December 18, 2009

This week the Finish Line Flash shares current indications on the timeline for health reform votes, brings news of performance bonus awards from CMS, points you to a powerful editorial from Tennessee, and refers you to Say Ahhh! for informative posts on where kids would get coverage under the Senate’s health reform bill and the state of coverage across the states.

Federal Update

Senate Timeline—As you know, the U.S. Senate is working to complete its consideration of health reform legislation. By this weekend, we should know whether or not there will be a vote on passage before Christmas. Keep an eye on CCF’s blog, Say Ahhh!, for updates—we plan to post a summary of the expected manager’s amendment as soon as possible after it is available.

CHIPRA Update

Performance Bonuses Announced—This week CMS announced that nine states will receive performance bonuses under CHIPRA for federal fiscal year 2009—Alaska, Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. The bonus amounts range from $789,000 to $39.1 million. The agency also released a State Health Official letter with the details of how it evaluates whether states meet the “5 of 8” qualifications for the bonus and calculates bonus amounts. Finish Liners in Washington put out a press release on the bonus with quotes from Governor Gregoire and key legislators.

Media Materials

Tennessee Paper Challenges Governor on CHIP Cap—This fantastic editorial comes from the editorial board of the Tennessean and zeroes in on Gov. Bredesen’s decision to freeze enrollment in the state’s CHIP program, CoverKids. The editorial questions the governor’s timing and asks if the freeze is really necessary given the needs of children and families in Tennessee. The editorial goes on to highlight the state’s current priorities and makes the case that children’s health should be the top priority for state policymakers. In this piece, the editorial board is sending a strong message that Gov. Bredesen’s priorities are at the expense of the health of Tennessee kids.

Blog Update

Say Ahhh! Has More on New Studies—Last week, the Flash linked you to new reports from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured and the Urban Institute. Check out Say Ahhh! for commentary on the studies from Donna Cohen Ross, author of the KCMU report, and Martha Heberlein, CCF Research Analyst.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you have.

December 11, 2009

The Finish Line Flash this week looks ahead to the release of governors’ budgets, shares two spot-on opinion pieces (one with accompanying editorial cartoon), and links you to three important reports that were released this week from three organizations we are all familiar with—CBPP, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, and First Focus.

Looking Ahead

Budget Season is Starting—As you know, the new year will bring budget sessions for most states. Some governors’ budgets have already been released, others are coming soon. Just a reminder that your Finish Line or Narrative team members are ready to help you in responding when the release happens in your state. CCF can help in analyzing proposals and Spitfire staff is ready to help you draft or edit media releases or other documents—just call or e-mail and we can lend a hand.

Media Materials

Missouri Paper Wants Promise Fulfilled—This editorial from the St. Louis Dispatch does a great job at holding their governor, Gov. Jay Nixon, accountable for his public statements about strengthening children’s coverage in Missouri. Inspired by the work of children’s advocates, the Editorial Board drills down into the roots of uninsured kids in Missouri and dismantles Gov. Nixon’s case for inaction. The article outlines simple strategies that could dramatically reduce the number of uninsured kids in Missouri and turns Gov. Nixon’s own statements on him as part of the overall message that now is the time for action. Be sure to click through to see the editorial cartoonist’s take on the issue.

Wisconsin Op-Ed Gives Thanks for BadgerCare Plus—This op-ed uses a Thanksgiving hook to celebrate BadgerCare Plus as a Wisconsin success story, one that is providing coverage to thousands of kids and now childless adults who not otherwise be insured. The op-ed uses positive messaging to focus on the progress Wisconsin has made and reminds policymakers that there is still work left to be done.

Research Corner

New Kaiser 50-State Survey—Each year, Donna Cohen Ross completes a survey of state Medicaid and CHIP programs on behalf of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. The latest version was released this week. Like the CCF Weathering the Storm report, the survey finds that many states have moved to strengthen coverage despite the recession. It also lists key aspects of each state’s child and family coverage programs.

New State Fiscal Report—The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a report on state fiscal conditions that highlights the potential job losses that could result from state budget cuts. Iris J. Lav, Nicholas Johnson and Elizabeth McNichol found that in the absence of additional federal fiscal relief, up to 900,000 jobs could be lost as a result of state budget cuts in state fiscal year 2011.

Urban Institute Studies Health Reform’s Impact on Children—The Urban Institute recently released an analysis that estimates how the House and Senate health reform bills would affect children currently covered by Medicaid and CHIP. Using 2007 enrollment numbers and eligibility rules, the study estimates how children would be distributed among Medicaid, CHIP, and health insurance exchanges under each bill.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you have.

November 20, 2009

This week in the Finish Line Flash, we fill you in on the latest milestone for health reform and share the highlights from a call with Cindy Mann on CHIPRA implementation. We also tip you off to more findings from our polling efforts and point you toward a useful new tool for tracking coverage rates in your state.

Federal Update

Senate Bill Released—As you’ve no doubt seen in the media, this week the Senate revealed the health reform legislation that will be considered on the floor as well as its CBO score. We are hard at work analyzing the bill and will release a side-by-side comparison with the House legislation as soon as possible. In the meantime, check out Dawn Horner’s post on Say Ahhh! for some initial thoughts on the bill’s Medicaid and CHIP provisions.

CHIPRA

Cindy Mann Leads Discussion of Upcoming Guidance—On Wednesday, Cindy Mann spoke to advocates to share updates on the CMS effort to provide guidance as states work to implement CHIPRA. She mentioned that guidance is coming soon on citizenship documentation, the performance bonus, and coverage of recent immigrant children and pregnant women. Also moving through the pipeline are statements on premium assistance, premium grace periods, express lane eligibility, and FQHC payments. Again, Say Ahhh! is the place to go to find more news from the call. Joe Touschner posted a collection of clarifying points Cindy was able to offer during the call.

Poll Results

More Opinion Research Coming—You’ve likely received more than one e-mail this week regarding CCF’s recent polling on voters’ thoughts on the affordability of health coverage. While the affordability section is one we choose to share widely, that’s not the only topic our research investigated. We also sought feedback on effective messages for supporting kids coverage that we think will be helpful in your work. We’re working on interpreting and communicating the results and should have materials soon to share with Finish Line and Narrative grantees. Look for a call on the topic next month.

Data Tool

SHADAC Unveils New Web Tool—The State Health Access Data Assistance Center at the University of Minnesota recently launched a new web tool. It allows users to easily generate tables and charts to show health coverage estimates at the state level. The data come from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and include a number of options such as age, poverty level, health status, and others.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you have.

