Greene County Democrat

Tag: Affordable Care Act (ACA)

  • Newswire : Medicaid faces uncertain future as Republicans target program under Trump Administration

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


     Medicaid, a critical lifeline for millions of Americans, faces an uncertain future as Republicans prepare to take control of Washington. The program, along with the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), provides health and long-term care coverage to 80 million low-income children, pregnant women, adults, seniors, and people with disabilities, is under scrutiny with proposed funding cuts and new eligibility requirements.

    In Washington, D.C., Medicaid and CHIP collectively covered 260,218 residents as of June 2024, with total spending reaching $4.2 billion in fiscal year 2022. The federal government accounted for 78.2% of these costs. Since pandemic-era continuous enrollment provisions ended in March 2023, the District has disenrolled 67,619 individuals, even as total enrollment remains 7.7% higher than pre-pandemic levels. These numbers reflect growing pressures on state budgets and federal support.

    Nationally, Medicaid’s expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) added 23 million people to its rolls, but that growth has made it a target for Republican lawmakers. With President-elect Donald Trump returning to office, proposals to cut Medicaid funding and impose work requirements have resurfaced. These measures, they argue, could help fund the extension of tax cuts that primarily benefit corporations and the wealthy.

    GOP Rep. Jodey Arrington of Texas, chair of the House Budget Committee, has described work requirements as “responsible and reasonable,” while Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn has advocated for block grants to replace the current funding model. Critics caution that these changes could destabilize Medicaid, leaving states with significant funding gaps.

    “If you want to avoid a debt spiral, there have got to be reforms made to federal health programs,” Brian Blase, a former Trump adviser who supports reducing federal contributions to Medicaid expansion, told the New York Times. Proposals under discussion include lowering the federal match rate for expansion enrollees from 90% to as low as 40%, a move that could force some states to drop the program entirely.

    Medicaid’s role in American healthcare is substantial. It supports nearly half of all children in the U.S., covers significant portions of mental health and nursing home care, and plays a vital part in managing chronic conditions. In D.C., for instance, 95,577 Medicare beneficiaries and 71,021 enrollees in Medicare Part D also depend on Medicaid for supplemental support.

    Advocates for the ACA’s expansion and consumer protections warn that cutting Medicaid would disproportionately harm vulnerable populations. “Without Medicaid coverage, you’ve got folks choosing between how to put food on the table or pay for their kids’ health care,” said Daniel Tsai, head of Medicaid at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

    The appointment of Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead CMS signals the Trump administration’s intention to focus on cost reduction and fraud prevention. However, significant resistance is expected to sweeping cuts. In 2017, similar efforts met with public outcry, and polls show that over 70% of Americans support keeping Medicaid largely unchanged.

    State officials are revisiting measures such as work requirements, which faced legal and logistical challenges during Trump’s first term. Arkansas saw thousands lose coverage due to work requirements before the court struck down the program. Georgia remains the only state that has implemented these requirements successfully.

    The financial strain on states is already mounting, with federal Medicaid funding reduced by $60 billion for fiscal year 2024. Technical and administrative hurdles have left eligible Americans needing more coverage, exacerbating the problem.
    Crystal Harp, a mother from Tennessee, described to the New York Times how Medicaid enabled her to manage her daughter’s rare epilepsy. “It’s unbearable to think about the medical debt we would be in if we did not have Medicaid,” she said.

    As Republicans advance their policy agenda, Medicaid’s future is in peril. With millions depending on the program for basic healthcare needs, the debates in Congress will determine whether Medicaid continues as a cornerstone of American life or faces sweeping changes. “It could be the most consequential year in Medicaid’s life,” said Joan Alker of Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families.
     

  • Newswire : Trump’s policy plans signal major shifts for Black communities

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    With the Trump administration preparing to take office in January, plans across numerous policy areas are likely to significantly affect Black Americans. From proposed changes to education funding to civil rights enforcement, early indicators suggest a series of shifts that could reshape access to resources, legal protections, and economic stability within Black communities. Here’s a look at the critical policies and potential outcomes that many might want to monitor under the new administration.

    Education Policy

    The Department of Education faces an uncertain future under Trump, who has proposed its elimination. This change would dismantle federal oversight on public education standards and divert funding currently allocated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Black leaders are concerned that repealing Biden’s pledged HBCU funding would hinder efforts to address historical underfunding at these institutions. Trump has also indicated a desire to provide what he calls “reparations” for white students, citing perceived discrimination due to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) policies. If enacted, this approach could shift federal resources away from minority students to focus on what Trump describes as “equal access for all.”

    Rule of Law

    Trump has consistently signaled a reduction in the Department of Justice’s civil rights oversight, raising concerns among advocates. His approach would likely limit the DOJ’s role in addressing police misconduct and civil rights cases, including those involving voting rights protections. Such changes could result in fewer investigations into racial discrimination in police departments and might allow local jurisdictions to address—or ignore—cases of potential discrimination. For Black communities facing systemic challenges in the justice system, this could mean a significant loss of federal support for ensuring equal protection under the law.

