Erie Family Health Center

Beats this week:

1) An estimated15,000 people converged on the Capitol today in Springfield to show support for Governor Quinn’s proposed tax increase. If the crowd estimates are correct, this would be the largest Capitol protest since the Equal Rights Amendment protests over 25 years ago.  The rally, which is being called ‘Save Our State,’ seeks to create a responsible budget by increasing tax revenue rather than cutting services.

2) The Food and Drug Administration announced a plan to reduce the amount of salt that is consumed by Americans. The FDA will begin by requesting a voluntary reduction in sodium levels from the food industry and then possibly creating a mandate later down the line.

3) This week President Obama handed down an order to his Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, to begin drafting rules that would require hospitals receiving Medicaid and Medicare payments to allow all patients to designate what individuals can visit them and consult with them on medical decisions. This move is being hailed as a victory for same sex couples who often experience challenges when it comes to consulting with their partner on medical decisions.

4) Earlier this week, Michelle Obama made a stop at a community farm in California on her way back from her first solo trip abroad. The tour at the New Roots Community Farm was meant to highlight her new childhood obesity prevention campaign, Let’s Move! 

5) Three large insurance companies – UnitedHealthcare, Wellpoint and Humana – all took steps this week to begin implementing health care reform legislation months ahead of time. These three insurance companies are going to allow adults under age 26 to be covered under their parent’s insurance until September 23, when they are guaranteed coverage under health care reform legislation. This decision comes at an ideal time for students graduating this Spring who are without job placements.

Beats this week:

1) This week has been a busy week for health care reform. On Sunday, the House passed health care reform and sent the bill to President Obama’s desk. On Tuesday, the President signed the bill, which will provide up to 32 million individuals with health insurance.

2) The health care reform bill is over 2,400 pages and contains a few lesser known provisions. Some highlights include: chain restaurants and vending machines will have to post nutritional information and companies with at least 50 employees will have to set aside “reasonable” break times for nursing mothers and create private spaces for breastfeeding. To read more about the bill, check out Beats Per Minutes post this week.

3) It was reported this week that Chicago Public School officials are moving to revamp the school lunch program. Starting in June, schools will eliminate or reduce the availability of unhealthy food options, such as nachos, doughnuts and Pop-Tarts.

4) The Illinois Supreme Court handed down a decision this week that was met with great disappointment for many nonprofit hospitals in the state: hospitals that are designated nonprofit must provide certain levels of charitable giving to their patients in order to maintain their nonprofit status.

5) Who are we kidding?! The only thing being talked about this week is health care reform! Let’s skip the back and forth politics, though, and check out the video of President Obama signing this historic legislation.

Last night we sat around our television screens, anxiously waiting for an historic moment to occur and we were not disappointed. With members of the House chanting “Yes we can!” millions around our country felt relief: comprehensive health care reform had finally passed. This was a truly historical moment for the entire country and particularly for the millions of uninsured individuals who will now be afforded access to health insurance.  

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will make its way to the President’s desk on Tuesday for his signature of this momentous legislation. The Reconciliation Act of 2010 will also move to the Senate this week for approval. After both of these steps are completed, health care reform can begin to be enacted.

But what happens then? The full text of the bill is around 2,400 pages so it is doubtful that many Americans have read the bill from cover to cover (Who has that kind of time?). Look no further! Now that change has come to America, here is a summary of what changes will actually occur for everyday Americans.

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Beats this week:

1)  Today, the Chicago Tribune covered health care reform and its potential impact on low-income individuals in Chicago. Erie Family Health Center and other community health agencies were featured in the story by Judith Graham.

2) Four community health centers in Milwaukee received $1 million from GE to increase primary care services to uninsured and underinsured individuals. This is the second city to receive GE Developing Health funding – a three-year program providing funding to health centers.

3) According to a new report, one in four Californians under the age of 65 are without health insurance.  In the last two years, the state’s number of uninsured individuals has increased by nearly 2 million. Despite these alarming statistics, California does not actually have the highest rate of uninsured but follows closely behind Texas.

4) The story of health care reform continues to unfold. Currently, the Obama administration is putting the pressure on for House Democrats to give the green light on health care. Rep. Dennis Kucinich is the most recent Democrat to ‘flip’ their vote from ‘no’ to ‘yes.’

5) Public Health Officials in Lake County (northern Illinois) have partnered with local churches to make a final push for H1N1 vaccination. Read Beats Per Minute’s coverage on why it is still important to get vaccinated this late in the flu season.

Beats this week:

1) A new study finds that community health centers fill the gaps in the health care crisis. This study coincides with the President’s 2011 budget plan, which calls for $290 million to expand a network of federally funded health centers.

2) Illinois had the first primary elections in the country on February 2. Read about the results of yesterday’s primary here.

3) “It is my greatest hope that we can get this done not just a year from now but soon. We came extremely close,” said President Obama about health care reform. So the question still exists, is health care reform still possible?

4) With the state of health care reform still unknown, legislators are taking steps at the state level to change health care coverage. In total, 11 states have health care bills aimed at improving coverage.

5) New mental health insurance coverage rules recently unveiled could improve access to critical behavioral health services. The new rules, known as The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, would decrease many barriers to care faced by patients in need of mental health services.

Like many community health center advocates around the country, I waited patiently during last night’s State of the Union speech for President Obama to discuss health care reform. All week I had heard many rumors about what would or would not be said about health care reform during this important speech. It was nearly 30 minutes and 3,000 words before I heard: “health insurance reform.” A sense of relief rushed over me: it was clear that the President was not abandoning his pledge to reform health care.

Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune

Packaging health reform with a slightly different name – health insurance reform – President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to passing health care reform legislation. “Here’s what I ask Congress, though: Don’t walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people. Let’s get it done,” said Obama. The President acknowledged that even as he was speaking, more individuals would go without health insurance and that Congress needed to take action to relieve the American people. (more…)

If Congress passes a health care reform bill 30 million more Americans may end up with a health insurance card in their pocket.  That’s a big step towards covering the total uninsured count, estimated at 46 million.  But what will that mean for community health centers like Erie?  If so many more people have insurance, will the need for safety-net care providers vanish?

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