November 13, 2009

The Finish Line Flash this week brings you CCF’s just-released fact sheet on kids and health reform, gives you a heads up on poll results we’ll be releasing next week, and shares an idea for spreading the energy coming out of the National Children’s Health Insurance Summit.

Federal Update

Where Things Stand for Kids—Today, CCF released a fact sheet that explains the impact of health reform on children’s coverage in a succinct four page summary. The fact sheet examines the provisions of two proposals—the bill approved by the House on November 7 and the one released by the Senate Finance Committee on October 19. Children in Health Reform: Where Things Stand can be a great resource for updating all those in your state who are following the health reform debate.

Media Opportunity

CCF to Release Poll on the Importance of Affordability to Voters—Next week, CCF plans to release the results of a new poll on voters’ priorities with regard to health reform, specifically on the issue of affordability. The results offer greater insight as policymakers consider health reform. They are also a great opportunity to generate media attention for children’s coverage as the reform debate continues. Your Finish Line or Narrative team members at CCF and Spitfire can help you make the most of this opportunity—look for a separate e-mail with more info and please contact Ed, Hollis, or Joe for help with a media release or other ways to share the results in your state.

Partnership Building Opportunity

Illinois Advocates Spread the Energy of the Chicago Summit—Our friends in Illinois at the Sargent Shriver Center on Poverty Law shared a great idea they had coming out of last week’s National Children’s Health Insurance Summit that was held in Chicago. Feeling energized and inspired by the lectures, workshops and people they met at the Summit, Andrea and Carrie at the Shriver Center immediately thought of their partners in the Healthy Kids and Families Network in Illinois.  Since the Shriver Center is currently participating in an enrollment drive involving the Network partners, they decided to draft an e-alert telling the partners about the summit. Using a simple email to “pass on the energy,” the Shriver advocates turned their experience into an opportunity to rally the troops in support of the enrollment drive.  We encourage advocates in other states to consider sharing what they learned at the Summit with their community partners and networks. Click the link above to find the e-mail message on the Finish Line website. You can also check out Tricia Brook’s thoughts on the Summit in her recent blog post.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you have.

October 30, 2009

This week’s Finish Line Flash helps keep you up-to-date on health reform with links to CCF’s latest blog post on the newly released House bill and two useful briefs on Medicaid and state finances. It also shares a wonderful op-ed that recognizes Alabama’s kids’ coverage expansion and reminds you of Wisconsin’s advance on covering immigrant children.

Federal Update

House Bill Released—On Thursday, Speaker Pelosi released the health reform bill that will be considered by the House in the next few weeks. On Say Ahhh!, Dawn Horner highlighted several of the key elements for kids and family coverage, including increasing the Medicaid threshold to 150% of FPL and extending the FMAP increase for six more months. You can also check out the House Energy and Commerce Committee website for summaries of the bill as well as a list of major changes from the introduced version.

State Budgets

Kaiser Publishes Briefs on Medicaid and State Budgets—The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured each released a brief with a focus on Medicaid financing and state budgets. KCMU examines the impact on states of the end of the increased FMAP under ARRA. KFF discusses the potential effects of health reform, especially Medicaid changes, on state budgets. Both provide good examples of the issues to consider and how to talk about them and may be useful for policymakers or to inform your own publications.

Media Materials

Alabama Legislator Hails All Kids Expansion—This fantastic op-ed from a state senator in Alabama talks about the state’s recent expansion of eligibility up to 300% FPL and what that means for Alabama’s working families. State Sen. Little congratulates Alabama on its leadership in children’s coverage and stresses the importance of “setting priorities and the funding of priorities” during tough economic times, an important message to Alabama’s legislators and taxpayers. State Sen. Little makes it clear that All Kids is, and should be, Alabama’s priority.

State Update

Wisconsin Adopts Option to Cover Legal Immigrant Children and Pregnant Women—As Jon Peacock updated us in a message to the Finish Line list, Wisconsin recently implemented the CHIPRA option to cover lawfully residing immigrant children and pregnant women who have been in the United States less than five years. Jon pointed out a number of publications associated with this development that may be useful to other states, including a discussion of which groups of immigrants are eligible and an explanation of why the CHIPRA option represents an improvement over the existing unborn fetus option.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you have.

October 16, 2009

This week’s Finish Line Flash alerts you to a call for materials for the CMS Outreach and Enrollment Conference, provides two media samples, and links you to a state-by-state comparison of children’s medical home initiatives.

Call for Materials

CMS Requests Materials for Outreach and Enrollment Conference—As many of you know, CMS will host the National Children’s Health Insurance Summit on November 4-6. The agency has requested any research, information, reports and other materials that conference participants should know about. Finish Liners and Narrative grantees have produced a multitude of useful documents and we want to encourage you to submit them for the Summit.  For instance, Colorado’s Maze report or the outreach radio and print ads that many of you have done could be quite valuable for other states. To share something that you have produced, send a link or attachment to Marni Rosen at Marni.rosen@ketchum.com by Friday, October 23^rd. Click here to find the full request.

Media Materials

Wisconsin Paper Finds Lessons for Health Reform in BadgerCare Plus— This editorial from the Green Bay Gazette lauds Wisconsin for leading the way on public coverage and explores the lessons learned from the different expansions of BadgerCare Plus. The editorial shows that public coverage, even with its hiccups, can be a feasible option for many low-income families. The paper challenges policymakers to delve further into the economics of the plan but is supportive overall of the need for a public plan in Wisconsin.

Former Montana Congressman Hails CHIP Expansion— This editorial from a former U.S. Representative from Montana congratulates the state on finally moving forward to cover and enroll more uninsured kids in Montana. He calls SCHIP “tailor-made for our Rocky Mountain values” because of its federal-state partnership and stresses the importance of health insurance for Montana’s children.

Medical Homes

State Data Available—The Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics, have compiled a multitude of data on states’ performance on medical home for children. The Data Resource Center allows you to quickly access data on how children and youth in each state experience receiving care within a medical home. You can see your state’s medical home performance profile for all children or children with special health care needs as well as compare across states.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you have.

October 9, 2009

The Finish Line Flash this week brings a variety of useful items.  It shares two effective media samples, links you to CCF’s perspective on this week’s CMS guidance on dental coverage for kids, and reminds you of two upcoming CMS meetings. We also point you toward a state health scorecard from the Commonwealth Fund and a new study on everyone’s favorite topic—crowd-out.