    Health Care Policy

    The Trump administration has expressed an interest in reducing the scope of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and scaling back Medicaid. Any cuts to these programs stand to have a significant negative impact on Black Americans, who suffer disproportionately from chronic health conditions and high rates of uninsurance. A report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that Black adults are twice as likely as white adults to rely on Medicaid. Reduced access to affordable health care could increase existing health disparities, particularly in states where Medicaid expansion under the ACA was instrumental in improving Black health outcomes.

    Environmental Regulations

    Under Trump’s prior administration, environmental protections were scaled back, impacting air and water quality in urban areas where Black Americans are more likely to live. Trump’s deregulatory stance could again see rollbacks on pollution standards and decreased enforcement against industrial polluters, particularly in cities where Black communities are exposed to disproportionately high levels of environmental toxins. According to a report by the NAACP, Black Americans are 75% more likely to live in neighborhoods adjacent to polluting facilities, putting them at greater risk of asthma, respiratory illnesses, and other health issues.

    Civil Rights and DE&I Policies

    Trump has proposed eliminating many diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) policies across federal agencies, which he argues is needed to combat “reverse discrimination.” This would halt DE&I training, reduce funding for DE&I initiatives, and could even lead to the retraction of DE&I programs in workplaces nationwide. Civil rights groups have raised concerns that ending DE&I policies could weaken protections and opportunities for Black Americans in government and private employment. Additionally, with plans to limit the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, discrimination protections in housing, employment, and education could be at risk.

    Federal Poverty Policy

    In previous statements, Trump has advocated for limiting welfare and SNAP benefits, aiming to reduce federal poverty assistance programs. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Black Americans are twice as likely as white Americans to live below the poverty line, making federal assistance essential for many Black families. Restrictions on these programs could create economic strain in communities already facing higher unemployment rates and limited access to generational wealth. Without strong safety nets, Black communities may experience increased financial instability and a reduced ability to recover from economic downturns.

    Reproductive Health

    Trump’s support for restrictive reproductive health policies could have far-reaching consequences for Black women, who already face higher maternal mortality rates. His administration’s stance on limiting reproductive services, including defunding clinics that provide abortion and contraception, could disproportionately affect Black women, especially those in underserved areas. According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, partly due to limited access to quality reproductive healthcare.

    Foreign Policy and Immigration

    Trump has indicated that immigration restrictions could be expanded, with stricter enforcement and limitations on family-based immigration, which could affect Black immigrant communities from African and Caribbean countries. With around 4.6 million Black immigrants living in the U.S. (Pew Research), policies that increase deportation rates or restrict visas could destabilize families and communities with close ties to immigrants. Additionally, Trump’s foreign policy stance may deprioritize diplomatic relationships with African and Caribbean nations, limiting business, travel, and educational exchanges that have become vital to many Black Americans with familial or cultural connections abroad.

    Trump’s Business Interests and Economic Policy

    The Trump administration’s emphasis on corporate tax cuts and deregulation could benefit large corporations but may do little to address income inequality, which disproportionately affects Black Americans. Critics argue that policies focused on supporting corporations and high-income individuals could further limit investment in community programs, housing, and small business support. In these areas, Black communities often seek economic mobility. Data from the Economic Policy Institute suggests that tax policies benefiting corporations without targeted support for lower-income communities tend to increase economic disparities.

    Technology and Digital Access

    Trump’s approach to technology policy may reduce funding for broadband expansion, essential for improving internet access in underserved Black communities. The digital divide remains a persistent issue, with Pew Research reporting that Black Americans are less likely to have broadband access at home compared to white Americans. Policies that overlook digital equity could limit educational, employment, and healthcare access, further impacting Black communities that rely on affordable internet services for remote opportunities.

    A Focus on Civil Rights and Equity

    For Black Americans, the incoming Trump administration’s policies in these areas could signal significant shifts in daily life, from economic security and healthcare access to environmental justice and educational opportunity. As Derrick Johnson, President of the NAACP, noted, “Our rights, health, and economic well-being hinge on strong, equitable policies. It’s our job to stay vigilant and protect the progress we’ve made.”

  • Newswire : Biden and Harris fight back against House Republicans’ budget threatening health care

    Patient being counseled at medical facility

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    Resolute in their stand against the recent budget proposal by House Republicans, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are intensifying their efforts to lower healthcare costs and safeguard crucial provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid, and Medicare.

    In a Fact Sheet, the White House noted that Biden and Harris underscored the administration’s commitment during a visit to North Carolina, where they outlined a comprehensive strategy to make health care more affordable for all Americans.

