Today’s post comes from guest blogger Lois Uttley, of Raising Women’s Voices

“Do you know somebody who needs health insurance?”

That was the conversation starter at the Health Care for All New York booth Sunday at the annual Mamapalooza festival in South Riverside Park, along Manhattan’s Hudson River waterfront.  “Yes, me!” was often the answer from the Moms (and Dads) stopping by the booth.

Raising Women’s Voices-New York staffers Lois Uttley and Aliza Lederer-Plaskett and intern Nina Nnamani teamed up with Lorraine Gonzalez of the Children’s Defense Fund-New York to staff the HCFANY booth. While the rainy weather dampened attendance, many of those present expressed surprise and excitement when HCFANY representatives explained the new health insurance options becoming available this October through the New York State Health Benefits Exchange.

“I’m a small business owner, and I just can’t afford health insurance for me and my employees,” explained one woman who wandered over from one of the booths offering products appealing to Moms and families. She was thrilled to hear about the new, more affordable health coverage that will be available to small employers when the state Exchange opens for enrollment on October 1.

HCFANY member organizations, including Raising Women’s Voices-NY, will be out and about at various community festivals this spring and summer, working to raise awareness about the new health coverage that will be available for individuals, families and small employers. Would you like Raising Women’s Voices or another HCFANY member organization to come to your event? If so, contact Liza@raisingwomensvoices.net.

When the New York Health Benefit Exchange opens for enrollment this October, we know it’s going to be especially important to reach out to mothers. They play a huge role in our families’ health, as they often are the decision makers and coordinators of care for our families. They should be armed with information on how to get health insurance that provides care to our families, without breaking the bank.

On Sunday, May 19th, from 11 to 5, Health Care for All New York will be at the Mamapalooza Festival in Riverside Park, Manhattan (entrance at West 68th and the Hudson River). Stop by our table where you can get more information about how the health care law helps moms and our families get the care they need to get and stay healthy. We’ll also have information about some of the new coverage options coming this fall, and how you can sign up for more information. We’ll have some great giveaways too – for both moms and kids – so be sure to swing by!

Can’t wait till then? Join us on Twitter today (@hcfany) and follow the hashtag #mamasays. We and health care advocates across the country will be tweeting tips that #mamasays about your health and invite you to do the same!

Since most (all?) of our readers are not members of the press, I thought I would share some more resources from last week’s HCFANY press briefing.  Posted above is a video put together by the good folks at New American Media, who co-hosted the event.  Click below for copies of the presentations from the event.

• “The Affordable Care Act: What is it & what does it mean for New York?” Elisabeth Benjamin, Community Service Society
• “Update on the New York Health Benefit Exchange,” Sara Rothstein, New York Health Benefit Exchange
• “Latino/a Immigrants and the Affordable Care Act,” Becca Telzak, Make the Road New York
• “Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Asian Pacific Islanders in New York,” Noilyn Abesamis-Mendoza, Coalition for Asian American Children & Families, Project CHARGE 

Written by guest blogger Lorraine Gonzalez-Camastra, Director of Health Policy for Children’s Defense Fund-NY and HCFANY Steering Committee Member

In T minus five months, New York State will begin enrollment through its new Health Benefit Exchange.  The goal on October 1^st, 2013 will be to enroll as many of the 2.6 million uninsured New Yorkers as possible, and eliminate the number of children and youth who are without coverage.

However, the truth is that most New Yorkers don’t understand what health reform entails and many may not have even heard of the Health Benefit Exchange.  This is more so for immigrant communities and those with English as a second language.  New York prides itself on its diversity, but with rates of uninsurance among racial and ethnic minorities nearly double that of white New Yorkers,  getting the word out on the Health Benefit Exchange will need to entail getting the word out in over 175 languages and dialects. [1]

However, have no fear!  Health Care for All New York’s (HCFANY) Children Youth and Families Task Force is on the case with the support of New America Media (NAM).

