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SIX-MONTH UPDATE
Policy Victories

Reducing Disparities in Maryland
Maryland is now one step closer to reducing health disparities. Thanks to advocates from CASA, the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative, and the Ministers' Conference Empowerment Center Community Development Corporation, the Health Equity Resource Act was passed by the state legislature and will provide $59 million over five years to communities most harmed by health disparities.

Improving Nursing Home Care in Rhode Island
Rhode Island nursing home residents will soon have access to far greater care. Thanks to advocates from the Rhode Island Organizing Project, the Senior Agenda Coalition and the Economic Progress Institute, in collaboration with their other allies, in late May, Governor McKee signed into law the Nursing Home Staffing and Quality Care Act. The law will require an average of more than three hours per day of direct nursing care per nursing home resident starting in 2022. This will be one of the highest staffing standards for nursing homes in the nation. 

Paid Sick Leave in New Mexico
In New Mexico, all workers in the state will soon have paid sick leave. Thanks to advocates from the New Mexico Worker Organizing Collaborative (WOC), a coalition formed by OLÉ Education FundSomos, the New Mexico Center on Law and PovertyStrong FamiliesEl CentroNM Café and Center for Civic Policy, Governor Grisham signed the Healthy Workplaces Act into law. As a result, starting July 2022, New Mexico workers will now accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, amounting to a total of 64 hours annually.

Addressing Health and Racism in Illinois
In Illinois, there will soon be more support for addressing health concerns that are a result of structural racism. Thanks to advocates from the Shriver CenterEverThrive, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and the Workers Center for Racial Justice, there will now be Medicaid coverage for doulas and home visiting for new parents, grants to community-based hospitals and organizations for projects to reduce structural racism in health care, and implicit bias training for all health professionals. Illinois has become the first state in the nation to provide health coverage for undocumented immigrants over age 55.

Expanding Health and Insurance for Immigrants in Colorado
Colorado will soon have a standardized health benefit plan to be offered in the individual and small group markets, regardless of a resident’s immigration status. Thanks to the Center for Health Progress, the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, the Colorado Fiscal Institute, and the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, there will also now be access to contraception through Medicaid regardless of immigration status, and there will be improvements made to a 2006 law that required the verification of someone's immigration status in order to receive public benefits. 

$100,000 Awarded in Rapid Response Grants
During the first six months of the project, advocates in West Virginia and Texas were awarded rapid response grants totaling $100,000 to protect access to health care.
  • West Virginians for Affordable Health Care and their coalition partners’ campaign protected the state’s personal income tax from elimination, which funds a significant portion of the Medicaid budget.  

Building Stronger Coalitions


Because of the Voices for Health Justice project, The Afiya Center is now a core member of the #SickofItTX Medicaid Expansion coalition, ensuring that the voices and experiences of Black womxn are included throughout the campaign.
Spotlight On: COVID-19 Vaccine Equity

In early 2021, Voices for Health Justice grantees in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island launched efforts to promote equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in their states by:
  • Highlighting barriers to health care access and uplifting community-based solutions
  • Sharing stories from diverse community members and their experiences getting vaccinated and trying to access the COVID-19 vaccine
Vaccine Equity Media Coverage
Nationwide
Illinois
Massachusetts
Colorado
Maryland
This project is led by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Community Catalyst, and Community Change. Learn more at VoicesforHealthJustice.org.

This project is made possible through support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Community Catalyst.
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