    “The draconian measures in the Republican budget, which the Republican Study Committee created and which the House Republican leadership supported, have alarmed people because they could destroy crucial health care programs,” administration officials said. Among its provisions, the budget seeks to slash a staggering $4.5 trillion from the ACA, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, potentially leaving millions of Americans without access to essential health coverage.
    Key aspects of the Republican budget include eliminating funding for the ACA’s Marketplace and Medicaid expansion, jeopardizing coverage for over 45 million individuals. Furthermore, the proposed transformation of Medicaid into block grants “could imperil the health care of an additional 60 million Americans, leading to increased difficulty in qualifying for coverage and potential cuts to critical benefits,” officials argued.
    The budget threatens the well-being of seniors and individuals with disabilities by proposing cuts to Medicaid home care services and nursing home payments, which could result in diminished care quality and longer waitlists for essential services.
    In addition to dismantling crucial consumer protections established by the ACA, such as coverage for pre-existing conditions and prohibitions against insurance company abuses, officials said the Republican budget would also convert Medicare into a “premium support” program, potentially raising premiums for millions of seniors and exacerbating prescription drug costs.
    “Contrary to this regressive agenda, President Biden and Vice President Harris are staunch advocates for expanding access to affordable health care,” officials asserted. “Under their leadership, a record-breaking 21 million Americans have enrolled in ACA coverage this year, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to extend health care to more citizens.”
    The White House argued that the administration’s initiatives have yielded tangible benefits, including average annual savings of $800 per individual on health insurance premiums. They claimed that the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which Biden championed, has given Medicare the authority to negotiate lower prescription drug costs, ensuring that seniors and people with disabilities can access affordable medications.
    Biden and Harris insisted they are committed to further lowering healthcare costs and enhancing coverage for all Americans. Their proposed measures include:
    Making premium tax credits permanent.
    Expanding Medicaid coverage in states that have not adopted expansion.
    Investing in home care services to address wait lists for older adults and individuals with disabilities.

    White House officials said the president and vice president’s agenda prioritizes mental health care access, consumer protection against surprise medical bills, and crackdowns on unwarranted fees in health care services. By advocating for Medicare to negotiate drug prices for at least 50 drugs annually and capping out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, the administration aims to alleviate financial burdens on individuals while safeguarding the integrity of health care programs.
    In contrast to the Republican budget’s assault on health care, officials asserted that Biden and Harris remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting and strengthening vital health care programs for generations to come. “By ensuring that the wealthy contribute their fair share and dedicating savings from Medicare reforms to the program’s sustainability, they seek to uphold the fundamental right to accessible and affordable health care for all Americans,” officials said.

     

     

  • Medicaid Expansion, COVID death rates and John Merrill’s racist tweets SOS joins in protests with other organizations at the Alabama State Capitol

    The SaveOurselves Movement for Justice and Democracy (SOS) has been protesting at the State Capitol in Montgomery, every other week, since mid-March when the coronavirus pandemic began in Alabama.
    The focus of the SOS demonstrations has been to persuade Governor Ivey and the Alabama Legislature to expand Medicaid to cover 300,000 or more people, caught in the gap between Medicaid eligibility and coverage on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. The expansion would assist people whose family income was up to 138% of the poverty level, with Federally subsidized health insurance coverage.
    SOS also highlighted the issue of the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on Black and Brown communities, especially the Alabama Black Belt; high coronavirus rates in Alabama’s jails and prisons; and the overall inequities of the treatment of Black, Brown and poor people by the health care system.
    During most of October and into November, SOS members suspended protests to concentrate on the General Election on November 3 in local communities. SOS is also working to help in the Georgia Senatorial races with funds, phone banking and possible trips to assist people with canvassing and poll watching.
    In the last few weeks SOS has joined with other organizations in Alabama to continue protests for issues related to its general mission and objectives. On September 10, 2020, SOS sponsored a march and demonstration from Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, up to the Capitol Steps in Montgomery, with six people in wheelchairs and several more on walkers from around the state.
    September 22, 2020, SOS joined with the Poor Peoples Campaign of Alabama in a demonstration on the steps of the State Capitol to take a pledge to join the “National Non-violent Army for Medicaid Expansion”. The Alabama protestors joined those in Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Pennsylvania, where people are coming together in “Medicaid Marches” to demand their right to health and healthcare.
    These Medicaid Marches are being led by the uninsured and underinsured, unhoused people, low-wage, essential and undocumented workers, healthcare workers, clergy, and others. The marches are the first coordinated nationwide push of the Nonviolent Medicaid Army, a vehicle to build the power of poor and dispossessed people, led by those on or excluded from Medicaid, which remains the only public healthcare option for the 140 million poor and low-income people in the country. This emerging new force is modeled after what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned as a “multi-racial, intergenerational, nonviolent army of the poor.”
    In 2018, there were 87 million people who were uninsured or underinsured. This year, close to 12 million people have already lost their employer-sponsored healthcare. Millions fall into a coverage gap where private insurance is too expensive but their income is above the Medicaid cutoff.
    Approximately 22,000-27,000 die every year from being uninsured. And state legislatures around the country are making it clear that they will seek to fill the budget holes created by the pandemic-triggered global economic crisis by cutting life-saving public programs like Medicaid.
    In Alabama, 500 to 700 people a year are dying because Governor Ivey has been unwilling to expand Medicaid coverage under the ACA. This prompted John Zippert, SOS leader and Chair of the Greene County Health System Board to charge that “Gov. Ivey is a mass murderer for not expanding Medicaid.”
    Rev. Liz Theoharis, Co-Chair of the Poor Peoples Campaign says, “Fully funding Medicaid, and expanding it to all U.S. residents, is not beyond our means. Just one military contract could cover the cost of expanding Medicaid in 14 states. Although we are constantly sold the lie of scarcity, we have the money to fully fund universal single-payer healthcare, if only our government wanted to.”
    On this Monday, November 23, SOS joined with the Poor Peoples Campaign in a caravan to surround the State Capitol in Montgomery to memorialize the more than 250,000 people nationally, who have died from COVID-19. Of the dead, 3,500 are Alabamians.
    On Tuesday, November 24, members of SOS joined with Project Say Something (PSS) which is committed to confronting racial injustice in Alabama, demanding accountability from the Alabama Secretary of State. In recent weeks, Mr. John Merrill has used his personal Twitter account – where he describes himself as “Representing the People of Alabama as their 53rd Secretary of State” – to retweet and promote hate speech and harsh language designed to divide and intimidate Alabamians.
    As community voices and trusted leaders, PSS believes it imperative to hold elected officials accountable for their public behavior and use of racist, anti-Black rhetoric in public forums. John Merrill’s actions reflect poorly on the office he holds and disrespects the vast majority of constituents he has been entrusted to serve. SOS worked with PSS to demonstrate on the steps of the Capitol.
    For more information contact SOS through its website and Facebook pages as well as contacting ANSC at 838 South Court Street in Montgomery; phone 205/262-0932.