Media Materials

NJ Governor Touts Simplification, Enrollment Gains– The old maxim in the PR biz is that nobody writes a “process story” – and little wonder, as they’re often complex and rarely sexy. But this Newark Star Ledger article about New Jersey’s FamilyCare outreach efforts is different because Gov. Corzine was able to connect the process to people – 12,000 new enrollments, according to the article. This is an important reminder that encouraging a champion policymaker to celebrate a simplification reform isn’t just good for them – it can amplify the message that cutting the red tape is a dependable way to get more uninsured kids covered and keep them covered.

Ohio Finish Liners Champion Progress for Kids in Op-Ed—This op-ed comes from Amy Swanson and the Ohio Finish Line team. This piece is a great example of how to hold up your state’s success as a model for covering kids while at the same time acknowledging that lots of work is left to be done. Amy and the Ohio team not only emphasize the positive progress Ohio has made but also include specific ways in which state and federal policymakers can ensure that all children benefit from health reform.

CHIPRA Updates

National Children’s Health Insurance Summit—CMS will hold a Summit on improving enrollment and retention on November 4-6 in Chicago. While associated with the CHIPRA Outreach and Enrollment grant project, the Summit is open to all, not only grantees. But space is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so register as soon as possible if you would like to attend. On the Summit website, you can register online and find the draft agendafor the meeting.

New Guidance on Dental Coverage—This week CMS released a State Health Official letter with guidance on CHIPRA’s requirement to provide dental coverage to CHIP enrollees and option to provide a dental wrap to privately-insured children. Tricia Brooks blogged about the new guidance on Say Ahhh! In addition, you can find the new guidance and those previously released on CCF’s CHIP webpage.

Dental Education Session—CHIPRA also requires that CMS educate parents of newborns about the risks and the opportunities to prevent cavities with a dental visit during the first year of an infant’s life. The agency will hold a listening session to collect stakeholders’ thoughts about messaging to this targeted population and what they can do collaboratively to encourage mothers of newborns to follow this guidance. The session will be held Friday, October 23 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm Eastern. For more information or to RSVP (by October 16), please contact Barb Cebuhar at 202-260-1020 or Barbara.Cebuhar@cms.hhs.gov.

Research Corner

State Health Scorecards—The Commonwealth Fund has released the 2009 edition of its State Health Scorecards. The new report ranks states on 38 indicators in the areas of access, prevention/treatment quality, avoidable hospital use and costs, healthy lives, and equity.

New Study on the Impact of CHIP and Crowd-out—Dealing with concerns over crowd-out is a frequent challenge as advocates work to expand access to health coverage. We want to share with you the latest research on the topic. Lisa Dubay and Genevieve Kenney recently published a study in the journal Health Services Research that examined the impact of CHIP on private coverage, public coverage, and uninsurance using data from 1997, 1999, and 2002. They found that by 2002, the enactment of CHIP led to a reduction of between 38 and 69 percent in the uninsured rate among targeted children and a reduction of employer-sponsored insurance of 10 percent. The share of CHIP enrollment attributable to crowd-out ranged from 33 to 44 percent.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you have.

October 2, 2009

This week’s Finish Line Flash passes along the latest news on the Senate Finance Committee’s deliberations, word of the CHIPRA Outreach and Enrollment grant awards, and a new study that evaluates several state CHIP plans on their actuarial value.

Federal Updates

Modified Rockefeller Amendment Adopted—Before it finished with amendments in the early morning hours today, the Senate Finance Committee adopted a modified version of Senator Rockefeller’s amendment to maintain CHIP. The adopted version would keep CHIP as it is currently configured and require that states maintain eligibility in Medicaid and CHIP from the date of enactment of the bill through the end of 2019. Beginning in 2014, states would receive an increase of 23 percentage points in their CHIP match rate and there would also be an increase of 0.15 percentage points in the Medicaid match rate. The amendment is expected to reduce the overall cost of the bill by $15-25 billion over ten years relative to the Chairman’s mark, largely because it removes the extended benefits of the EPSDT wrap that the mark had proposed for children eligible for CHIP. With amendments completed, the Committee is expected to vote on the bill by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. Read more in a statement from Joan Alker and on Say Ahhh!

Study Calculates CHIP Plans’ Actuarial Values—Talk of health plans under health reform has been dominated by the concept of actuarial value, a measure of how much of an average population’s health costs are covered by a plan. But it doesn’t tell you what plans cover so it can be hard to compare to existing plans. First Focus this week released a study it commissioned to calculate the actuarial value of 17 state CHIP plans. It found that for families at 175% and 225% of FPL, the selected CHIP plans had actuarial values of between 98% and 100%.

CHIPRA News

Outreach and Enrollment Grants Announced—CMS announced this week that $40 million in grants under CHIPRA would go to 69 organizations in 41 states and DC. The grants will support outreach to eligible kids and activities to enhance their enrollment in coverage. If organizations in your state are among them, the grant announcement can be a great opportunity to highlight kids coverage issues. Your Finish Line or Narrative assistance team would be happy to help you produce a media statement recognizing the new support that outreach and enrollment efforts will get from the grant program.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you have.

September 25, 2009

A quick Finish Line Flash this week sends you two effective media samples, points you toward the CCF blog and new data from Kaiser on employer coverage, and reminds you of the call next week on using tax forms in outreach efforts.

Media Materials

Michigan Paper Wants Kids Covered—This editorial from the Kalamazoo Gazette is in response to an article in another Michigan paper about the state’s inability to take additional federal money for children’s health insurance. The editorial boldly chastises Michigan policymakers for missing an opportunity to cover more Michigan kids while making the case that MIChild is a cost-effective program for families and for the state budget. By holding policymakers’ feet to the fire, the Kalamazoo Gazette is a strong voice for Michigan’s kids.

California Parents, Lawmakers Celebrate Solution for Health Families—This article from California aims the spotlight on some of the thousands of parents and families who will benefit from the California legislature’s recent decision to preserve funding for Healthy Families. Using powerful quotations from parents to illustrate how important Healthy Families insurance is to them and their children, this article celebrates a victory for working families on California.

Recent Blog Post

Health Reform Update—For a great run-down of the key issues for kids and families in the Senate Finance Committee’s markup as of Wednesday, check out Jocelyn Guyer’s latest post on Say Ahhh!, CCF’s blog.

