March 9, 2009 
 

President Obama recently addressed a joint-session of Congress at the end of February where he emphatically said that health care reform "cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year." Several days later, the President announced his “down payment” on health care reform by proposing an investment of $643 billion over the next decade with the eventual goal to cover everyone. 

IMCHC shares in President Obama’s vision and he has made it clear that economic security is directly tied to health care security. As families are forced to choose between paying for health insurance or making a mortgage payment, it is critical for us to continue reminding policymakers that solutions to fixing our state budget crisis must include health care reform.

In order to tackle the challenges that lie ahead for a comprehensive plan that ensures affordable, accessible, guaranteed coverage for ALL, we invite you to make a donation to IMCHC.

Your contribution will not only help us build momentum to progress federal health care reform, but your support will also help us with our state legislative agenda. We have the opportunity to pass state-level legislation that will help reign in abusive practices by private insurance companies and ensure greater fairness for individuals and small businesses.

A gift at any level is appreciated and will go a long way towards funding our work. Please consider making a donation today.

Legislative Updates

Federal – Harmful Directive on Women’s Health Rescinded

A harmful directive that would have limited patients’ access to health care services and information on health care options is currently in the process of being rescinded by the Obama Administration. The HHS rule, also referred to as the “conscious clause”, was strongly supported by the Bush Administration and went into effect on January 20th, 2009.

If fully implemented, the rule would have allowed doctors, nurses, hospitals and any recipients of federal funding to refuse access to information or services for a broad range of health care services, including birth control, treatment for infertility, depression, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS or other services that providers deemed morally objectionable. 

For more information, visit the National Women’s Law Center’s website to read an analysis of the HHS rule.

State – Budget Updates

Governor Pat Quinn will announce the FY2010 state budget on Wednesday, March 18th. Several agencies and organizations have predicted that Illinois will face between a $4 and $9 billion budget shortfall.

IMCHC will provide an analysis of state programs and services related to maternal and child health shortly after the budget is released. 

State – Legislative Summary

IMCHC has been active in Springfield keeping track of several pieces of health care legislation that include:

HB3923, the Health Insurance Fairness Act, would help make private insurance more affordable and accessible to those who purchase insurance in the individual or small group insurance market through insurance reforms. Reforms in the Act include:

• Stopping insurance companies from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
• Removing gender as a reason that insurance companies can charge more in premiums and also eliminating pregnancy as a pre-existing condition.
• Requiring that $.85 of every $1 paid for health insurance premiums is spent on health care services, instead of going towards profit and administrative costs.
• Guaranteeing transparent and fair insurance industry business practices by establishing the Office of Patient Protection, which will review denied claims and approve all rate increases.

SB1331, the Illinois Family and Employers Health Care Act, contains many of the same insurance reform regulations as HB3923. In addition, this bill also includes a new employer assessment on certain businesses that do not provide adequate health insurance coverage.

HB2354, the Reproductive Health and Access Act seeks to:

• Bar the government from interfering with anyone’s ability to use birth control, carry a pregnancy to term or terminate a pregnancy.
• Makes sure Medicaid covers basic reproductive health care services like family planning, prenatal care and pap tests.
• Requires Illinois public schools to teach medically accurate, age appropriate, comprehensive sex education.

A full list of legislation that IMCHC is currently tracking can be viewed and downloaded from our website.

See the “Take Action” section of the newsletter to show your support by sending an email to your legislator.

State – COBRA subsidy for recently unemployed in Illinois

The Division of Insurance has published a fact sheet with frequently asked questions about the COBRA subsidy available to some recently unemployed individuals.

Individuals who lost group health coverage as a result of involuntary job loss between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 are eligible for a 65% federal subsidy of their COBRA premiums for up to 9 months. The subsidy is only available to workers reporting an annual tax-year income less than $125,000 for individuals or $250,000 if filing as a couple.

Employers are required to send notices to former employees, who have 60 days after receiving the forms to enroll. The subsidy comes as a result of the recent passage and signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Visit the Division of Insurance’s website to download the fact sheet.

March 6th Policy Forum Materials  

Thank you to everyone who attended the March 6th policy forum on CHIP reauthorization and the economic recovery package. Special thanks to Michelle Saddler, Governor Pat Quinn's Policy Director who provided a response to the presentations from IMCHC and the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.

Visit IMCHC’s homepage to download copies of the power point presentations and a two-page summary on CHIP reauthorization. Contact Kathy Chan with any questions or suggestions for future policy forum topics.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Opening Doors for Student Health Fundraiser

The Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers would like to thank everyone who attended, donated and helped make the Opening Doors to Student Health fundraiser a success! Over 80 people attended the event on February 26th, and we were able to raise a record amount of money to help fund School Health Center Advocacy Day taking place on Wednesday, April 1st in Springfield. Thanks again for being a part of a very fun event and helping students travel to Springfield to voice their support for school health centers!