  • Newswire: ‘Through the Roof’ prescription drug prices hit communities of color the hardest

    Pharmacist Leonard L. Edloe

    By Hazel Trice Edney

    TriceEdneyWire.com) – Seventy-three-year-old Leonard L. Edloe, a pharmacist of 50 years and pastor of a predominately Black church in Middlesex County, Va., knows the personal and professional sides of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes well. He also knows the astronomical costs of prescription medications and the related financial struggles.
    His father—also named Leonard L. Edloe—opened the first of their four family-owned pharmacies in 1948. But he was only 65 when he came home from work one day, sat down, had a sandwich and a beer and then died of a massive heart attack. It was a major emotional blow to lose his father and mentor that way. But then Edloe’s sister died at 60 and his brother at 54 – also both of heart attacks.
    “I had to get out,” he said sternly, reflecting on his now determined self-care through exercise and healthy eating. “I’m 73 now.”
    For decades, Edloe has been a prominent household family name in Richmond, Va. where his father’s first pharmacy was established. Since his family was upper middle class, he acknowledged they had no problem paying for prescription medication.  But given his father’s legacy and his own community service through his profession and dedication to help people in need, he is known for being on the cutting edge of the struggle to establish health equity. That includes exploring ways to make prescription drugs more affordable and accessible to all.
    “The pricing has gone through the roof,” he said in an interview. “I mean, insulin – a month’s supply for some people – is $600.” That’s $7,200 a year. “Even the generic pricing has gone up,” he points out. “That has become worse because so many of the drugs are imported. Seventy-five percent of the drugs in the United States have an ingredient that’s made in China, India or Germany.”
    Edloe explained that “Because there’s no control over pricing in the United States, they can basically charge what they want to; whereas in other countries, the government decides.”
    As a former long-time member of Medicaid HMO Virginia Premier Health Plan’s board – Edloe pointed out that the drug used to treat Hepatitis C costs $1,000 a pill. But in Egypt, it is $1 a pill.
    Edloe has expressed these concerns vehemently over the years in various leadership roles, including as chair of the Virginia Heart Association for the Mid-Atlantic Region; president of the American Pharmacists Association Foundation, and board member of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems Authority.
    “My blood pressure medicine for myself has tripled in price. I was paying $15 for three months. Now it’s $45,” he said. “Fortunately, that’s with my insurance.”
    For people who lack health insurance, medicine for hypertension can cost upwards of $300-$600 a year, which, can be difficult to manage financially along with paying for other medications and bills. “So, it’s real serious,” Edloe concluded.
    Community health workers point to problems in poor communities
    Community health workers and researchers around the country have long recognized the increasing costs of prescription drugs and the difficult choices some people must make to afford them.
    An article in Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publishing, titled, “Millions of Adults Skip Medications Due to Their High Costs” highlights findings from a national survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics:
    • Eight percent of adult Americans don’t take their medicines as prescribed because they can not afford them.
    • Among adults under 65, sixpercent who had private insurance still skipped medicines to save money.
    • 10 percent of people who rely on Medicaid skipped their medicines.
    • Of those who are not insured, 14 percent skipped their medications because of cost.
    • Among the nation’s poorest adults— those with incomes well below the federal poverty level — nearly 14 percent “did not take medications as prescribed to save money.” 
    Those statistics get even worse when exploring prescription drug affordability in the Black community. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a division of the National Institute of Health, “Elderly black Medicare beneficiaries are more than twice as likely as white beneficiaries to not have supplemental insurance and to not fill prescriptions because they cannot afford them.”
    Likewise, an AARP survey of 1,218 African-American voters last year found more than three in five (62 percent) said “prices of prescription drugs are unreasonable” and nearly half (46 percent) said they did not fill a prescription provided by their doctor, mainly because of cost.
    The inability to pay for prescription drugs – even for those under the age of 65 – has significantly impacted Blacks, Latinos and other people of color due to economic disparities.
    “Though the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reduced the number of uninsured Americans, over 28 million remain without insurance,” says PublicHealthPost.org. “More than half (55%) of uninsured Americans under the age of 65 are people of color. For those with no insurance, paying retail prices for medications is often financially impossible.”
    This is no secret to those who have been working in the trenches on critical health care issues daily for years.
    Ruth Perot, executive director/CEO of the Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc. (SHIRE), serves the 92 percent Black and largely low-income families of Washington, D.C.’s 6th, 7th and 8th Wards. She has been working on grassroots health equity isuses in communities of color for more than 23 years.
    “I am certainly aware of the extent to which folks have to, of course make that choice between the cost of a prescription and the other commitments that they have, whether it’s rent or whether it’s food on the table or something related to the education for their children,” Perot said. “The cost of prescription drugs has always been out of control. It’s been a major profit-motive driven industry. That’s been true for some time. And so, whatever we see at the national level from a policy perspective still hasn’t addressed the fundamental issue that the drug prescriptions cost too much…I don’t think the federal government has ever used its power as the principle buyer of drugs to get those prices down. So, it’s been a persistent problem for many, many, many years if not decades.”
    Edloe, having owned pharmacies in predominately Black communities, vehemently agrees. In addition to his medical career, he also interfaces with the community as pastor of the New Hope Fellowship Church in Hartfield, Va. As he personally works to avoid his family’s history with heart disease, he passes along health lessons to his congregation, and is intimately familiar with their struggles to pay for prescription drugs. Currently working with two groups involving health disparities and pharmaceuticals, he says he believes the answer to achieve equity will ultimately be “some form of universal health care.”
    But, there must also be a culture change, he said. “Because a lot of health care providers still are not trained and the materials are still not designed for diverse communities. So it’s all about getting equity – not equality – but equity in health care. Because there’s a big difference. If everybody stands beside the fence and the fence is six feet and you’re 6 feet 5 inches tall, you can see over it, but other people can’t. Equity means you might have to give them a stool to see.”
    This article is part of a series on the impact of high prescription drug costs on consumers made possible through the 2020 West Health and Families USA Media Fellowship.
     

