCING SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY: Both subcommitees rejected the proposal to transfer a portion of Medi-Cal eligibility processing of “single point of entry” forms to Healthy Families vendor (Maximus), from counties.

MANDATORY MANAGED CARE: Substantial questions were raised about the proposal to force hundreds of thousands of seniors, people with disabilities and families into managed care plans. The proposal would geographically expand Medi-Cal managed care plans into 13 counties now without such plans, and force this shift for 262,000 children and parents; would also shift into managed care 554,000 seniors and people with disabilities in 27 counties who are now in fee-for-service plans. The Senate has not made any decisions. The Assembly voted to support the geographic expansion of mandatory managed care for children and families, and in certain counties of aged, blind and disabled; the committee has left other issues open for the time being.

HOSPITAL FINANCING: No specific details have been released on the proposal to restructure the funding for public and safety-net hospitals through a federal waiver, by shifting the risk and responsibility of reimbursements from the state to the counties. The committees have not taken any action, but have received reports that the negotiations with the federal government continue.

For a full analysis of the Governor's Medi-Cal Redesign proposal, the California Budget Project and the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities have just released a comprehensive paper last week, which is available at the CBP website at:
http://www.cbp.org/2005/0505_medicalrestructure.pdf


GOVERNOR PUSHES FOR UNILATERAL POWER IN BUDGET BALLOT MEASURE

Whatever the May Revise of the budget indicates, the real fight around the budget seems to be this fall, in a probable special election in November.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is still seeking signatures for the "Live Within Our Means Act." A campaign committee was reportedly paying $6 a signature to make sure they had enough to file this week, and qualify for a potential special election. The measure would institute a new spending cap, and give the Governor unilateral powers to make cuts to health and other vital services.

When the Governor did not submit a balanced budget this year, he indicated that his plan was to pass a "spending cap" proposal, as a way of making the cuts that he could not get through the Legislature.

HEALTH CUTS LIKELY: To give a sense of what such a proposal would have meant in the past few years in terms of health cuts, here's a copy of the Health Access Budget Cuts Scorecard, which details cuts that have been proposed by the last two Governors, many of which were rejected as too severe by legislators. These cuts, from provider rate cuts to cap on Healthy Families, could have been made unilaterally by these Governors if this measure had been made law:
http://www.health-access.org/preserving/docs/HealthCuts05LWOMScorecardMay9.doc

SIGN-ON STATEMENT: More than fifty organizations have signed a "Fighting for California's Future" statement to support a balanced approach to the budget crisis, and oppose such automatic and autocratic policies to cut needed services. For a copy of the fax-back statement that your organization can sign onto, visit:
http://www.health-access.org/docs/BudgetAlliesStatement2005Final.doc

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 12:39 PM


 

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2005

MAY IS A MONTH OF DEADLINES, ACTIONS, AND EVENTS

• Budget: May Revise on Friday the 13th; Many Actions and Rallies Planned Against Cuts
• Bills: Legislation Must Be Released by Fiscal Committees by May 27th & Voted on Floor by June 3rd
• Ballot Measures: One More Week to File Ballot Measures for Potential Special Election in November

In the many fights to preserve access to care, expand coverage, and provide consumer protections, health advocates have a number of deadlines to meet, hurdles to overcome, and actions to organize in the month of May.

BELOW is a selected list of events of interest for health advocates. This includes activities related to this week's "Cover the Uninsured Week," briefings and conferences on key issues, and rallies to protest budget cuts impacting seniors, immigrants, children, women, parents, mothers, and other important constituencies. A full calendar of events for May is available on the Health and Budget Advocacy Calendar on the Health Access website, at:
http://www.health-access.org/calendarhome.htm

Major decisions will be made in May that will have significant impact on health policy and politics:

BALLOT BOX: The Secretary of State has indicated that this Friday is the last day that signatures can be filed in order to have ballot measures ready for a potential November special election. While there may be some wiggle room on this date, we will soon know what a November ballot might look like. The Governor will still have another month to call a special election; if none is held, those measures that have been filed will appear for the next election, which would most likely be the June 2006 primary election.