Research Corner

New Kaiser Survey on Employer Coverage—The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) recently released their annual survey on employer-sponsored health insurance. It found that health insurance premiums continued to rise faster than workers’ wages. The average premium reached $13,375 in 2009. The survey also includes data on employee and employer contributions, cost-sharing provisions, and the percentage of employers that have cut benefits or increased costs. A great resource for up-to-date information.

Reminder

Tuesday Call on Using Tax Forms in Outreach—You are invited to join a call on Tuesday, September 29 from 3:00 to 4:15 pm Eastern on using tax forms as a tool to identify uninsured children. The call is for Finish Line, Narrative, and CHIPRA Implementation grantees and will feature state officials from New Jersey and Maryland as well as Narrative grantee Mary Coogan from NJ. To join the call, please e-mail Carolyn Jones at jones@cbpp.org for the call-in info.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you have.

September 18, 2009

This week the Finish Line Flash provides you with hot-off-the-press messages on affordability in health reform, announces the re-start of all-Finish Line calls, showcases media mentions of the Weathering the Storm report and the Narrative Applied based on it, highlights new polling results from First Focus, and flags a useful report on Express Lane Eligibility from the Children’s Partnership.

New Messages

Supporting Affordability under Health Reform—In light of the most recent health reform proposals, affordability for families has emerged as a key issue, along with wrap-around coverage and co-ops. Spitfire and CCF have worked to quickly develop a set of messages to keep the focus on what children and families need and stress that affordability will determine whether reform is effective for families. Our core message remains the same: Children need quality care so they can grow and thrive, at a cost their parents can afford to pay, through a straightforward, simple system that parents can navigate.

Let’s Talk

All-Finish Line Calls to Resume—We had suspended all-Finish Line calls during the busy state legislative sessions. We heard from you at the July conference that it would be useful to resume them, as long as there is a clear topic to discuss. We’re ready to launch them again and, just like the conference, we plan to invite participants in the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities CHIPRA Implementation grant program. Please mark your calendars: the next call will take place on Tuesday, September 29, from 3 till 4:15 pm and will focus on using tax forms to reach uninsured children. More details to follow in a separate e-mail. As always, Narrative grantees are welcome.

Report Follow-up

Media and Policymaker Uses for Weathering the Storm —Several Finish Liners, Narrative grantees, and other state advocates reached out to media contacts in their states regarding the release of CCF’s Weathering the Storm report. For example, advocates in Arkansas earned print and TV coverage. Meanwhile, the next Narrative Applied will focus on using the report to reach state lawmakers. (Finish Liners, remember you can access the Narrative site with the username childhealth and the passwork finishline).

New Polling Data

First Focus Finds Strong Support for Kids Coverage—In a new poll conducted on behalf of First Focus in July, respondents expressed strong support for covering kids in health reform, even if it raises their taxes. It showed that by a margin of 87%-11%, nearly 8-to-1, Americans favor ensuring all children have health care coverage, including by a 68%-28% margin even if it increases their taxes. Full results are available at the link.

Learning Opportunity

Promising Express Lane Practices—The Children’s Partnership has published a great new resource on Express Lane Eligibility efforts. Analysts examined existing cross-program enrollment activities and drew important lessons for states as they look ahead to implementing the Express Lane provisions of CHIPRA.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you have.

September 11, 2009

The Finish Line Flash this week serves as a roundup and reminder of news and resources we’d like to be sure you’re aware of.
Vital Update

Liz Arjun and Son are Happy and Healthy—Liz gave birth to John Arjun Draper on Saturday, September 5. John weighed in at 6.7 lbs at birth and sported a full head of black hair. Mom and baby are doing great. Congratulations, Liz!

Media Materials

F/Lers Win Coverage with Census Data—Several Finish Liners earned media coverage with effective messaging around Thursday’s release of health insurance data from the Current Population Survey. Anne Dunkelberg in Texas and Elizabeth Burke Bryant in Rhode Island were among the Finish Liners providing context to the numbers and making the case to finish the job by covering all uninsured kids.

Build Your Own Press Release around Weathering the Storm—In a separate e-mail, you will receive a copy of Weathering the Storm: States Moving Forward Despite Tough Economic Climate in addition to supporting media materials. This annual update to the previous States Moving Forwardreport will be released on Tuesday, September 15 and shows that a strong majority of states have responded to the passage of CHIPRA and other federal support to maintain a lifeline to children during the recession. We want to give you the tools to use the report to help build support for the Finish Line agenda in your state. You can issue a media release to highlight the report, distribute it to legislators and staff, or use it in a briefing. Your CCF-Spitfire Finish Line team is eager to help with these activities. Ed (202-302-7554), Hollis (202-293-6200 ext. 232), Joe (202-687-0331), and Tricia (603-228-9678) can help you make the most of this new report.

Learning Opportunity

CCFers to Co-host CHIPRA Choices Webinar—The Commonwealth Fund recently released a paper, co-authored by Jocelyn Guyer and Joe Touschner, that provides recommendations to HHS officials as they are implementing CHIPRA. It focuses on the quality reporting and outreach and enrollment provisions of the law. The authors, also including Lisa Simpson and Gerry Fairbrother of the Child Policy Research Center, will present a webinar and respond to questions on Tuesday, September 15, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm Eastern. You can register for the webinar through the Commonwealth Fund. 

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you have.

September 4, 2009

The Finish Line Flash brings some very positive news from the past week and a look ahead to the coming week:  California this week approved funds to fill the Healthy Families shortfall and the federal government awarded major grants to several states to support expanded coverage. Next week will see President Obama’s major speech on health reform as well as the release of new Census data on insurance coverage, followed by the release of CCF’s newest States Moving Forward report. For info on how CCF and Spitfire can help you respond to these coming events, read on.

State Updates

California Protects Kids’ Coverage—After making massive cuts to Healthy Families that halted new enrollment and threatened to disenroll hundreds of thousands of children, California officials have used a variety of revenue streams to fill in the shortfall in the state’s CHIP program. Families will pay more in premiums and co-pays, the First 5 California Commission will redirect over $80 million in tobacco tax funds, and the legislature this week approved a partial extension of a tax on Medicaid insurers which will fund the remaining gap. California has stepped back from the brink of what would have been a devastating cut for more than an half million kids; hats off to the California Finish Liners and all who worked to restore kids’ health as a vital priority!