On Friday, April 26^th, HCFANY and NAM co-hosted an informational press briefing geared towards ethnic media to build understanding around the different provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the New York State Health Benefit Exchange, and what’s at stake for New York’s children and youth.  Media outlets representing the Chinese, Indian, Turkish, Haitian, Filipino, Russian, and Latino communities attended the event and engaged in a dialogue about what their communities need from the Health Benefit Exchange and fellow advocates in order to guarantee that their populations are ready to enroll come October 1^st.  Presentations conducted by staff from the New York State Health Benefit Exchange, Community Service Society, Children’s Defense Fund NY, Make the Road NY, and the Coalition for Asian-American Children and Families detailed New York’s progress and plans for ACA implementation, as well as what advocates and stakeholders on the front lines know to be important elements of implementation for children and families in ethnic communities.

Today’s post comes from guest blogger Mark Hannay, Director of the Metro New York Health Care for All Campaign and HCFANY Steering Committee Member

TONY Award season is here, but “Move Over, Kinky Boots!”  HCFANY’s also got a hit show, and we’re taking it on the road.

Our run began in late March in Manhattan when 130 people gathered at the InterChurch Center to hear about plans nationally, statewide, and in New York City to bring quality, affordable health coverage to over 1 million New Yorkers (see here.).  Next, on April 18 over 50 participants in the Westchester-Putnam Access to Health Care Coalition packed the conference room at GuildNet in White Plains for the coalition’s 4^th Annual Legislative Breakfast (pictured above.)  Those attending represented local social services agencies, health care practitioners and providers, business associations, and various industry professionals.

The meeting started off with a presentation from Sherry Tomasky, Director of Stakeholder Engagement for the New York State Health Benefit Exchange, who spoke about what’s expected in the coming weeks and months. Next, HCFANY Steering Committee member Mark Hannay, Director of the Metro New York Health Care for All Campaign, briefed the group on various health care provisions of the State’s recently-enacted FY 2014 budget, and HCFANY’s priorities for the rest of this year’s state legislative session.

Several public officials from the bi-county region attended and addressed the audience.  They included newly-elevated Democratic Conference Leader Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins (Yonkers), newly-elected Assemblymember David Buchwald (White Plains), Putnam County Health Commissioner Dr. Allen Beals, and representatives from the offices of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and the Putnam County Office for the Aging.

The reviews are in, and what’s clear from both these well-attended events is that New Yorkers are really hungry to learn more about the Affordable Care Act coming to New York.  At best, (channeling Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein) they may know “something’s coming”, but they don’t know too much else about what, when, and how.  Accordingly, HCFANY is planning roadshows in Western New York and the Capital District later this spring.  Given the audience responses so far, we’re also considering additional appearances in other areas, such as Central New York and Long Island, if there’s interest and we can confirm local entities willing to partner with us – let us know if you like to take a turn in a bit of the limelight.  Curtain up!

Tomorrow (Friday, 4/26), Community Catalyst, Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) and HCFANY member Raising Women’s Voices will be hosting a tweet chat to celebrate Minority Health Month. The subject of the chat will be how the ACA is addressing health disparities. You can expect to hear about topics like language access, consumer engagement,  essential health benefits and the Navigator program, and how these things will affect health disparities.

Health disparities are seen among many different populations, such as communities of color, women, members of the LGBT community, people with disabilities and people who speak another language. Thankfully, ACA gives us a number of opportunities to help address these issues.

To join the Tweet Chat, log onto your Twitter account, or simply search the hashtag #ACAEquity. You can follow and join the conversation with some of these sample tweets below. Interested in how the ACA specifically helps women, women of color and members of the LGBT community? Follow Raising Women’s Voices – New York at www.twitter.com/rwvny.

Here are some sample tweets you can post!

•  The #ACA improves the quality of coverage available to everyone by mandating specific services like maternity care! #ACAEquity.
• Does ur family speak a language other than English? Navigators will help u find health care plans w/docs who speak ur language. #ACAEquity
• If we want the health care law to work for women of color, we need to stay informed. Follow us for up-to-date info! #ACAEquity
• Latinas have the highest incidence of cervical cancer among women of all racial groups. Thanks to #ACA, pap smears are covered w/o copays. #ACAEquity

See you tomorrow at 1 pm! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ACAEquity!  Questions are encouraged!

