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

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”

Why Medicaid Matters

In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicaid and Medicare into law. At the signing ceremony, he spoke of the tradition of leadership that compelled the country to create such programs. He also spoke of another tradition, one embedded in our national identity and values. He said this value “calls upon us never to be indifferentContinue reading “Why Medicaid Matters”

Health Rights Organizing Project Plans Next Steps Toward Equitable Health Care

Nearly a year after the passage of health care reform, the Alliance for a Just Society convened members of its Health Rights Organizing Project, a national collaboration of grassroots community organizations working on health care, to reflect on that victory and to develop next steps in the long march towards an equitable health care system.Continue reading “Health Rights Organizing Project Plans Next Steps Toward Equitable Health Care”

Medicaid Matters to Idaho Counties: State Investment in Medicaid Means Jobs and Economic Activity

This report contributes to the public discussion of Medicaid and the state budget by providing county-by-county data on the contributions Medicaid makes to the economy and the quality of life in Idaho. Click here to download the full report.

On the State of the Union: Where Are We Going? A National Mystery

After watching the President’s State of the Union Address, I must confess that I am puzzled. I have no idea where our country is going.

What Health Care Repeal Would Mean for People of Color

If you woke up tomorrow and discovered that you were a Member of Congress, what would be your first order of business? The economy is in the tank, so maybe you would endeavor to create a jobs program to curb unemployment. Poverty is on the rise, so you could consider options for strengthening the country’sContinue reading “What Health Care Repeal Would Mean for People of Color”

Insurance Companies to Stop Covering Kids October 1st

The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius, recently announced a national coalition dedicated to enrolling five million children in Medicaid and CHIP within five years. “Nothing is more important to our future than the health of our children. No child should have to skip a doctor’s appointment or goContinue reading “Insurance Companies to Stop Covering Kids October 1st”

Marcelas Grows Up in Community Organizing, Finishes What His Mother Started

History loves a hero. The historic health reform legislation signed this year by President Obama received its hero in the form of Marcelas Owens, eleven-year-old Seattleite who, in the weeks leading to the bill’s passage, became the country’s most visible spokesman for reform.

Is Health Care Reform Just For White People?

Northwest Federation of Community Organizations Campaigns for Racial Justice in Health Although the face of the health care debate was mostly a white one, community organizations and progressive groups across the country, including the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations and the Health Rights Organizing Project, prioritized health equity in their demands for comprehensive health careContinue reading “Is Health Care Reform Just For White People?”