Several States to Improve Coverage with SHAP Grants—The Health Resources and Services Administration of HHS has awarded State Health Access Program (SHAP) grants to 13 states, including seven Finish Line or Narrative states (CO, KS, NC, OR, TX, WA, WI). These multi-million dollar grants can be used to help cover the uninsured in a variety of ways. For instance, Kansas plans to use the funds to acquire a new, automated eligibility system, develop an on-line application system, and hire workers to help applicants at safety net clinics. Colorado will develop Express Lane connections with several state databases, develop an online application, and fund an outreach initiative.

Media Opportunities Abound

Presidential Speech—President Obama will address a joint session of Congress about health reform legislation on Wednesday, September 9th. Your Finish Line or Narrative team will share talking points with you to maximize on elements of Obama’s speech that impact children’s coverage and can assist with any media outreach efforts you plan to conduct.

Benefits Report—Also on Wednesday, September 9th, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured will release a new report focusing on what children need from health reform. The report analyzes the health care profiles of two children — one relatively healthy and one with special needs — and how their needs are met through public and private benefits packages. The paper’s findings underscore that children need a developmentally-appropriate benefits package AND strong cost-sharing protections to ensure that they get the care necessary for them to grow and thrive. The findings can be used to support your efforts to show how health reform should work for children. The report will be posted on the CCF Web site on Wednesday morning.

Census Data Release—On Thursday, September 10 the Census Bureau will release the Current Population Survey which provides, among other data, annual information on the number of uninsured persons at the state level. We anticipate that while private coverage decreased, the number of children with coverage increased due to the success of public programs. We will share talking points and numbers with Finish Liners and Narrative grantees as soon as the report is officially released and we can analyze the data! In the meantime, if your group is a member of CBPP’s State Fiscal Analysis Initiative, there are some great template press releases and other materials available from the SFAI website. If you’re not a member, check with the group in your state that is.

New Edition of States Moving Forward—During the week of September 14th, CCF will release “Weathering the Storm: States Moving Forward Despite Tough Economic Climate.” This annual update to the previous “States Moving Forward” report will show that a strong majority of states have responded to the passage of CHIPRA and other federal support to maintain a lifeline to children during the recession. It will point out that nearly half of the states took steps to continue moving forward by expanding eligibility for their Medicaid or CHIP programs or making it easier for eligible children to enroll and stay enrolled.  Please let your Finish Line or Narrative team know if you are thinking of conducting media outreach to highlight the report to support your efforts to strengthen children’s coverage in your state—we want to work together to maximize the effectiveness of the report for you.

New Guidance from CMS

SHO Letters Provide CHIPRA Guidance—CMS released three State Health Official letters this week explaining provisions of CHIPRA. The newest is a question-and-answer document on covering pregnant women. An earlier alert noted the separate letters on applying managed care regulations to CHIP and newborn eligibility and documentation requirements. The CCF website collects all of the letters and other CHIPRA resources.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you might have.

August 28, 2009

The Finish Line Flash this week points you toward a great resource on health reform, highlights two recent posts from Say Ahhh!, and brings you two great media samples from states outside the Finish Line and Narrative projects.

Explaining Health Reform
Kaiser Covers the Basics—The Kaiser Family Foundation has produced a series of briefs that explain the basics of health reform. The briefs start as simple as ‘What is Health Insurance?’ and move on to cover more complex topics such as exchanges, subsidies, and the financing of health care. These materials can be a great source of accessible information for anyone who comes to you with questions on health reform.

Valuable Reads from Say Ahhh!Joan Alker Reflects on Senator Kennedy—The CCF co-Executive Director shares her thoughts on the passing of Senator Kennedy.Cathy Hope Explains Actuarial Value—In a much-needed post, CCF’s Communications Director provides a quick primer on actuarial value, a key concept in health reform. The idea is at the heart of how the health reform bills evaluate the different plans that would be available under reform. The post explains the concept and compares the proposals to existing employer-sponsored coverage.

Media Materials

Oklahoma Physician Connects CHIP and Health Reform—This opinion piece from Oklahoma includes the national health care reform messaging that was shared with states at the Finish Line Conference in July. A direct appeal to local legislators, Dr. Boyd praises SoonerCare (OK’s CHIP program) and calls upon policymakers to remember kids in the health care reform debate. Lastly, it lets policymakers know that advocates and the community are looking to them, the leaders, to lead the way on doing what’s best for kids.

Florida Op-Ed Calls for Kids to be a Priority in Health Reform—This opinion piece from the vice president of the Nemours Children’s Clinic in Jacksonville, FL is a strong call by a hospital administrator for a health reform bill that’s good for kids. Emphasizing prevention and strong benefits, the op-ed advocates a community approach to combating health issues like childhood obesity. Lastly, the author is a combination of a medical professional and a business leader, an interesting perspective to bring to the debate.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you might have.

August 21, 2009

This week’s Finish Line Flash contemplates the future of Medicaid and CHIP, highlights a unique health reform advocacy activity in Arkansas, provides a couple of great media items, and reminds you that many others are available on the Narrative Project website.

Looking Ahead

The Future for Medicaid and CHIP—Whatever the outcome of health reform, states will soon need to react to federal changes that will impact their kids coverage programs. The increased Medicaid FMAP from the Recovery Act will expire at the end of 2010, which may seem far away but is in the middle of the next fiscal year for most states. Not only will the funds expire, but so will states’ obligation to maintain Medicaid eligibility standards, methodologies, and procedures. And there is currently no maintenance of effort requirement for CHIP. How will your state’s policymakers respond?

One strong influence on their choices, of course, will be any new maintenance of effort provisions that are enacted as part of health reform. The latest version of the House heath reform bill would require states to maintain eligibility levels in Medicaid indefinitely and in CHIP through the end of 2012. As events in California remind us, states can struggle with their commitment to kids coverage in tough times, so it is important that protections like the MOE provisions that were included in the Recovery Act are a part of health reform.

Grassroots Voices on Health Reform

Arkansas Campaign Says ‘No More Band-Aids’—To put the voices of ordinary people into the health reform debate, a coalition in Arkansas (of which the Finish Liners are a part) has created the No More Band-Aids campaign. It collects stories from anyone who would be impacted by health reform and aims to share them with the media and decision makers. Each letter or note includes a band-aid to drive home the idea that health reform solutions must be more than just another band-aid.

Media Materials

Model Op-Ed from Spitfire: Back-To-School—This sample op-ed can be used to support advocates’ back-to-school outreach. The op-ed encourages communities to reach out to eligible but uninsured kids through school-based outreach and stresses the importance of keeping kids healthy and in the classroom.