As of this writing, signatures have only been filed for two measures, one regarding parental notification for abortions, and another to restrict the ability of public employee unions to raise political money. However, many others initiative seems poised to be filed: allies of Governor Schwarzenegger have been collecting signatures on other measures, including a spending cap that would give the Governor unilateral powers to make cuts in health and other vital services. Health Access California has a measure to provide prescription drug discounts, and other consumer groups also have other measures for a car buyer's bill of rights and electric reregulation. For more information on the prescription drug ballot measure, go to:
http://www.health-access.org/providing/ourx.htm

BILLS: Most of the good bills of interest to health advocates have now made it through the various policy committees, such as Assembly Health, Senate Health, and Senate Insurance Committees. Most of these bills are now or will be "on suspense" in Assembly or Senate Appropriations Committee. As part of the legislative calendar, they will need to be released from Assembly or Senate Appropriations by May 27th. In order to continue in the legislative process for this year, these bills need to pass the house of origin, the full Assembly or Senate, by June 3rd. For more information on bills of interest to health advocates, visit the website at:
http://www.health-access.org/advocating/2005_bills.htm

BUDGET: Advocates for health and other vital services are awaiting Governor's Schwarzenegger's revision of the state budget. This "May Revise" is scheduled, ironically, for Friday the 13th. Governor Schwarzenegger is expected to stick by most of the planks of his "Medi-Cal Redesign" plan, including premiums, caps on dental benefits, and mandatory managed care. He also is expected to provide more detail on the proposed hospital financing waiver. After May Revise, the legislative budget committees will work quickly to vote to support or oppose different budget proposals, racing to the June deadlines for passage of a budget.


EVENTS OF NOTE FOR HEALTH ADVOCATES

Below are selected events of interest to health advocates, but there are many more, from the Older Women's League (OWL) Mother's Day event on May 5th, to the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) Better Choices for Children Day on May 25th. More information on these and other events is available at:
http://www.health-access.org/calendarhome.htm

* WEDNESDAY, May 4: Stand For Children - Parent Advocacy Day at the Capitol. Parents, children and supporters throughout California convene at the Capitol to advocate for the protection of child care funding in hopes that all families will have access to affordable, accessible, quality child care services. Please visit their website at: http://www.parentvoices.org. Time: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, Location: Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA. Sponsored by Parent Voices and the California Child Care Resource and Referall Network.

* WEDNESDAY, May 4: Cover the Uninsured Week Rally. Cover the Uninsured Week will present at the San Diego Kids Health Assurance Network (SD-KHAN) Collaborative Meeting about the campaign and provide updated information on the uninsured in San Diego. At the end of the meeting, attendees will be asked to sign a large proclamation demonstrating their support for finding a solution to the uninsured problem and will be given commitment bracelets, information resources and stickers. Target Audience: The SD-KHAN Collaborative includes individuals and organizations from throughout San Diego County who are concerned with access to care and coverage. Time: 3:00pm - 4:30pm Location: Bayside Community Center, 2202 Comstock St., San Diego, CA. Sponsored by the SD Kids Health Assurance Network (SD-KHAN)

* THURSDAY, May 5: Hearing on Alta Bates & Summit. Vote Health has joined Assemblymembers Chan, Hancock, Klehs, and Torrico co-sponsoring a public hearing next week about the situation at Alta Bates and Summit hospitals, where the Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation found a number of violations at these Sutter-owned facilities earlier this year. Please consider coming to the public hearing to learn more about how this may affect access to health care in Alameda County. Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm Location: Scottish Rite Temple, 1547 Lakeside Dr, Oakland, CA. Sponsored by Vote Health, Berkeley City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, and the Berkeley Gray Panthers.

* FRIDAY, May 6: Cover the Uninsured Week Interfaith Prayer Breakfast (Hayward). Learn about health insurance needs in Hayward Find resources for obtaining health insurance coverage Become part of a movement to enact new health coverage policies. Time: 7:30am - 9:00am, Location: St. Rose Hospital Pavilion, 27200 Calaroga Ave., Hayward, CA. For more information, please contact Marion DePuit at MDePuit@strosehospital.org or 510 264-4125. Sponsored by Community Healing Network and St. Rose Hospital Health Ministries.

* FRIDAY, May 6: Cover the Uninsured Week, Faith Leaders Prayer Breakfast with Elected Officials (Long Beach) State Senator Alan Lowenthal Assemblymembers Betty Karnette & Jenny Oropeza Invite you to a Faith Leaders Breakfast & Discussion in Honor of Cover the Uninsured Week.Time: 7:30am - 9:00am, Location: St. Mary Medical Center Health Enhancement Center, 1050 Linden Ave., Long Beach, CA. For reservations, please call 1-888-4-ST-MARY or 1-888-478-6279. For more information, please contact Rachel Plotkin Monda at rplotkin@chw.edu or 562-491-9066. Sponsored by St. Mary Medical Center.

* TUESDAY, May 10: United for a Fair Budget Rally. A noon-time rally (and picnic lunch) jointly organized by several groups who have their own lobby days that day, including anti-hunger advocates, working families, immigrants, seniors, people of faith, people with disabilities, and many other Californians. Time: 12:00pm - 12:30pm, Location: Capitol Building: West Capitol Steps, Sacramento, CA. Sponsored by CA Assoc of Food Banks.