  • Newswire: DNC launches diverse media advertising campaign ahead of the tenth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

    Ads will highlight Trump’s broken health care promises to African American and Latino voters in key battleground

    From The Democratic National Committee

    Today, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) launched a diverse media advertising campaign in 6 key battlegrounds (AZ, MI, NC, PA, FL, WI), beginning with ads highlighting Republicans’ broken promises on the issue of health care to voters of color ahead of the tenth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
    The DNC is beginning this campaign with a significant initial buy and will make an overall six-figure investment in minority-focused media outlets.
    “Victory in 2020 will be won in Black and Brown communities throughout the country, and we cannot afford to take a single vote for granted,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. “President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Democrats in Congress made access to health care a reality for millions of people, especially in communities of color, and Trump’s agenda has trampled on that progress. In a time where America is facing a pandemic, it is important for voters to remember who has their back when it comes to protecting and expanding access to health care. These investments in diverse media outlets are happening much earlier in the cycle than ever before and we will continue to engage voters where they are on this critical issue, as often as possible.”
    The print ads, which will be published in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin were placed through the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and will commemorate the passage of the ACA and the benefits it provides, including protections for preexisting conditions.:
    The radio ads will be produced by a Hispanic-owned creative agency. The ads will air on Spanish-language stations throughout Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Florida and will also focus on the ACA’s passage and Democrats’ commitment to providing access to quality, affordable health care to the Latino community.