Oregon Editorial Recognizes Value of Expansion—This editorial celebrates the new expansion in Oregon that will cover 80,000 additional kids. The editorial, part of a series done by the Oregonian, focuses on a teenage boy who will immediately benefit from the new law. By framing the editorial around Keith’s story, the Oregonian makes a simple and powerful case for health care coverage that helps all Oregon kids grow and thrive.

Don’t Forget

Narrative Project Website Available—As Narrative grantees know, the Narrative Project website contains the full set of Narrative messages as well as great sample materials from each of the Narrative states, like the two items mentioned above. Finish Liners, too, can access all the resources on the site (See the link to the right) and now can do so with the same username and password that are used for the Finish Line site. Use ‘childhealth’ and ‘finishline’ and you’ll have access to all the site’s goodies—be sure to select the states in the upper left to find the materials from each one.

As always, please feel free to contact any of us—or any of your fellow grantees using the listserve—with any questions you might have.

August 14, 2009

The Finish Line Flash this week updates you on developments from Ohio and California, shares a useful analysis of what health reformers can learn from CHIP, and links to new resources from on health reform from Voices for America’s Children.

State Updates

Ohio Court Blocks Kids Coverage Expansion—Ohio’s expansion of Medicaid for kids to 300% of FPL has faced a number of obstacles, from the August 17 Directive to declining state revenues.  This week, another roadblock was encountered when a judge rejected the state’s plan to use tobacco settlement funds to pay for the expansion and a number of other state programs.  But Ohio’s Finish Liners have helped overcome each of the obstacles in the past, so we know they will continue to do everything possible to make the expansion a reality for the state’s children.

California Finds New Funds for CHIP; Shortfall Remains—California’s First Five Commission has pledged $81.4 million to support Healthy Families, the state’s CHIP program.  Meanwhile, lawmakers are going to court to challenge $50 million in cuts to the program Governor Schwarzenegger imposed by line item veto.  Nonetheless, a substantial portion of the program’s $194 million shortfall remains and children may be disenrolled as soon as October 1.  California Finish Liners are hard a work to ensure that disenrollments and waiting lists are implemented in the most child-friendly way possible.

Health Reform Resources

NASHP Spells Out CHIP’s Lessons for Health Reform—The National Academy for State Health Policy worked with CHIP directors to identify how national health care reform can build on the success and experience of CHIP.  The paper includes some great messaging for talking about CHIP as a successful public program that should be a model for kids coverage under health reform.

Voices Updates Health Reform Materials—Voices for America’s Children recently released a new set of resources on health reform.  You can find talking points and Q & As with a focus on town hall meetings as well as a package of advocacy materials with info on subsidies, home visits, financing, and the latest Congressional activity.

July 31, 2009

This week in the Finish Line Flash we bring you the latest news from California and Capitol Hill, some good media pieces, and a few reminders and requests.

State Updates

California Makes Massive Cut to Kids’ Coverage—As part of a deal to address the state’s $26 billion budget deficit, California lawmakers voted to make $144 million in cuts to the state funding of Healthy Families, California’s CHIP program.  Governor Schwarzenegger added an additional $50 million in cuts using his line item veto authority.  Combined with foregone federal matching funds, this will result in a $554 million cut to Healthy Families.  Hundreds of thousands of California children will be denied coverage due to these cuts unless other funding is identified.  New enrollment in the program was frozen on July 17 and state officials predict they will need to begin disenrolling children at renewal in the coming months.  On the web, find comments on the cuts from the 100% Campaign and from CCF Co-Director Jocelyn Guyer.

Federal Update

Momentum on health reform in Congress has been filled with fits and starts over the last week with some progress in the House over the last two days.

House
Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee restarted its mark-up of the House Tri-Committee Bill.  The final product should emerge this evening, and it is expected to include a compromise that Chairman Waxman reached with key Blue Dogs on the committee to secure their vote for moving the bill out of committee.

While work still continues, below is information about amendments already acted upon related to child health issues:
•    Congresswoman DeGette’s amendment that would ensure that children enrolled in CHIP in 2013 would not be moved to the new Exchange unless coverage in the new system is at least comparable still is expected to be accepted by the Committee.
•    Congressman Rush withdrew his proposed amendments related to benefits, cost-sharing and reducing red-tape for children after he and Chairman Waxman agreed, via a formal colloquy, to work together to ensure that children secure benefits and cost-sharing at least comparable to what they have now, and that efforts are made to eliminate red-tape barriers to coverage.

After the mark up concludes, the Energy and Commerce committee will join their colleagues who have left already for August recess.  A vote on the House floor is expected after the recess.

If you’d like the latest details on the outcome of today’s mark up after it concludes, look for Dawn Horner’s write up on Say Ahhh! later tonight.

Senate
An agreement continues to elude the Senate Finance Committee where Chairman Baucus has sought a bi-partisan deal with Ranking Member Grassley and other Republicans on the committee. It was reported last night that they will not release an agreement before the August recess, which in the Senate begins next Friday.

Media Materials

Seattle Times Asks About Kids in Health Reform—A recent column asked some good questions about what could happen to CHIP under reform and stated that going backwards on children’s health coverage shouldn’t be an option under reform. It is important that these issues are being raised by the media and policymakers and we remain hopeful about amendments being considered to help ensure that children don’t take a step backwards as a result of reform.  The New York Times also mentioned in the future of CHIP in a recent article in which Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WVa) expressed his displeasure at its dissolution.

Given the tenuous state of health reform, though, it is important to continue to reinforce positive messages about the need for health reform.  If health reform doesn’t pass, the gains we’ve made for children may well start eroding along with the rest of the health care system.  And, we’ll continue to see children in low-income families shaken by the financial instability and problems created when their parents lack coverage.

A good example of this kind of messaging can be seen in a recent article from the Huffington Post by Governors Doyle (D-WI) and Patrick (D-MA), both of whom are Governors in states that have invested significantly in expanding coverage through Medicaid and CHIP.

In addition to this article, we’re also planning to send along updated messaging next week.  In the meantime, please refer to the Q & As and suggested quotes we shared last week.  We realize this messaging can be a tough needle to thread (and it doesn’t help that we’re trying to on a moving train with lots of curves in the track) but it is critically important so as to not provide fodder for opponents of meaningful reform.

Iowa Governor Wants to Keep Moving Forward—This story from the Des Moines Register dovetails perfectly with our recent discussion at the Finish Line Conference about “maintaining the gains.” Gov. Chet Culver (D) held an event at a children’s hospital that celebrated the progress Iowa has made in covering uninsured kids, and he makes strong statements about the need for state budgets to reflect state value and priorities. This piece also includes a compelling family story.