* SATURDAY, May 14: Cover the Uninsured Week, Advocacy Conference. Being the Good Samaritan: A Health Care issues briefing for people of faith. Hands on resource materials and workshops for congregations featuring Karen Bass, Assemblymember, John Glaser, Center for Healthcare Reform, and Doris Nelson, Health Care for All. Time: 8:30am - 2:00pm, Location: Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 3300 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. For more information, please contact Mary Pinkerson at mary.pinkerson@stjoe.org or 714-347-7749, Rev. Kathy Cooper-Ledesma, (323) 256-3162, Kathy@calchurches.org. Sponsored by California Church IMPACT, California Council of Churches, Southern California Ecumenical Council, Progressive Christians Uniting.

* TUESDAY, May 17: California Office of the Patient Advocate Annual HMO Consumer Advocacy Symposium: "The Big Picture: Focusing on Diverse Communities In Managed Care" For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.opa.ca.gov/. Time: 8:00am - 4:30pm Location: Marriott Hotel, LAX, Los Angeles, CA. Sponsored by the CA Office of the Patient Advocate.

* WEDNESDAY, May 18: 35th Annual Senior Rally to Emphasize Special People, Not Special Interests. The Senior Rally is a 35-year tradition that brings together as many as 1,500 active and civically-involved seniors and persons with disabilities from Northern California to advocate on behalf of critical issues at the State Capitol. Every year there is a different theme, depending on the business before the legislature. This year, the theme is: Special People, Not Special Interests. Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm, Location: West Steps of the State Capitol. Sponsored by Congress of California Seniors, CARA, AARP.

* THURSDAY, May 19: Medicare-MediCal Rx Changes for Disabled. Learn about Medicare for People with Disabilities. Learn about Medicare’s new Prescription Drug Benefit – Part D. Learn about the elimination of Medi-Cal drug coverage and the conversion to Medicare Part D; help providers understand enrollment process. Help identify issues of concern for people with disabilities; learn about current advocacy efforts. Guest Speaker – Bonnie Burns, California Health Advocates Click here to download flyer and registration form (MS Word Doc) Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm, Location: St Mary’s Cathedral - 1111 Gough St. San Francisco, CA. For more information, please contact Laura Ware at 415-546-1305 or laura@senioractionnetwork.org. Sponsored by Senior Action Network – SF HICAP, Self Help for the Elderly – San Mateo HICAP, Legal Assistance for Seniors – Alameda HICAP, San Francisco State University School of Public Health, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

* FRIDAY, May 20: ¡Adelante! Strengthening Latino Advocacy in the Bay Area. The event will bring together Latino serving non-profit organizations, local elected officials and community members from around the Bay Area, to share information and develop new advocacy strategies for addressing policy issues in the fields of Education, Health and the Environment. Time: 9:00am - 2:00pm, Location: First Unitarian Church, 685 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612. You can visit www.lif.org to obtain a registration form to fax.

* MONDAY, May 23: Immigrant Day. Celebrate contributions to California's economy and culture at the 9th Annual Immigrant Day. Join hundreds of immigrants and advocates in raising our voices on behalf of immigrant families throughout the state. This year's state budget proposal once again places the burden of addressing the state's budget crisis on working families. The Governor has targeted families who receive work supports through CalWORKs, In Home Supportive Services, child-care workers as well as critical health care and human services for low-income families. Time: Agenda: 9:00am - 10:00am, Advocacy Training for Southern CA participants: 10:00am - 12:00pm, Rally: 12:00pm - 2:00pm, Lunch and Legislative Visits, Location: West Steps of State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA. Sponsored by the California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative (CIWC)

* WEDNESDAY, May 25: Sabbath Economics: In Search of a Moral Economy. Morning speaker on faith values and tax equity; workshops on taxes; faith in action on children's health care; cost of corrections vs. rehabilitation; worker-faith justice; family economic self-sufficiency. Time: 8:00pm - 3:30pm Location: St.John's Lutheran Church, 17th and L streets, Sacramento, CA.

* WEDNESDAY, May 25: A Step Towards Technology…A Leap for Language Access. Come join Alameda County Medical Center and SF General Hospital in celebrating over 20 years of language services and the new horizon of innovative technology in medical interpretation, the Video-Conferenced Medical Interpretation (VMI) Program. Time: 5:00pm Location: Alameda County Medical Center, Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA. Sponsored by ACMC and SFGH.

Labels: Updates

posted by Anthony Wright | Permalink | 10:35 AM


 

Digging a bigger whole for reform...

 

Scoring at home...

 

We are hiring, to make a difference...

 

Field Poll: strong opposition to the health cuts.....

 

An Unhealthy Trend

 

Dressing up the Individual (Market)

 

A great debate on the great divide...

 

Jones to be chair of Health Committee...

 

Bass on the budget...

 

Pretty soon, the insureable will be a pretty exclu...