Share this:
|
January 30, 2020 | Volume 23, No. 13 | Archives
| |
|
| Start 2020 Off Right with the Latest Policy News and Action Alerts!
| |
|
New Year's RevolutionsWe start 2020 knowing we will spend the next 12 months inundated with impeachment headlines, electioneering politics, threats to federal programs we care about, and endless action alerts. The National HCH Council’s Mobilizer is here to cut through the noise and keep you updated on the news you need to know. Let 2020 be the year of policy revolutions!
| |
| Take action on the damaging “Fair Housing” Rule: In January, the Trump administration published a rule that would reverse efforts to prevent housing discrimination and segregation. The “fair housing” rule is an attack on civil rights and puts protections at risk for tenants, workers, and the environment. Comments are due March 14. Find resources and templates from our partners at the Fight for Housing Justice Campaign and contact us for a copy of our letter, which may be used as a template.
| |
Upcoming action on Medicaid rule: Be prepared to comment on proposed changes to Medicaid eligibility and enrollment! In November, CMS released state-level data on “estimated improper payment rates” to justify an impending crackdown on state processes for enrolling people into Medicaid. While this data is misleading, HHS will soon be releasing new proposed rules that will significantly impact the HCH Community. Medicaid is the largest source of health insurance at HCHs—losses in coverage will mean more barriers to care for patients and lost revenue for programs.
| |
|
Playlist for the RevolutionHCH advocates from around the country shared their go-to songs that keep them motivated and inspired.
| |
- CMS Guidance on Medicaid Block Grants: Today the Administration issued guidance to states encouraging them to adopt block grants as a new funding approach. Not only will block grants be harmful for HCH patients and programs because they inevitably lead to service reductions and eligibility restrictions, but the new rules fundamentally restructure Medicaid away from its stated purpose as an entitlement program for the country’s most vulnerable people. Read the Council’s statement that opposes this policy, which we released this morning.
- Trump Administration’s Actions on Homelessness: The White House signed an Executive Order on the Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. While the ultimate impact of this Commission is unclear, it is possible this could lay the groundwork for further criminalization of homelessness. It is worth noting that an expected Executive Order specifically on homelessness has not yet materialized. In the meantime, officials in California are moving ahead to identify state and federal properties that can be used to create new housing and service opportunities.
- State Medicaid expansion update: As of January 1, Utah is the newest state to expand Medicaid (although with a work requirement) and will add approximately 100,000 people to the rolls! Hopefully, Kansas will be expanding soon, with a renewed bipartisan bill currently being debated in their legislature.
| |
| New Resources and Research
| |
Credible data complements personal stories and makes advocacy more effective.
| |
- New from the Council! Read our new fact sheet and find out how health insurance coverage for HCH programs in your state compares to coverage rates in others. Since 2013, HCH programs in expansion states cut their uninsured rate nearly in half—to 23%—while HCH programs in non-expansion states still have 66% of their patients remaining uninsured.
- A new paper from Annals of Internal Medicine highlights the enormous administrative cost of our health care system. The bureaucratic costs in the U.S. health care system were $812 billion in 2017. A single-payer system would have saved the U.S. more than $600 billion.
| |
|
It’s officially an election year, and even with several candidates dropping out in recent weeks, the field is still crowded. Prepare for the year ahead by marking your calendars (do you know when your state’s primary is?). Find all crucial dates here and a handy print-out here. Read-up on where the presidential candidates stand on housing and homelessness and health care. Who says this can’t be fun? Try debate B-I-N-G-O for the upcoming debate on Tuesday, February 11.
| |
New Poverty Policy Podcast: Episode 7: "Public Office"
| |
The newest podcast features conversations with three members of the HCH community who ran for public office. This episode explores what it takes to run and the role of public officials in ending poverty. Interviewees include Bakari Burns, MPH, MBA (City Council Member, Orlando, FL), Nilesh Kalyanaraman, MD ( County Health Officer, Baltimore, MD), and Elizabeth Talbott, MBA (City Council Member, Waterford, CA). Listen to this episode now on iTunes and Stitcher.
| |
David Peery, NHCHC Board Member and National Consumer Advisory Board Member, has been working tirelessly with other advocates (including our partners at the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty) to prevent the displacement of Miami’s homeless population as a result of the Super Bowl Activities. Thanks to their advocacy, the NFL has agreed to contribute $100,000 for temporary housing and shelter. Read more.
| |
Did you receive Mobilizer as a forwarded email or hear about it via social media? Register now to receive our action alerts each month!
| |
This publication and all HCH advocacy are funded by dues from Organizational Members of the Council and by private donations. Consider joining the Council to support this work.
| |
|
|
|
|
PO Box 60427 | Nashville, TN 37206 US
|
|