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

A slow trickle of information is now starting to leak from the State on its plans to reach out to the public and educate them on the forthcoming Health Benefit Exchange and the new insurance options that will be available.  Today’s Crain’s Health Pulse quoted Danielle Holahan, Deputy Director for the Exchange, saying that the Exchange will begin to reach out to Chambers of Commerce and other groups this month to start building awareness around open enrollment (which starts this October).

Healthcare.gov has also just launched a new service to send text or email alerts to folks to tell them about the new insurance options and benefits.  I’m not entirely sure what that will entail so I went ahead and signed up for both email and text alerts.  Nothing yet, other than a confirmation of subscription, but if something interesting comes out of it I will be sure to post!  To sign up for healthcare.gov updates yourself, click here.  

From left: Carrie Tracy, Community Service Society, Jaime Torres, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Lois Uttley, or Raising Women’s Voices.

There are 269,000 uninsured people in the Bronx, and most have no idea there are affordable health insurance options coming in October through the NYS Health Benefit Exchange. To help get the word out, HCFANY steering committee members gave two informational workshop sessions this past Saturday at the Bronx Health Summit, held on the Fordham University campus.

One session, conducted in English, was given by HCFANY steering committee members Lois Uttley,  Carrie Tracy of the Community Service Society, and Erin Hoben of the Children’s Defense Fund-NY. They were joined by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services  Regional Director Jaime Torres.  A second session, conducted in Spanish, was given by Rebecca Telzak of Make the Road NY and Flor Ramirez of the Children’s Aid Society.

Wish you could have attended these presentations? Click here to see the PowerPoint in English.  Click here to view the PowerPoint in Spanish.

Would you like HCFANY representatives to give a talk at your organization or in your community about the new health insurance options coming this fall? Presentation requests can be emailed to info@raisingwomensvoices.net.

A couple of months ago, the state-sponsored report (written by our friends at the Center for Popular Democracy) on how to reduce health disparities through the New York Health Benefit was released, outlining a myriad of recommendations culled from a stakeholder meeting held back in September.  You can read the Center for Popular Democracy report here.

HCFANY commends the Exchange for its ongoing examination of many issues in regard to health disparities and the Center for Popular Democracy for airing some of the most critical topics in its report.  However, we felt that some of the issues touched on in the report require further consideration by the Exchange and that the State needs to take this initiative a step further and reach policy conclusions, set concrete goals, and settle upon a practical mechanism for reaching those goals. Basically, we feel that the State’s implementation of an insurance Exchange is a once in a lifetime shot to make some serious systemic changes that can actually make a difference, and that the State isn’t doing enough to take advantage of this situation. To outline our concerns, HCFANY recently issued a series of comments to the State.  You can read our comments here.

Lastly, this past Friday we received a response from the State to our comments.  It doesn’t say much other than to acknowledge that they received it.  But hey, at least it’s something to get the conversation started, right?  You can click here to read the State’s response.

Thanks to everyone who came to last week’s HCFANY briefing in NYC –  was a great success and we ended up with a turnout of over 130 people.

Many attendees have been asking for copies of the presentations and materials we had available at the meeting, so we are posting them up here for anyone who is interested.  Here is a quick recap:

• Sara Rothstein, Assistant Director for Policy and Planning for the New York Health Benefit Exchange presented an update on implementation of the NYS Health Benefit Exchange including a very broad overview of the State’s outreach and marketing plan, information on the Navigator RFA.   You can view Sara’s presentation by clicking here.

•  Martine Apodaca, Director of the Public Education Campaign for Enroll America presented a profile of the uninsured in New York and their findings on messaging around the new health insurance options based on a national survey.  You can view Martine’s presentation by clicking here.