RSVP Now for School Health Center Springfield Advocacy Day – April 1st  

Join the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers for our School Health Center Advocacy Day and Rally in the Capitol Rotunda! Students, school health center providers, teachers, parents and school health center supporters are invited to take part in this exciting opportunity to speak directly to Illinois legislators about the importance of school health centers in the lives of students, families and communities.

Come make your voice heard by encouraging policymakers to support expansions of the school health center model!

Date: Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
Where: Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, IL
When: All day
Cost: IMCHC will cover the cost of travel and food. Buses pick up from various schools.
RSVP: Please email Megan Erskine or contact her by phone at 312-491-8161x32.

 
"Sound the Alarm" Materials and Registration Now Available

Now is the time for people of faith to call for a more just and equitable health care system! 

Faith organizations, institutions and leaders from all denominations are invited to participate in Sound the Alarm events. Past activities have included:

• Sound an instrument 18 times for the 1.8 million uninsured people in Illinois,
• Pray for the uninsured and others suffering from the health care crisis,
• Hold discussion groups about the issue, and/or
• Write to legislators in support of reform.

Visit the Campaign for Better Health Care’s website to learn more about the event and to download FREE customizable materials for your house of worship.

Please note that we still encourage your place of worship to participate in “Sound the Alarm” even if you can’t participate during the designated weekend of March 13-15. 

Contact Laura Leon at 312-913-9449 for additional information if you are in the Chicagoland area; contact Josephine Kalipeni at 217-352-5600 for all other areas.

Cover the Uninsured Week – March 22-28

Events throughout the nation will be organized for Cover the Uninsured Week 2009, which will take place from March 22nd through March 28th. Cover the Uninsured Week seeks to draw attention to the 47 million Americans without health insurance through health fairs, enrollment opportunities, panel discussions and other events.

Free materials are available from the Cover the Uninsured Week website. You can also browse the website to see what other events are being organized in Illinois and throughout the nation.

Save the Date: School Health Center Statewide Conference, May 7th and 8th

Please join school health center staff and stakeholders in Champaign, IL at the I-Hotel and Conference Center on May 7th and 8th for the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers' annual School Health Center Conference. Co-sponsored by the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, the conference will promote a positive approach to sexual health issues and showcase school health centers as ideal environments for implementing meaningful change.

Conference Highlights

• Keynote Session featuring Melissa Gilliam, MD, MPH, Chief, Section of Family Planning, The University of Chicago Medical Center
• School Health Centers: Basics and Beyond is returning with new and updated information for all school health center staff and partners.
• Advocacy Summit: Strategies for Local Change is devoted to child and adolescent advocacy in Illinois and tangible strategies to create change in your school and community.
• Interactive Workshops designed specifically for medical and mental health providers, health center staff and administrators, and child and adolescent health advocates.
• School Health Center Tour: see the school health center model in action by visiting the Urbana school health center.

Early registration is encouraged, as space is limited. For more information please visit the ICSHC webpage or email Conor Butkus at contact him by phone at 312-491-8161.

Volunteer for an IMCHC Board Committee

IMCHC is currently seeking volunteers to serve on our new board committees. Committees include: governance, fundraising, policy/programs, finance and marketing.

Committee volunteers would work directly with staff and members of our Board of Directors on various projects that help support IMCHC as an organization. This is a great “stepping stone” opportunity for individuals who would like to eventually serve on IMCHC’s Board of Directors.

For more information or to find out how to join a committee, please email Lilah Handler.

Newsletter Archive

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

• Federal and State Legislative Updates

• Welcome to Sara Howard, new IMCHC health care organizer

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Ask for School Health Center Funding to be Included in a Capital Budget Proposal!

Senate and House leaders are crafting a state capital infrastructure plan and they need to hear from you to ensure that funding for school health centers is included in any proposal for health care infrastructure.

Contact Senate President Cullerton, along with your state Senator and Representative, to tell them that school health center funding should be included in a capital funding proposal.

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

Support the Reproductive Health and Access Act – Send a Free Fax Today

HB2354, the Reproductive Health and Access Act seeks to:

• Bar the government from interfering with anyone’s ability to use birth control, carry a pregnancy to term or terminate a pregnancy.
• Makes sure Medicaid covers basic reproductive health care services like family planning, prenatal care and pap tests.
• Requires Illinois public schools to teach medically accurate, age appropriate, comprehensive sex education.

