Association Health Plans: Good or Bad for Small Business?

Changes are finally coming to states’ health insurance marketplaces. For small businesses, these changes can’t come soon enough. New rules prohibiting discrimination and strengthening oversight of rate increases will protect small businesses from rate shocks. A guaranteed essential benefits package will provide assurance of a minimum level of coverage. And new state insurance exchanges willContinue reading “Association Health Plans: Good or Bad for Small Business?”

HHS’s Language Rule Excludes Millions of People

What would you think about a rule designed to give translation of important insurance documents to those who do not speak English well, if that rule required this service in nine counties in New Mexico, but excluded the entire City of Albuquerque?

Meet Today’s Help

When the movie The Help opens this week, hundreds of thousands of viewers will get swept up in the story of domestic workers who are struggling for dignity and respect in Civil Rights-era Mississippi. What those viewers might be surprised to learn is that across America, modern domestic workers are living out that struggle today.

Debt Deal Puts a Bull’s Eye on Medicaid

As I write, the U.S. Senate has just passed the debt deal that was negotiated with the President over the weekend. It got 269 votes in the House yesterday and 74 votes in the Senate today. It was opposed by both the most progressive and most conservative members. The immediate effect is a cap onContinue reading “Debt Deal Puts a Bull’s Eye on Medicaid”

Medicaid Makes a Difference Report

Congress is locked in a budget battle that’s grabbed round-the-clock media attention. Lost in the coverage are the real stakes in the debate, including the lives of the more than 50 million people covered by Medicaid, which is now in the budget-cutting cross-hairs. More than half of these 50 million are people of color. RacialContinue reading “Medicaid Makes a Difference Report”

Insurance Companies Weaken Language Access Regulations while Getting Wealthier

A few weeks ago, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a regulation stipulating that insurance companies only have to provide language services to a person with Limited English Proficiency if 10% of people in their county speak their same language. This is a high bar – only 177 out of 3,143 counties inContinue reading “Insurance Companies Weaken Language Access Regulations while Getting Wealthier”

Medicaid Matters across Generations

On July 12th, over 250 people joined with Senators Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Al Franken of Minnesota and Claire McCaskill of Missouri to highlight the important role Medicaid plays for seniors, kids, families and America and to decry recently proposed cuts to the critical program. The Alliance for a Just Society worked with CaringContinue reading “Medicaid Matters across Generations”

Medicaid Makes a Difference

Alliance Executive Director LeeAnn Hall had a commentary published in Truthout about the importance of defending the nation’s Medicaid program. LeeAnn wrote: “With wrenching unemployment and the housing market still in the tank, this may be the worst possible time to think about gutting Medicaid. Yet, the program still faces a slew of threats… “WithContinue reading “Medicaid Makes a Difference”

The Exchange in Vermont: A Model for Other States

On May 6, the Vermont State Legislature passed a law creating a new health policy for its state.  The Governor signed it into law that same day. The Act, H. 202, includes a fairly comprehensive set of policies that should serve as a model for other states to follow. H. 202 not only creates anContinue reading “The Exchange in Vermont: A Model for Other States”