Reminder

Evaluation Input Sought—At the conference earlier this month, researchers at Mathematica, the Urban Institute, and the Center for Studying Health System Change presented a preliminary report based on their visits to 6 of the Finish Line states.  The evaluation team would appreciate any comments or suggestions on the report.  You can find it on the 2009 Conference Information page on the Finish Line website—scroll down to Day 2.  The team also welcomes any suggestions for discrete issues they might study in conjunction with the evaluation.  You can direct feedback to Chris Trenholm at ctrenholm@mathematica-mpr.com.

Let’s Talk

Nominate Topics for Finish Line Calls—In another conference session, several of you expressed support for holding all-Finish Line calls, as long as they have a defined, relevant topic to guide discussion.  Now is your change to choose those topics—please send along any suggestions for topics you’d like to discuss with fellow Finish Liners to Liz Arjun at eaa37@georgetown.edu.

Kids-Focused Health Reform Call Monday—To hear more about what is happening with health care reform, please be sure to join the “Children and Health Reform” call CCF is participating in that is being hosted by Voices for America’s Children, Children’s Defense Fund and First Focus on Monday, August 3 at 4 PM Eastern—below is the information to join the call:
Dial 1.866.519.2800, pass code 844827

As always, please feel free to contact any of us with any questions you might have.

July 17, 2009

This week’s Finish Line Flash follows up on the Getting to the Finish Line Conference.  We had a lot of great discussion on health reform this week and we want to fill you in on the latest activity.  We also want to alert you to the Conference page on the Finish Line website.

Federal Update

This week has been a reminder of both the promise and peril of health reform—we have seen real progress but also real signs that the whole initiative could falter.  Health reform legislation passed two committees in the House—Ways and Means and Education and Labor, but there remains serious doubt about whether it has the necessary level of support in the key Energy and Commerce Committee.  The committee has begun mark up and is expected to continue on its work early next week.  Other issues are dominating the headlines, but there has been significant activity on kids’ issues behind the scenes.  A number of adopted or expected amendments are of particular interest:

-In the Education and Labor Committee, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), with support from Democrats and two Republicans, added an amendment to guarantee EPSDT benefits to all children covered in the Exchange.

-In Energy and Commerce, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) is expected to introduce one or more amendments to: require all states to simplify the Medicaid enrollment process; strengthen benefits for kids, and expand affordable coverage for children through public programs.

-Also in Energy and Commerce, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) is expected to offer an amendment to help assure that CHIP children will not be moved into Exchange plans until it is clear that the coverage they get will be comparable.

Despite all of this activity in the House, progress has slowed in the Senate Finance Committee as the search for a bi-partisan bill continues.  The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has approved reform legislation, but nonetheless, there is increasing talk of missing the August deadline for a floor vote.

Website Update

Conference Materials Available—On the Finish Line website, you can now find presentations and handouts from the 2009 Getting to the Finish Line Conference, as well as the conference evaluation—if you haven’t filled one out yet, we welcome your comments. See the link to the right.  Also be sure to check out the blog post about the conference on Say Ahhh!

June 23, 2009

This week in the Finish Line Flash, more details on the big victory for kids coverage in Oregon, new resources on quality and medical homes, some great examples of bringing coverage stories to the local level, and a quick reminder.

State Update

Oregon to Cover 80,000 More Kids, 35,000 More Adults—Earlier this month, we brought you news of a legislative agreement for significant health reform in Oregon, the state with the second highest unemployment rate in the country.  Since then, the legislature has given its final approval to two bills that will expand Oregon’s CHIP program to 200% FPL and institute 12 month continuous coverage.  The state will also establish a premium assistance program for families between 200% and 300% FPL; families above 300% FPL would be able to buy-in to the program at full cost.  Children First for Oregon Communications and Policy Director Cathy Kaufman blogged about the achievement on Say Ahhh!  Congrats to Oregon’s hard-working advocates!

CHIPRA Update

AHRQ Establishes Children’s Health Care Quality Website—One aspect of CHIPRA that has perhaps received less attention than others from the Finish Line and Narrative community is the bill’s quality provisions.  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is taking the lead on implementing these provisions, including developing a core set of quality measures and issuing demonstration grants.  The agency has created a website to share information on these activities, a good first stop to learn more.

Media Materials

Ohio Family Shares Importance of Comprehensive Coverage—This piece is a heartbreaking example of why the seesaw many families endure between being covered and not doesn’t make sense for kids and their health. Leo Johnson’s story shows clearly why barriers to coverage need to be taken away and why it is important to strengthen Medicaid (and CHIP) so that kids and their families do not have to go through what Leo and his family did. This story is an excellent example of storytelling and the impact that one family can have on the conversation around health insurance and kids.

Iowa Community Recognizes Coverage Expansion—The Finish Line team in Iowa celebrated a huge victory for uninsured Iowa kids this year, and this article shows a unique way one community in Iowa is recognizing the importance of the legislation for Iowa kids. Local and state policymakers met in Ottumwa to celebrate the expansion of coverage and to talk about how all kids deserve quality, affordable care that they and their families can depend on. This is a great example of policymakers taking an issue out of the statehouse and into their communities and having a stake in its success.

Learning Opportunities

NASHP Releases Reports on Medical Home, Care Quality—The National Academy for State Health Policy has produced new reports that focus on state efforts to implement medical homes in Medicaid and CHIP and to improve health care quality.  Both reports examine the practices of leading states and suggest strategies to make progress.

Reminder

The Finish Line Conference is Fast Approaching—Thank you to those who have returned the materials requested in last week’s Flash.  If you haven’t already, please check our summary for your state, update the CHIPRA checklist, and send us a slide for the opening session by July 1.

June 16, 2003

This week, we’re asking for your help as we plan the Finish Line Conference, to be held July 13-15 in Washington, DC.

The Finish Line team at CCF and Spitfire Strategies is working hard to incorporate your suggestions for the conference.  One thing we heard from you is the value of time to talk with your fellow advocates.  We want to help make these conversations productive by sharing with you what is going on in the 16 Finish Line and Narrative states, but we need your help to assure that we have accurate information on developments in your state.  There are three items you can help us complete:

-A summary of state activity on kids coverage
-A checklist of state actions on major provisions of CHIPRA
-A very brief presentation from a representative of your state on the year past and the year ahead

There are three documents to help with these.  The first contains our brief summaries of what states have done with regard to children’s coverage in the last year.  Please check the paragraph for your state and let us know if any edits are warranted.