The ACLU of Illinois has set up an online tool to help you send a free fax to your legislators in support of the Reproductive Health and Access Act. Take action today!

Coordinated School Health Forum - March 30, 2009

The Stakeholders Collaborative Forum on Monday, March 30th will feature Dr. Pat Cooper. While serving as Superintendent of the McComb, Mississippi school district, Dr. Cooper implemented a longitudinal study on coordinated school health that resulted in improvements in academic achievement, teacher productivity, and attendance and discipline rates among other issues. Dr. Cooper is currently the CEO of the Early Childhood and Family Learning Foundation in New Orleans.

Monday, March 30, 2009
9:00 am to 11:30 am (registration and continental breakfast begin at 8:30 am)
Conference Center at UBS Tower
1 N. Wacker - Michigan Ballroom (2nd Floor)

If you would like to attend this event, please complete and return the registration form. Please contact us for additional details concerning this event.

LaRabida’s 13th Annual Perspectives in Health Care Symposium – April 3rd

Registration is now open for La Rabida Children’s Hospital’s 13th Annual Perspectives in Care Symposium:  Health and Developmental Outcomes of Children Born Prematurely on April 3, 2009 in Chicago.

The day-long event features keynote speaker and author Heidelise Als, Ph.D., Director of Neurobehavioral Infant and Child Studies, Children’s Hospital, Boston.

On-line registration available at www.larabida.org

Coffee Fundraiser Benefiting the Chicago Women’s Health Center

Drinking fair trade coffee while supporting quality, affordable health care services?  What could be better? 

In Chicago, for the month of March only, the Chicory Center’s Resistance Coffee Project is roasting a special blend of beans called "Cup of Jane" to benefit Chicago Women's Health Center.

The cost is $13 per pound or $60 for 5 pounds. Four dollars of each pound sold goes to the Chicago Women's Health Center’s "Race for Space" campaign, which seeks to find CWHC a larger, more accommodating space to serve more clients. If you would like to make a further donation to the CWHC’s work, simply add that amount to your payment, and it will be passed on directly.

Fresh roasted coffee beans will be delivered to your doorstep; all you need to do is email davidameyers@yahoo.com, let him know how much you'd like and set up a delivery time!  He delivers on Wednesdays and Thursday.  You can pay with cash or check.

For more information on the Chicory Center and their fair trade coffee beans, please visit http://www.chicorycenter.org/

 
Healthy Smiles Fund Check-Off on IL Income Tax Form

As we all prepare to tackle our 2008 Income Tax Returns, please keep oral health in mind. Last year, the IFLOSS Coalition was able to obtain a tax check-off account on the Illinois State Income Tax Return. The money donated to this fund will help support children's oral health care. 

Many kids do not receive any care other than care received in some schools.  To assure the continuation of the tax check off, it must have a minimum balance of $100,000. 

Recent surveys have found that more than half of Illinois' third graders have tooth decay and one out of every 20 suffers from toothaches. Good oral health is essential to a child's behavior, speech, language and overall growth and development. Your contribution will help ensure every Illinoisan has a healthy smile.                                   

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease affecting children in our state. Please support the Healthy Smiles Fund (Line J, IL-1040 Schedule G). 

Save the Date – Preconception/Interconceptional Satellite Training on June 16th

The satellite training “Taking Charge of Your Reproductive Health” will address the need to educate males about their role in reproductive and family health.  This training will also provide techniques on how to enhance interaction with males before/after they have families.

The training will take place on June 16th from 10am-12:30pm and is sponsored by the IDHS Bureau of Maternal and Infant Health and targets frontline staff in Illinois clinical settings and programs.

Registration will be available at the Community Health Training Center website closer to the training date.

Encourage Families to Avoid Refund Anticipation Loans

Refund anticipation loans (RALs) and other instant refund products costs Illinoisans millions each year. These unnecessary loans charge exorbitant fees to provide refunds a mere 7-14 days early.

RALs and other instant refund products have annual interest rates (APR) that can range from around 50% to 500%. Difficult economic times can make RALs tempting to families struggling with household expenses. However, by filing electronically and having the refund directly deposited into a bank account, individuals can often receive their refunds within 8 - 15 days.

Families and individuals can save money by avoiding RALs and other instant products and still get their refund in a few days by using resources from the Center for Economic Progress or from the Free File Alliance.

CMS Estimates that Health Care Spending Will Be One-Fifth of GDP in 2018 with the Federal Government Paying Over Half

A Center on Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) report finds that total health care spending increased by 5.5% in the last year, making up 17.6% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009. However, CMS projects that by the year 2018, health care costs will be over 20% of the GDP.