  • Newswire : ‘Morally Wrong’: former UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon condemns US for not having Universal Health Care

     By Amanda Michelle Gomez, ThinkProgress

    Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon

    Failing to provide health care to 29.3 million people is “unethical” and “politically wrong, morally wrong,” said former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in an interview with the Guardian. The U.S. is the only wealthy country without universal coverage — and Ban faults “powerful” interest groups within the pharmaceutical, hospitals, and doctors sector. “Here, the political interest groups are so, so powerful,” Ban said. “Even president, Congress, senators and representatives of the House, they cannot do much so they are easily influenced by these special interest groups.” Ban is hardly alone in his disillusionment with the U.S. health care system and is definitely not the first foreign leader to call the United States out. When President Donald Trump attacked Britain’s health system to slam Democrats running on universal health care, U.K. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt blasted him back on Twitter, saying no one in his country “wants to live in a system where 28m people have no coverage.” It’s a well-known fact that the U.S. is an outlier in the developed world, as we spend more on health care but have worse health outcomes than other countries. Indeed, health spending is projected to rise 5.5 percent, on average, annually from 2017 to 2026 according to the federal health department. And while health spending is expected to make up nearly 20 percent of the U.S. economy in 2026, the uninsured population is also expected to rise. “It seems with Trump just undoing Obamacare, people were not happy first of all,” said Ban about the Trump administration’s reforms that, so far, have undermined the Affordable Care Act (ACA). “Ironically, it might have motivated people to think other ways, and influence their senators, and their Congressman to think the other way.” Ban’s observations hold. A recent poll finds a majority of the public favors single-payer, meaning they’d want to replace the current private-public insurance patchwork system with a single government plan. Support for single payer or Medicare for All became especially pronounced after Republicans tried to repeal and replace the ACA, jeopardizing quality insurance particularly for those with pre-existing conditions. Since Medicare for All garnered critical support from likely 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, health care industry groups launched a lobbying group against single-payer plans. The Partnership for America’s Health Care Future is comprised of major players including America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the American Medical Association, and the Federation of American Hospitals. Ban hopes California and New York will ultimately pass single-payer bills currently stalled in each state’s legislature, sparking a national wake-up call. “It will be either California or New York who will introduce this system,” he told the Guardian. “Then I think there will be many more states who will try to follow suit. I think that’s an encouraging phenomenon we see.” Ban made his comments as a member of The Elders, a peace and human rights organization launched by Nelson Mandela to promote ideas like universal health care. His interview with the Guardian isn’t the first time he’s criticized Trump for undermining coverage and urging states like California to embrace single payer. He recently spoke at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where he also said, “the good news is that at a state level things appear to be changing for the better.”

  • Newswire : Poll: 70% of Marketplace enrollees satisfied with Obamacare

    By Freddie Allen (Editor-In-Chief, NNPA Newswire)
    President Donald Trump continues to sow confusion about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, shows that, although some of his tactics are working, many consumers still plan on signing up for healthcare during the open enrollment period.
    The ACA open enrollment period started on November 1 and will end December 15 in most states and despite its critics, the law has effectively reduced the uninsured rate for Blacks; healthcare advocates have said that access to preventive care provided by the ACA could also limit the effects of healthcare disparities, like infant mortality rates and deaths from breast cancer among Black women.
    Even though the ACA, also known as Obamacare, provided healthcare to millions of Americans—some of them Trump supporters—the current president has worked to cripple the law in tweets and actions.
    Deep cuts to funding for advertising about the ACA are having expected results.
    In previous years, television ads played a key role in educating people about open enrollment and the ins and outs of the ACA. Trump cut that advertising budget to the bone.
    According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll, “few of those most likely to consider marketplace coverage report hearing or seeing any ads providing information about how to get insurance under the health care law.”
    Less than 20 percent of the uninsured and just 12 percent of market enrollees said that they saw ads in the past 30 days that provided information about how to get insurance.
    The poll also reported that just 5 percent of the uninsured and 25 percent of the marketplace enrollees were aware of the month when open enrollment ends in their state.
    Despite White House efforts to discourage Americans from signing up for healthcare and the House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) claims that people would choose not buy Obamacare, if the government didn’t force them, 90 percent of marketplace enrollees said that they would continue to buy their own insurance, even if the government stopped enforcing the individual mandate.
    Most marketplace enrollees like their health insurance under the ACA.
    The KFF poll revealed that 70 percent of current marketplace enrollees are satisfied with their insurance choices.
    “The vast majority (85 percent) of marketplace enrollees also say they plan to sign up for health insurance during the 2018 open enrollment period, and most of them (54 percent of the total marketplace enrollees) prefer to renew their current plan if it is available next year,” according to the KFF poll.
    Most enrollees will also get help paying for healthcare through the ACA.
    “Insurers are still required by law to provide reduced deductibles and co-pays for low-income marketplace enrollees,” said Larry Levitt, senior vice president for special initiatives and co-executive director of the Foundation’s Program for the Study of Health Reform and Private Insurance. “Premiums are increasing, but consumers will also get more help.”
    Even though consumers will get help paying for health insurance, this isn’t President Obama’s open enrollment; many things have changed so it’s important to start reviewing plans now.
    Don’t just “auto-renew” your health insurance plan. Study your options carefully.
    In previous years, the healthcare marketplace auto-renewed consumers for the upcoming coverage year. According to the KFF poll, almost 25 percent of marketplace enrollees were auto-renewed for their same plan or auto-reassigned to similar plans in 2016 for the 2017 coverage year.
    But experts have said that the auto-renewal feature may not identify the subsidies that you’re eligible for accurately and when it comes to prescriptions or other life-saving services that you need, you’ll want to make sure that any similar plan fits your needs.
    Remember, it’s best to enroll early; don’t wait until the last minute.
    During previous enrollment periods, there has been a surge of interest as the deadline nears; that increased activity slowed down the responsiveness of HealthCare.gov and created longer wait times for the marketplace call center, said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
    “Log-in to HealthCare.gov, update your application for financial assistance, review your plan choices and what they cost, and select a plan for 2018,” said Pollitz. “If you want the same plan, select the same plan.”
    Whether you choose the same health insurance plan or a new one, don’t wait until the last minute to make your decision. This year, thanks to Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress, if you have questions about plans in the final hours of the enrollment period, you might just be on your own.

