| A Letter from Our CEO: Good Trouble
| |
"Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
-- John Lewis
| |
|
Earlier this month, we lost two giants of the civil rights and human rights movement when C.T. Vivian (age 95) and John Lewis (age 80) both passed away on July 24. Because of their lives, this country and world are better, and their words and examples are needed now as much as at any time in the last 50 years ...
| |
|
• Tense negotiations continue on next COVID-19 bill: Ten weeks after the House released their next coronavirus relief proposal (our analysis of the HEROES Act), the Senate introduced their proposal, (our analysis of the HEALS Act) through a series of bills that lack significant funding for housing, homelessness, and health care support. Both parties seem far from a collective agreement on how to move forward with negotiations to get something done before August recess. See Take Action and contact your members of Congress to encourage immediate action to provide critically needed resources.
• Advocacy for additional health center funding stays strong: Past coronavirus stimulus bills provided $2 billion of funds collectively for health centers (see full outline of funds available to health centers from NACHC) and it remains to be seen if additional funding will be included in the next relief bill. Advocates should continue to make noise on long-term funding as we approach appropriation deadlines and the funding cliff later this year. See more under Take Action and stay up to speed on NACHC’s advocacy website.
• Other bills on the Council’s radar this summer: While the clock ticks down toward August recess and lawmakers are focused on COVID-19 legislation, the Council is following bills in other priority areas that include H.R. 40 on reparations, H.R. 4/S. 561 on advancing voting rights, H.R. 7078 on health disparities in telehealth, and H.R. 1384/ S. 1804 on Medicare for All. Stay tuned for updates on these bills and other priority bills in future Mobilizers. Did you hear about a bill the Council should be aware of and/or endorsing? Contact us to let us know.
| |
| News from the Administration
| |
• Public health emergency finally renewed: After weeks of advocates and lawmakers asking the Administration to do so, Secretary Alex Azar signed a renewal of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency just days before it expired, allowing several funding streams and policy flexibilities to continue for another 90 days (including key allowances in telehealth).
• Two harmful HUD proposals advance: This month, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a proposed rule that allows HUD-funded shelters to disregard gender identity and consider only biological sex. This rule removes protections and poses many concerns for those in the transgender community. Learn more on how to submit comments by the September 22 deadline under Take Action. The Trump administration took further action to discriminate and undermine human rights by announcing two rule changes that will abolish Fair Housing standards that require local agencies to examine housing practices for racial bias. Watch former HUD Secretary Julian Castro speak to this, and stay tuned in future Mobilizers for action alerts to fight back.
| |
| News from the U.S Supreme Court
| |
|
• Court rules to allow employers to limit birth control access: The court ruled to cut back Affordable Care Act standards, now allowing employers to limit access to birth control on employee health plans if they have a religious or moral objection. This ruling is likely to disproportionately impact low-income workers, but may also impact some health centers.
| |
|  |
Baltimore's Health Care for the Homeless CEO tweets about the birth control ruling.
| |
| | |
|
• Court rules that religious organizations have greater freedom to discriminate in their employment practices: The court supported a very broad interpretation of the “ministerial exception,” which protects religious institutions from discrimination lawsuits. Experts surmise that many religious organizations, including health care organizations, will now have a strong argument to protect themselves from discrimination claims.
| |
• New Medicare-for-All issue brief: “Further Illustrating the Benefits of Medicare-for-All” highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the limitations in the current U.S. health care system. The brief is intended to illustrate to policymakers why it is important to move forward in building a more equitable health system from the perspective of front-line homeless health care providers. Learn more about Medicare-for-All on the Council’s single payer page.
• Council joins initiative calling for racial equity in Medicaid: In a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, over 200 groups call for more rapid responses to 1115 state Medicaid waiver requests in order to mitigate racial disparities in state COVID-19 response.
• Mark your calendars! August 14 Webinar on Anti-Racism Advocacy & Consumer Perspectives: In this “coffee chat” webinar on August 14 at 1 ET, attendees will hear from policy professionals and a consumer leader about the Council’s consumer story-telling project on the impact of racism on health and on incorporating the consumer perspective in advocacy. Examples of tangible actions at the state, local, and federal levels that are applicable to homeless health care organizations will be shared. Register now.
| |
|
How are you preparing for an influx of new patients? Are you building new infrastructure or procedures? Let us know by contacting Michael Durham, TA Manager, at mdurham@nhchc.org.
| |
| Telehealth Advocacy Agenda
| |
The Council is developing an eight-point advocacy agenda for what we’d like to see as permanent changes to all Medicaid programs in telehealth. How are you advocating with your state Medicaid for telehealth? Have comments on this list? Contact Barbara DiPietro at bdipietro@nhchc.org.
| |
- Keep reimbursement for audio-only visits.
- Keep flexibility in originating and distant sites.
- Keep waiver of pre-existing patient-provider relationships.
- Keep ability to do verbal consents to care.
- Ensure clients have phones, data plans, access to internet/broadband.
- Ensure payment parity, regardless mode of service delivery (e.g., audio v. video v. in-person = all same reimbursement).
- Ensure all services are eligible for recognition/reimbursement (behavioral health and primary care).
- Eliminate prior authorizations for telehealth visits.
| |
• The Council wants you to take a 15-minute break today! Find a live recording of a 15-minute yoga practice designed with health care practitioners in mind. This practice is trauma-informed, restorative, and easy to do at your desk.
• Big tech funds housing: Read about how Google is donating a tiny percentage --but significant amount-- of their revenue ($1 billion) to build permanent affordable housing in California. More private companies have been contributing to housing in the wake of the federal government’s abdication of its responsibility to appropriately fund and regulate the housing market.
• “Feds stay clear, moms are here!”: A wall of moms showed up to protect protesters from federal troops in Portland, OR. This is a reminder that every identity (especially white people of privilege) has an important role to play in the anti-racism movement.
| |
“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."
-- John Lewis
| |
Did you receive Mobilizer as a forwarded email or hear about it via social media? Register now to receive our action alerts each month!
| |
|
Action alerts referenced in this issue include:
• Tell Congress to act urgently and include housing and homelessness provisions in the next COVID-19 bill: As summarized under News from Capitol Hill and Eviction Wave, it is critical that Congress act immediately to renew the eviction moratorium and prevent homelessness. Find templates and tools for contacting your member of Congress by phone, email, or Twitter, from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
| |
• Fight back against LGBTQ discrimination in HUD funded housing and shelters by September 22: As summarized under News from the Administration, HUD is proposing a rule to undermine protections for transgender people’s access to HUD funded housing. Find templates and instructions for commenting from the Housing Saves Lives coalition.
| |
• Keep up the noise on the need for health center resources: as referenced under News from Capitol Hill, advocacy continues to ensure emergency and long-term funding for health centers. See general messaging points on COVID19 health center asks and find easy-to-use tools for emailing, calling, and tweeting your member of Congress from the National Association of Community Health Centers.
| |
What We're Reading & Watching
| |
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.
| |
|