When these numbers are broken down into costs per individual, 2009 costs average $8,160/individual; CMS projects that these costs will skyrocket to $13,100/individual in 2018. The report also expects that the federal government will contribute to at least 50% of total health costs by 2016, primarily due to spending growth in Medicaid and Medicare.

Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report – February 24, 2009

Report Finds Cost-Savings, Lower Abortion Rates Result from Family Planning Programs

A recent report by the Guttmacher Institute shows that publicly funded family planning programs save billions of taxpayer dollars each year by preventing nearly 1.94 million unintended pregnancies, including almost 400,000 teen pregnancies. Report authors find that ever $1 invested in family planning yields $4 in cost-savings.

The report also finds that without these programs, the US abortion rate would be nearly 2/3rds higher than the current level and nearly twice as high among low-income women.

Presently, 27 states have expanded eligibility for family planning for low-income women who would not otherwise qualify for Medicaid. Illinois currently offers the Illinois Healthy Women (IHW) program to women under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level that covers family planning services, including birth control.

Visit the IHW website for more information about covered services and to download an application. 

Source: National Partnership for Women and Families Daily Women’s Health Policy Report – February 24, 2009

Time Magazine Examines Risks Associated With Repeat C-Sections

Time Magazine published an article in its March 2nd issue that looked at the rise in elective and repeat c-sections. Over 90% of women who have had previous c-sections have them again in subsequent deliveries.

C-sections are considered to be major abdominal surgery and many providers have discouraged vaginal births after cesareans (VBACs) because of a perceived risk of uterine rupture and increased malpractice insurance rates.

Studies show that the risk associated with uterine rupture occurs only in 0.7% of VBAC cases, while repeat c-sections increases the risk of complications such as heavy bleeding, infertility and infection, as well as the chance of developing fatal placental abnormalities that may result hemorrhaging during childbirth.

The International Cesarean Awareness Network found that 28% of hospitals with labor and delivery wards DO NOT allow VBACs, with an additional 21% of hospitals that have no specific policy against VBACs, but do not have any obstetricians who are willing to perform them.

The National Institutes of Health will hold its first conference on VBACs in 2010.

Source: National Partnership for Women and Families Daily Women’s Policy Report – February 25, 2009

Bills in Congress Would Raise Lifetime Insurance Caps to $10 Million

Congressional members in the House and Senate have introduced legislation that would raise the lifetime cap on private insurance to $10 million. Supporters of the legislation say that a lifetime insurance cap “defeats the purpose of health insurance”.

Patients who reach or exceed these caps are forced to pay out-of-pocket for subsequent expense or rely on public health insurance coverage. Many of these individuals suffer from disabilities or chronic illnesses.

Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report – March 3, 2009

Nearly 86 Million US Residents Uninsured for a Period in the Last Two Years

A new report from Families USA showed that 1/3 of US residents younger than 65 were uninsured at some point in the last two years. Of the 86.7 million individuals, 26.6 million were children 18 years or younger.

Three out of four of 86.7 million lacked insurance for a period of at least six month. Those with incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level were also more likely to be uninsured at some point in the last two years. 

Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report – March 5, 2009

Cuts in Employer Contributions to Health Insurance Projected

A new study by Hewitt Associates finds that two of every three US employers are looking for ways to cut their contributions to employee’s health care in 2010. Additionally, 4% of employers plan to cut off benefits completely.

In 2009, employees’ premium contributions are expected to increase by an average of 8% to $1,946, which is about 22% of the total premium; these costs, along with copays and deductibles, will be even higher in 2010.

More employers have been promoting wellness programs, such as preventative screenings and health club memberships, as well as generic drugs and mail-order prescription refills as ways to cut costs without cutting benefits.

Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report – March 5, 2009

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School Health Center Advocacy Day and Rally
Wednesday, April 1st
Buses leave early to mid-morning from various locations
IMCHC will cover the cost of transportation and food
RSVP to Megan Erskine

IMCHC Southern Illinois Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, April 22nd
12:15pm-2:15pm
Municipal West Building
200 Potomac in Mt. Vernon
RSVP to Lilah Handler

IMCHC Central Illinois Chapter Meeting
Friday, April 24th
9am-12pm (during the South Central Perinatal Advisory Committee Meeting)
Bunn Auditorium
St. John’s Hospital in Springfield
RSVP to Lilah Handler

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School Health Center Statewide Conference
May 7th and 8th
I-Hotel in Champaign
Email Conor Butkus for more information.

 
IMCHC’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 (please note revised date)
Maggiano’s Little Italy
516 N. Clark Street in Chicago
Contact Lilah Hander for more information.

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