• Joanne Bailey, Director of Policy and Research at the New York City Office of Citywide Health Insurance Access (OCHIA) presented on the timeline for health reform implementation in the New York, including a profile of the uninsured in New York City, and the potential challenges and opportunities brought by the ACA.  You can view Joanne’s presentation by clicking here.

In addition, we had several publications and handouts available:

• HCFANY’s 2013 ACA Advocacy Agenda
• Reaching One Million More New Yorkers: A Successful Enrollment Campaign for the Exchange
• HCFANY’s Agenda to Address Health Disparities
• New Coverage Options Coming Soon
• Profile of The Uninsured in NYC
• Small Employers and the Health Care Law
• Profile of the Uninsured: People With Disabilities in NYC

[***WARNING*** THIS SONG WILL GET STUCK IN YOUR HEAD]

How clever is this? The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum has made an educational video on the ACA and open enrollment via the Exchange that plays off of the extremely popular and infectious K-pop single “Gangnam Style” by PSY.

It’s almost as goofy as the original (it even has a dancing baby!), which is great, because it gets people’s attention.  This is what we want!  Anything that makes ”open enrollment” and “October 1st” stick into people’s heads is a good thing.  It also introduces the concept of the Exchange as an online marketplace for affordable insurance.

Check it out when you get a moment! I am hoping to see and blog about many more of these types of creative PSA’s around the ACA and the push for Open Enrollment in the coming months.  Hopefully this video inspires more advocates to get creative!

Big changes are coming this October! New York’s Health Benefit Exchange will open, giving uninsured individuals and families a place where they can compare and buy healthcare plans that are quality and affordable. Some will even qualify for tax credits that will make these plans cheaper.  Public insurance plans like Medicaid and Child Health Plus will also be available on the Exchange.

But with millions of New Yorkers eligible for coverage through the Exchange, and many of them living in New York City, how can we make sure people get the right information?  What type of outreach and enrollment will be happening during the summer and fall months? How can your organization help in this effort?

To find out more, join Health Care for All New York at our New York City briefing on Thursday, March 28^th from 9:00-11:30 am (registration and light breakfast at 8:30 am). Speakers will include Rachel Klein from Enroll America and Sara Rothstein from the New York health Benefits Exchange.

RSVP here!

Tomorrow marks the 3-year anniversary of the ACA and  – wow – what a journey it has been! 

 Despite its youth, the ACA has already succeeded in helping millions of Americans get access to affordable care.  For example, children with pre-existing health problems can no longer be turned down for coverage. Small businesses have access to tax credits to help pay for health insurance for their employees: 4 in 5 New York small businesses are eligible.  Preventive care is now available without co-pays, seniors who hit the Medicare “donut hole” are paying less for prescription drugs, and health insurers now have strict guidelines on how much of your monthly premium must be used on medical care rather than their own administrative costs.

 A few numbers give a picture of just how much the ACA has helped people in our state:

• New Yorkers with Medicare have saved over $407.6 million on prescription drugs since the law’s enactment.  In 2012 alone, 226,569 individuals in New York saved over $170.4 million, or an average of $752 per beneficiary.
• 4.4 million New Yorkers gained access to free preventive health services in 2011 and 2012.  1.5 million seniors with Medicare received free preventive health care in 2012 alone.
• This year, 1 million New Yorkers with private insurance coverage will get $86,526,642 in rebates from insurance companies who have overcharged them, with an average rebate of $138 per family.

 And the best is yet to come:  In 2014, annual limits on insurance coverage will be banned, adults with  pre-existing conditions will no longer be denied coverage,  and tax credits will be available to help individuals and families pay for health insurance.  And, individuals and small businesses will be able to get health insurance, including public programs like Medicaid, through the New York Health Benefit Exchange.  This will save New Yorkers who buy insurance on their own an average of over 60% and people who get it through their small business over 20%. Enrollment will begin October of this year!

 Because of the ACA, affordable, quality health care will soon be woven into the fabric of American society, making us stronger and healthier as a nation.  And that’s something we can ALL look forward to!