  • Newswire : ‘Huge Victory’: Progressives Vow to Keep Fighting GOP Health Bill After Vote Delay

    By: Adam Gabbatt ,The Guardian
    health care demonstration
    Health care protest

    Progressive activists hailed a “huge victory” and a “giant step toward single-payer healthcare” on Tuesday, after Senate Republicans were forced to postpone a vote on their proposed healthcare bill.

    Many warned, however, that the battle was not over, promising continued attempts to pressure Republican senators over the Fourth of July recess and beyond.
    Thousands of activists from groups including Our Revolution, Indivisible and Planned Parenthood had spent the past week mounting frantic efforts to derail the legislation, which the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said would leave 22 million more people without health coverage over the next 10 years.

    On Tuesday, after a number of GOP senators said they would not vote for the bill, the majority leader, Mitch McConnell, told his caucus he would delay the vote on legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) until after the coming July 4 recess. There were five Republican Senators – Dean Heller, Susan Collins, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Rand Paul.
    “It’s beyond a victory,” said RoseAnn DeMoro, executive director of National Nurses United, which encouraged members to pressure Republican senators to vote against the bill. “What people are saying is, ‘We want a society, we don’t want a market to protect our health.’”
    The bill would have been a victory for insurance companies, DeMoro said, and senators’ apparent distaste for the legislation was a blow for both those companies and Republicans.
    “I think this is a giant step toward single-payer healthcare – the fact that they defeated the Republicans – because ultimately, embedded in that is a defeat for free-market fundamentalism.” What people are saying is, ‘We want a society, we don’t want a market to protect our health.”
    Indivisible, a progressive organization established after the 2016 election to oppose Donald Trump and Republican policies, mobilized activists from more than 3,000 chapters across the country to protest the bill. “It is a huge, huge victory,” said Ezra Levin, Indivisible’s executive director. “But it’s not a final victory.”

    Levin said Indivisible’s ultimate goal was to defeat the bill outright, but the short-term plan had been to delay a vote until after the Senate recess.
    House Republicans who voted for the first and second iterations of their own healthcare bill, which passed in May, faced angry receptions at town hall events during the April and May recesses.
    “McConnell was trying to rush it through this week because he knew Fourth of July recess was coming up,” Levin said. “He knew senators would be heading back to their states and hearing from their constituents, so he knew it was going to get harder if the vote was delayed.”
    It was “not a foregone conclusion” that the bill would be defeated, Levin said. “The challenge now is going to keep the pressure up. We cannot forget what happened on the House side. This is a huge blow against Trumpcare but in order to actually defeat this, pressure will have to continue.”
    Winnie Wong, co-founder of People for Bernie, an independent activist group with more than a million supporters, echoed Levin’s concern but praised collaboration between dozens of leftwing groups in the weeks leading up to the delay of the bill.
    “It’s an effort that is being held up by almost all progressive groups,” she said, “whether they have anything to do with the Democratic party or not, I think there is a unification between all progressives right now around making sure Trumpcare does not go through the Senate.
    “All these Republican lawmakers are really feeling the heat from their constituents. They are not stupid. And in some states you see them doing the right thing.” Our Revolution, a progressive organization founded in the wake of Bernie Sanders’ campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, said supporters had made “almost 8,000 calls” to the Senate to oppose the bill.
    “Today’s delay is a victory for the 22 million people who are at risk of losing coverage,” said Shannon Jackson, Our Revolution’s executive director. “As senators head back home for the Fourth of July holiday we will continue to demand they vote ‘no’ on this immoral and disastrous bill.”
    The Working Families Party (WFP), meanwhile, organized weekly protests outside the offices of Nevada senator Dean Heller and a sit-in in the office of Susan Collins of Maine over the past few weeks. It also held a demonstration at Reagan national airport in nearby Arlington, Virginia, on Friday which targeted senators flying home for the weekend.
    “An unprecedented resistance movement has knocked Trumpcare off course,” said WFP national director Dan Cantor. “But we will not stop organizing, protesting or speaking out until this immoral proposal is crushed, discarded and buried.”
    With the threat of a vote after recess week, however, Richards warned that it was “now more important than ever for people to make their voices heard”.
    “Republican leadership needs to hear over and over that the people of America will not stand to see healthcare stripped from millions, and they will not stand to see Planned Parenthood’s patients lose their access to healthcare,” she said.
    “Now, as senators go home for recess next week, it’s time to send the message that we need to stop this harmful bill once and for all.”

