Five Million Reasons Why Health Care Reform Must Work—Webinar on Children’s Health Coverage

This webinar featured an overview of health policies that affect the coverage of children, focusing on Latino children. Speakers discussed children in complex coverage situations and how the new health care system should work to bring in these children. Key lessons were also highlighted from community outreach workers in connecting eligible immigrant families and children to coverage.

Featured Speakers:

• Genevieve M. Kenney, PhD, Senior Fellow and Health Economist, Urban Institute
• Samantha Artiga, Associate Director, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Relevant Materials

• Revisiting the Brady Bunch? A Look at Covering the Most Vulnerable Children (NCLR)
• Key Facts on Health Coverage for Low-Income Immigrants Today and Under Health Reform (Kaiser Family Foundation)
• Performing Under Pressure: Annual Findings of a 50-State Survey of Eligibility, Enrollment, Renewal, And Cost-Sharing Policies in Medicaid and CHIP, 2011–2012 (Kaiser Family Foundation)
• Connecting Eligible Immigrant Families to Health Coverage and Care: Key Lessons from Outreach and Enrollment Workers (Kaiser Family Foundation)
• Addressing Coverage Challenges for Children Under the Affordable Care Act (Urban Institute)
• Who and Where Are the Children Yet to Enroll in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program?
• Improving Coverage for Children under Health Reform Will Require Maintaining Current Eligibility Standards for Medicaid and CHIP

Webinar Slides

• Five Million Reasons Why Health Care Reform Must Work

Additional Materials

• Fast Facts: Latinos and Health Coverage (English) (Spanish)
• Fast Facts: Immigrants and Health Coverage (English) (Spanish)

Opportunities to Improve Latinas’ Health

This call presented preventive care services that address issues that cause health disparities among Latinas and featured behavioral health services that provide holistic care for women. Presenters also discussed the advances in women’s health in the family context.

Featured Speakers:

• Amy Allina, Raising Women’s Voices
• Rebecca Pleitez, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health

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Download Call Transcript

Materials:
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health:

• Women’s Preventive Services at a Glance

Raising Women’s Voices:

• What Women Get From Health Reform
• Affordable Preventive Health Care for Women
• FAQ: No Co-Pays for Birth Control and Other Women’s Preventive Health Care

Updated Materials

• Just the Facts: Latinas & Birth Control Coverage
• Sólo los hechos: las Latinas y la cobertura de los anticonceptivos
• Coverage Checklist:  Young Women (RWV)
• Coverage Checklist:  Women of Color (RWV)

Removing Barriers and Improving Health Care for Immigrant Workers and Their Families

During this webinar, speakers introduced options that overcome barriers and improve access to coverage for immigrants. Speakers also discussed the potential implications of health care reform for children in immigrant families and strategies that state advocates are using to improve immigrant health care.

Featured Speakers:

• Ninez Ponce, Ph.D., Associate Professor, UCLA School of Public Health
• Alice Dembner, Deputy Policy Director, Community Catalyst
• Carmen Velasquez, Executive Director, Alivio Medical Center
• Mauricio Ayon, Legislative Director, Washington Community Action Network
• Christina Peters, Health Policy Associate, Children’s Alliance

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Relevant Materials:

• Overcoming Immigrant Barriers to Coverage:  Options for Health Care When Major Programs Don’t Cut It 
• Basic Health Programs (BHP): A New Pathway to Coverage for Legal Immigrants in Your State?
• The Basic Health Program Option under Federal Health Reform: Issues for Consumers and States (Urban Institute)
• Using the Basic Health Program to Make Coverage More Affordable to Low-Income Households: A Promising Approach for Many States (Urban Institute)
• The Impact of Health Care Reform on California’s Children in Immigrant Families (UCLA Center for Health Policy Research)
• Community Benefits: Protect Consumers and Strengthen Dialogue between Hospitals and Communities (Community Catalyst)
• Protecting Consumers, Encouraging Community Dialogue: Reform’s New Requirements for Nonprofit Hospitals (Community Catalyst)

What’s in it for Immigrant Workers and Their Families?

This webinar featured a presentation from our allies at National Immigration Law Center (NILC) that discussed major post-reform coverage options for immigrants, including eligibility changes. We also discussed advances in immigrant family access under the exchange regulations and other important proposed regulations from federal agencies.

Featured Speaker:

• Sonal Ambegaokar, Health Policy Attorney, NILC

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Webinar Presentation: What’s in Health Care Reform for Immigrant Workers and Families? (PDF)

(This is a recording of an interactive audience polling section, implementation activities, NCLR’s Action Steps and the question and answer portion of the webinar. Please note that due to technical difficulties we were unable to record the entire webinar.

Relevant Materials:

• Recent Proposed Regulations on Health Care Reform Implementation (NCLR)
• Treatment of U.S. Citizens and Immigrants Under Health Care Reform (NCLR)
• How Are Immigrants Included in Health Care Reform? (NILC)
• Medical Assistance Programs for Immigrants in Various States (NILC)

 What’s the Deal with Medicaid?

This call featured a discussion of the threats facing Medicaid, including efforts to cap enrollment, change eligibility, and a state perspective on the budget discussion and how it impacts Latinos. Speakers also presented on how Medicaid currently serves Latinos and options offered to states in the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid.

Featured Speakers

• Alice Dembner, Deputy Policy Director, Community Catalyst (Boston, MA)
• Matt Jewett, Director of Health Policy, Children’s Action Alliance (Phoenix, AZ)
• Jennifer Ng’andu, Deputy Director, Health Policy Project, NCLR (Washington, DC)
• Matthew Mellon, Policy Fellow, Health Policy Project, NCLR (Washington, DC)

Click here for Call Transcript

Call Audio part 1
Call Audio part 2

Explanations of Major Proposals to Change Medicaid (Call Materials)

• Threats to the Medicaid Program and the Implications for Latinos
• Paul Ryan’s Budget Proposal and Medicaid

Action Steps

• Take Steps to Address Threats to Medicaid

Communications from Our National Leaders on Medicaid

• Republican governors’ letter to Congress asking them to lift Maintenance of Effort provisions from health care reform
• Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius’s response letter to Republican governors
• Democratic governors’ letter opposing proposals to block grant Medicaid

Partner Resources

• Community Catalyst’s Medicaid tool kit for state advocates

No Longer the New Kid on the Block

A year after health care reform became law, this call featured presentations on new initiatives that make health care better for Latinos and their families, including community prevention programs and grants that will promote health equity. Speakers also discussed different efforts to overturn the law and what participants can do to stop those efforts.

Featured Speakers

• Mayra Alvarez, Director of Public Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Kate Leone, Senior Health Counsel, Office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV)
• Jennifer Ng’andu, Deputy Director, Health Policy Project, National Council of La Raza

Call Materials

• One Year Out: How the Affordable Care Act Has Already Changed Health Care for Latino Families