 So, Happy Third Birthday, ACA!  May you live a long, happy (and healthy) life!

While we haven’t seen all the fine print, HCFANY is delighted to report that this year’s budget deal includes important protections for New York’s health insurance consumers.  The new budget deal includes:

• Co-premium assistance for people between 138-150% of poverty (people with children that are currently eligible for Family Health Plus ).  Those who enroll in the Exchange with Silver-level plans will pay no premiums.  This measure is NOT conditional on federal financial participation.
• Protection for people who currently have out-of-network coverage in the individual market.  These consumers will have the option to pay for a Platinum-level plan on the Exchange with an out-of-network rider and be “risk pooled” with the rest of the State’s individual market.
• A requirement for SDOH to create a workgroup to study whether New York should adopt a Basic Health Plan
• Fair consumer protections on the State’s new Navigator program
• Funding for consumer assistance for New York’s health insurance consumers through Community Health Advocates
• Still waiting details on Medicaid budget, but it looks like most optional benefits have been saved….

A special thanks to everyone who added their names to our sign-on letter, called the Governor’s office, and worked hard to get these important consumer protections. These budget victories would not be possible without you!!!

Stay tuned for more on the budget!

The Assembly got it right in their one house budget bill by including a “premium wrap” for those people eligible for Family Health Plus to make a seamless transition into the new Health Insurance Exchange.  The Assembly is also “authorizing” the Basic Health Plan – but we hear the Governor’s office isn’t going for EITHER in final budget negotiations.  

 We all must make calls TODAY! 

 First, urge the Governor and Department of Health to accept the Assembly’s changes to the phase out of Family Health Plus and help all those eligible pay for premiums on the new health insurance exchange come 2014.  The Governor’s Executive budget got us started by helping those currently enrolled in Family Health Plus be able to make a seamless transition to the Exchange in 2014 – but left out all those at the same income levels who aren’t currently enrolled.  They’ll need to enroll come 2014 and they should get the same deal! The Assembly budget got it right. 

 Tell the Governor & The Department of Health: Provide a “premium wrap” for the entire Family Health Plus eligible popultion, not just those currently enrolled. 

The Governor’s office also does not want to move forward to even authorize the state to look into implementing a Basic Heath Plan to receive additional federal funding to help provide quality, affordable coverage for families and individuals who make less than 200% of poverty a year (that’s around $22,000 a year for an individual and $47,000 for a family of four).  Why would we wait to create a program the Affordable Care Act sets up as a great way to help those who need it most!?! There is NO reason to wait. 

Tell the Governor & the Department of Health:  Include authorization for the Basic Health Plan in the final budget negotiations so ALL low income New Yorkers will have access to affordable health coverage.   

Final budget deals will be made this weekend. We need ALL groups making these calls and sending off emails and letters TODAY!!!

 Call:

• Governor Cuomo: (518) 474-8390
• Director of Healthcare Redesign James Introne: (518) 408-2500
• NYS Medicaid Director Jason Helgerson: (518) 474-3018
• Commissioner of Department of Health Dr. Nirav Shah: (518) 474-2011

Email us if you have any questions:  Elisabeth Benjamin: ebenjamin@cssny.org and Jessica Wisneski: jwisneski@citizenactionny.org 

Thank you for your very important actions today. 

UPDATE: Click here to view HCFANY’s Memorandum of Support/Opposition on the 2013-2014 NYS Executive Budget and One-House Budget Bills

HCFANY is happy to report that our letter to Governor Cuomo and the NYS Legislature on the budget’s elimination of the Family Health Plus program and out-of-network benefits on the individual market has been delivered!

The letter was actually hand-delivered around the capitol early this afternoon, and sent out to the press shortly thereafter.  Thanks to everyone who signed on – at final count we had 37 groups listed!  You can view the final letter sent by clicking here.