  • Under Trump, unemployment rate rises for Black workers

    By Freddie Allen (Managing Editor, NNPA Newswire)

    blackmanjobless
     Black man who has lost his job
    During President Donald Trump’s first full month in office, the Black unemployment rate rose as the White unemployment rate fell, according to the latest jobs report.
    Key employment indicators show that Black workers lost ground in February. The unemployment rate for Black workers increased from 7.7 percent in January to 8.1 percent in February. The labor force participation rate, which is the share of the population that is employed or looking for work, ticked down from 62.4 percent to 62.3 percent in February. The employment-population ratio, which is the share of the population that has jobs, also declined for Black workers from 57.5 percent to 57.3 percent in February.
    Meanwhile, the White unemployment rate inched closer to 4 percent, decreasing from 4.3 percent in January to 4.1 percent in February. The labor force participation rate and the employment-population ratio for White workers also improved.
    The jobless rate for White men 20 years-old and over dipped below 4 percent in February (3.8 percent). Even though the labor force participation rate for White men slipped from 72.1 percent to 72 percent, the employment-population ratio for White men increased from 69.2 percent in January to 69.3 percent last month.
    The unemployment rate for White women 20 years-old and over decreased from 3.9 percent in January to 3.7 percent in February. The labor force participation rate and the employment-population ratio for White women also showed gains in February, which indicates that White women were able to join the labor market and find work at higher rates last month compared to January.
    Black men fared worse than other adult groups in the job market last month. The unemployment rate for Black men over 20 years-old increased from 7.3 percent in January to 7.8 percent in February. The labor force participation rate slipped from 68.1 percent in January to 67.8 percent in February. The employment-population ratio also declined, falling from 63.1 percent to 62.5 percent in February, the biggest decline for any adult group that month.
    Not only did the unemployment rate for both Black men and women 20 years-old and over move in the opposite direction to their White counterparts, the share of Black men and women that looked for jobs and found work decreased from January to February.
    Before his inauguration in January, President Donald Trump often questioned the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report, but when the latest report was released on March 10, White House officials expressed their enthusiasm about the results.
    During the press briefing after February’s jobs report was released, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked if President Trump believed that February’s jobs report was accurate. Spicer answered, “[President Trump] said to quote him very clearly, ‘They may have been phony in the past, but it’s very real now.”Laughter was heard audibly in the White House Press Briefing Room.
    Even as the White House appeared to be claiming another victory on the jobs front, Ben White, the chief economic correspondent for POLITICO and a CNBC contributor noted that February’s big jobs number was very similar to 2016 and 2015. “Hard to see any Trump bump in these numbers. Nearly identical to last two Febs. Feb. 2015: 238K Feb 2016: 237K Feb. 2017: 235K,” White tweeted. Others said that February’s jobs report was just a continuation of President Obama’s policies.
    In a statement about the latest jobs report, Michael Madowitz, an economist for the Center for American Progress, said that the current Labor market trends originating in the Obama years continued this month, with 235,000 jobs added and the unemployment rate decreasing slightly to 4.7 percent.
    “Since the employment recovery began in February 2010, we’ve added nearly 16 million jobs, and the steady tightening of the labor market has finally started to deliver wage growth for workers, increasing 2.8 percent over the past year,” Madowitz said in the statement. “These statistics show that the economy has continued to build on the foundation and success of the past few years and tell the story of the economy far more accurately than the Trump administration’s focus on the 30 large companies in the Dow.”
    Madowitz continued: “In his first 49 days in office, President Donald Trump has discussed loosening oversight in financial markets, which may force the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to prevent financial bubbles. Rolling back protections, updating overtime standards, and endangering Americans’ retirement savings have delighted Trump’s Wall Street and corporate base but are cold comfort for the American worker.”
    In a statement about the February’s jobs report, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said that President Trump inherited a growing economy from his predecessor. “President Trump claimed he was handed ‘a mess’ by the Obama Administration, but we know that is not accurate,” said Scott. “Under President Obama the unemployment rate was cut in half while GDP and median income rose.”
    Scott quickly pivoted to the embattled Affordable Care Act (ACA), adding that the Republican bill to repeal and replace the ACA would cause millions to lose their insurance, force families to pay more for fewer protections, defund Planned Parenthood, and give huge tax cuts to people in the top 1 percent.
    Scott concluded: “[The Republicans] have gambled with families’ health care as they continue to undermine the Affordable Care Act and the insurance Marketplaces. They have put forward policy ideas that would weaken consumer protections and increase costs for families under ‘Trumpcare.’ Working families deserve better. Congressional Republicans and President Trump must change their course and actually begin working on solutions to build an economy that benefits all of America’s working families.”