October 2012 Issue

On the Horizon

Looking Over the Fiscal Cliff: A Conversation on Health Care and the Budget

After the fall election, Congress will return to Washington for their final "lame duck" session of the 112th Congress. A lame duck Congress includes retiring members (in both Houses) and members who will continue their service in the 113th Congress -- and this year combines a unique political environment with a series of crucially important fiscal deadlines -- christened the "fiscal cliff.
Spotlight Event

2012 Consumer Voices for Coverage Annual Meeting

Cindy Mann, Director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, gave the keynote address at the 2012 Consumer Voices for Coverage Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. The CVC Meeting brings together state consumer health advocates from across the country to work on implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

On the Issues

The Supreme Court Ruling on Medicaid: What's at Stake

June's highly anticipated Supreme Court ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was welcome news, but the high court's "sleeper" decision allowing states to opt out of expanding Medicaid threatens a central tenet of the law: guaranteeing new health care security for millions of vulnerable Americans.
Spotlight Event

The Impact of Health Reform on Business in Massachusetts: Lessons from Six Years of Experience

Massachusetts business leaders discussed the success of the state's health reform law and their involvement in its passage and implementation at a panel discussion at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business on September 10. "The Impact of Health Reform on Business in Massachusetts: Lessons from Six Years of Experience" drew the interest of Georgetown students and faculty, Hill staffers and representatives from industry. Community Catalyst helped organize the event, which was sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

Pictured (L to R): David Thomas, Dean of the McDonough School of Business; Jack Connors, Chair Emeritus, Hill Holiday; Mary Ella Payne, Vice President System Legislative Leadership, Ascension Health; Richard Lord, President and CEO, Associated Industries of Massachusetts; Linda Blumberg, economist and senior fellow at the Urban Institute; and Michael Widmer, President, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

On the Ground

The Latino Media Project Shows the Promise of the ACA in Colorado

In the United States, Latinos face persistent health disparities when it comes to health insurance coverage and access to care. Close to 31 percent of Latinos are uninsured, a rate that is double that of the next closest racial or ethnic group. Fortunately, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) takes significant steps in addressing these inequities, especially on the issue of expanding coverage.
O N   T H E   W I R E

Robert Restuccia, executive director, joined a Boston Globe panel to discuss next steps for moving forward on Affordable Care Act implementation after the Supreme Court ruling on the law.

David Jordan, Dental Access Project director, explained to the Minnesota Star Tribune that states across the country are looking to the dental therapist model in operation in Alaska and Minnesota to help expand access to the 82 million Americans without dental care.

Jessica Curtis, Hospital Accountability Project director, underscored the importance of strong federal regulation in protecting consumers from crippling medical debt and unfair hospital billing and collection processes in The Boston Globe and in Modern HealthCare.

The New England Alliance for Children's health released a policy brief on The Sickle Cell Treatment Act on opportunities for advocacy to fully implement the law and draw down additional Medicaid matching funds to conduct public outreach and education about the disease.

Anna Dunbar-Hester and Eva Marie Stahl, policy analysts, laid out the impact the Affordable Care Act will have on millions of Americans-highlighting key benefits for consumers and explaining how the law strengthens the safety net-in the Boston Bar Association's Health Law Reporter

Media Contact

Jack Cardinal
Deputy Director of Communications
617-275-2923 
jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org

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