It looks like the budget will be closing down this weekend, but there is still time to make phone calls!  Call your legislators today and tell them to protect low-income families and New Yorkers with special health needs by providing a solution to the elimination of the Family Health Plus program that would treat all consumers equally, regardless of family composition, and provide additional subsidies to all eligible consumers up to 150% of FPL, and to preserve the requirement that insurers offer consumers on the individual market the option of out-of network care.

We can do this!!!

For anyone not on HCFANY’s email list – we will be holding an emergency coalition call TODAY at 3 PM to discuss ACA implementation in the NYS budget.   Several key issues for health insurance consumers are on the table. How they are resolved will determine the success of the ACA in New York, and whether people will be better or worse off in the future.

RSVP Here!

 Agenda

1. Welcome & Review of current HCFANY Priorities & Politics – Jess Wisneski, Citizen Action of New York 
2. Breakdown of our budget priorities: 
   •  Family Health Plus – Elisabeth R. Benjamin, Community Service Society of NY
   • Health Insurance changes – Heidi Siegfried, New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage
   • Good News: Charity Care & Community Health Advocates Funding Stream – Carrie Tracey, Community Service Society of NY
3. Action Item 1: Organizational Sign On letter.  Read the letter and sign your group on HERE.
4. Action Item 2: Press Event Wednesday 11:00AM – LCA Press room, Legislative Office Building, Albany – followed by last minute advocacy at the Capitol. Who can join us?
5. Action Item 3: Make calls to important leaders:
   • Assembly: Call Health Chair Richard Gottfried: 518-455-4941
   • Assembly: Call Insurance Chair Kevin Cahill: 518-455-4436
   • Senate: Call Health Chair Kemp Hannon: 518-455-2200
   • Senate: Call Insurance Chair James Seward: 518-455-3131
   • Senate: Call IDC Leader Jeff Klein: 518-455-3595
   • Senate: Call IDC Member Diane Savino: 518-455-2437
   • Executive: Director of Health Care Redesign: James Introne: 518-408-2500

 6.  Post-Budget Preview & Close:  Public Education/Outreach work – Jess Wisneski, Citizen Action of NY

Sorry for the inconveniece, folks!

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more than 1 million uninsured  New Yorkers will newly have access to affordable health insurance options starting this fall.  That’s a lot of folks who will need to wade through a lot of new information in the coming months.

HCFANY will be holding a briefing in New York City on Thursday, March 7th at the Interchurch Center from 9:00 am – 11:30 am to go over the necessary public outreach and enrollment efforts that will need to happen in order to ensure that the greatest number of New Yorkers benefit from the ACA.  Specifically, we will be going over the following questions:

• How will New Yorkers learn about new health coverage options?
• How is New York State going to reach out to and sign up the uninsured?
• What will individuals, families, and small employers in New York l need to know?
• What’s to be gained if we do it all right  (…and at risk if we don’t)?
• What can our elected officials do to help make it go smoothly?
• How can groups across New York contribute and participate?

This meeting is open to all New York members, allies, colleagues and new friends in the NYC area.

For more information, or to RSVP, click here!

These recommendations track three core themes discussed at the stakeholder meeting: 1) consumer assistance, 2) network adequacy, and 3) data collection.  Recommendations are discussed in detail based on stakeholder comments, panel presentations and research models employed in other parts of the country.  These include:

1. Consumer assistance:

• Language access and communication assistance
• Language accessibility guidelines for insurers
• Plain language
• Availability of decision-making support tools
• Sensetivity training for consumer assistors
• Creating Exchange website and materials that have an inclusive look and feel
• Diverse channels for consuemr outreach
• Selection of trusted community entities to serve as Navigators

2.  Network adequacy:

• Sufficient number of specialists
• Sufficient providers for AI/AN communities
• Sufficient providers with accessibility accomodations
• Sufficient providers with linguistic ability

3. Data collection and dissemination

• Collection of data
• Dissemination of data

The report is available at the State Exchange website at: http://healthbenefitexchange.ny.gov/resource/new-york-health-benefit-exchange-reducing-health-disparities