Celebrate 50 Years of Medicaid by Expanding It to Cover More People

Persistence pays off. Let’s remember this as we celebrate 50 years of Medicaid on July 30. In 1965, Medicaid entered the world as a Medicare add-on for low-income families. Now, the program provides comprehensive coverage to more people than any other insurer in the United States. Almost 70 million people in the U.S. turn toContinue reading “Celebrate 50 Years of Medicaid by Expanding It to Cover More People”

The Value(s) of Medicaid: 47 Years Later

July 30th marked the 47th anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare. It’s hard to imagine that 47 years ago, these critical programs that we have grown to love and rely on, were controversial sticking points that were hotly contested for years prior to being passed through the legislature- similar to the Affordable Care Act; passed onlyContinue reading “The Value(s) of Medicaid: 47 Years Later”

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?

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”

Community Health Care Clinics Under Attack

Community clinics are an indispensable component of the health care infrastructure in the United States. They are widely regarded as a cost-effective way to provide basic care, saving the health care system billions of dollars every year. Clinics serve over 20 million people in America, and one out of three people in poverty rely onContinue reading “Community Health Care Clinics Under Attack”

Health Insurer Lobbying, Sopranos Style

It’s been public knowledge for a while now that the health insurance industry secretly funneled money to the US Chamber of Commerce to fund its smear campaign against health care reform in 2009. What we didn’t know, though, was just how much money. Now, thanks to some good investigative reporting by Bloomberg News, we do.Continue reading “Health Insurer Lobbying, Sopranos Style”

Establishing State Exchanges that Serve People, Not Insurance Profits

Health care reform, if fully realized, will provide health insurance coverage for an additional 30 million people in America. One of the main ways this will happen is through the creation of centralized health insurance marketplaces, or “state exchanges.” If set up properly and well, people without insurance will be able to go to theirContinue reading “Establishing State Exchanges that Serve People, Not Insurance Profits”

A Victory for Health Care Implementation

Last week, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) finalized their recommendations to President Obama on how to implement a critical piece of health care reform: medical loss rations. Their recommendation is a significant victory because,  according to the Washington Post, it largely favors “the views of consumer advocates over those advanced by the insuranceContinue reading “A Victory for Health Care Implementation”

On Language Access, Holding HHS Accountable to People, Not Insurance Companies

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is currently creating the regulations that basically put the meat on the bones of this country’s health care reform law. It is the outcome of these rule-making decisions that will determine the success, or failure, of reform. NWFCO, with the Health Rights Organizing Project, has been weighingContinue reading “On Language Access, Holding HHS Accountable to People, Not Insurance Companies”

$75 Million: For the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, A Small Price to Pay for an Election

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been all over the airwaves recently–and not just with its hefty ad buys targeting candidates in the fast approaching November elections. Last week, the Chamber earned a wave of critical press when the story broke that it was funneling donations from international corporations and overseas affiliates into the sameContinue reading “$75 Million: For the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, A Small Price to Pay for an Election”