Next, there is a checklist of 11 selected provisions of CHIPRA.  We think it would be valuable for all of us to know what steps, if any, each Finish Line and Narrative state has taken toward adopting these provisions.  Please provide a very brief update on what action your state may have taken on these sections of the law.  For instance, you might enter ‘Working on rule changes,’ ‘Adopted and in effect,’ ‘None,’ or another short description.

Finally, there are blank slides for the opening session of the conference.  The opening session, like last year, will feature one representative of each state presenting to the group.  Please reply with who will be presenting and a slide (or two at most) to illustrate your very brief 4-minute presentation.  Feel free to get creative with your slide—you might write a short limerick or haiku, compose a photo collage, or tell a story.  We’ll distribute the state activity summary that you approve, so you don’t need to focus on coverage updates; this is your chance to let other states know what common challenges or opportunities you might face.  Let us know what issues you expect to work on in the coming year.  Or take the opportunity to let all of the conference attendees know that one question you’ve been meaning to ask your fellow advocates—it will make it that much easier to find the right person to talk with outside of the sessions.

Kindly respond with these three items by Wednesday, July 1.

June 5, 2009

In the Finish Line Flash this week, we point you toward news of a key agreement in Oregon to finance an expansion for both kids and adults as well as a useful tool for making the economic case for health reform.

Media Material

Deal Reached for Oregon Coverage Expansion—This article celebrates a potential huge win for kids, families and advocates in Oregon. Legislators made progress toward passage on a bill that expands coverage in Oregon to an additional 80,000 kids. In these tough budget times, this is a big bright spot for kids and families. Our team in Oregon has been working hard to keep children’s health front and center and it shows with quotations from legislators and Gov. Kulongoski about the importance of healthy kids and the increased federal investment available to Oregon.

Health Reform

The Cost to Your State of Not Reforming Health Care—The Center for American Progress has estimated the cost—both nationally and by state—due to the lost productivity and shortened lifespans of the uninsured.  These state-specific numbers can help connect health reform with economic recovery and shift the conversation from the costs of reform to the costs of inaction.

Reminder

Comments Welcome on Finish Line Conference Agenda—Check your inbox for a message from Liz Arjun—earlier today she circulated a draft agenda for the upcoming Finish Line Conference.  Please feel free to send her comments directly or share them with the group by using the Finish Line listserve.

May 29, 2009

To find today’s big news from CCF (not limited to our new paper) and to leave your reactions, check out Say Ahhh!: A Children’s Health Policy Blog.  On the Finish Line front, we have a reminder for you and a great op-ed explaining why continuous coverage is important to children, families, and communities.

Remember, to access the Finish Line website, the username is childhealth and the password is finishline.

Reminder

Finish Line Conference Fast Approaching—As you know, the Finish Line Conference (for both Finish Line and Narrative grantees) will be held July 13-15 in Washington, DC.  But do we know whether you’re coming?  Please RSVP to Phil Zorn as soon as possible, but no later than June 18.  You can also make your hotel reservations at the conference rate by using this link to the Hyatt’s website.

Media Material

Colorado Physician Explains Why Kids Need Continuous Coverage—This op-ed from a pediatrician in Colorado makes a great case for why continuous coverage is so important for kids and their families. As both an advocate and a doctor on the front lines of providing care to kids insured by CHIP or Medicaid, his perspective on the problems kids have staying enrolled is invaluable. The opening sentence alone, “I hope my child’s insurance still works,” stays with the reader as tangible proof of the need to make sure kids and their families don’t lose the coverage they are eligible for.

May 22, 2009

A quick Finish Line Flash this week, pointing out two states making modest but very positive expansions of eligibility and cataloguing three effective news items, including two well-timed op-eds and an example of earned media.

State Updates

Two States Add Coverage—Two Midwestern states this week approved coverage expansions that keep them moving in the right direction.  Nebraska increased income eligibility for children from 185% to 200%, while North Dakota raised eligibility from 150% to 160% of the federal poverty level.

Media Materials
Arizona Coalition Speaks with a United Voice on Budget—In these tough budget times, lawmakers are feeling pressure to make cuts to balance the budget. Because of this, it’s even more important that advocates help them think outside the box when it comes to protecting children’s health care coverage. This budget coalition in Arizona, of which our Narrative grantee is a member, is banding together to make the case that protecting vital services, like their CHIP program, will produce a balanced budget that will help Arizona recover from the impacts of the recession. Also, the coalition will be offering a series of budget proposals that protect the programs that matter to the organizations as a way to show legislators feasible alternatives to making drastic cuts.

Iowa Expansion Makes News—Our Finish Line team in Iowa celebrated a huge victory for uninsured Iowa kids this week as Gov. Chet Culver (D) signed an expansion of their Hawk-i program from 250% FPL to 300% FPL and moved to adopt CHIPRA options such as coverage for lawfully residing immigrant children, the dental wrap, premium assistance, and some enrollment simplifications. This hard fought victory came from months of hard work, with advocates supporting their champions, weathering setbacks, and celebrating wins.

California Legislator Praises Healthy Families at a Key Moment—This op-ed from a Republican member of the California Assembly is a great reminder about the importance of the messenger and the power of positive framing. Even as fellow Republican Governor Schwarzenegger proposes eliminating Healthy Families, this legislator holds Healthy Families up as a smart, popular public program that will help California families to keep their children safe and healthy. By tapping into the desire of parents to keep their children healthy and happy, this legislator makes a strong case, to the public and to his fellow policymakers, for the economic and societal contributions of Healthy Families in a way that few messengers can and at a time when it is most politically relevant.

May 15, 2009

In this week’s Finish Line Flash, find out the latest state to move forward with a kids coverage expansion, check out a two-page budget-focused fact sheet from California, read two more examples of strong messaging, and learn about best practices for outreach and retention.

Remember, to access the Finish Line website, the username is childhealth and the password is finishline.

State Update

Alabama Moves to 300% FPL—This week, the Alabama legislature passed a budget that includes an expansion of the state’s CHIP eligibility from 200% to 300% of the federal poverty level.  While Governor Bob Riley vetoed the expansion, legislators voted to override the veto.  The expansion is expected to cover an additional 14,000 children in Alabama.

Montana Funds Expansion to 250%– The Montana legislature passed a budget that provides funding for a full implementation of the voter-approved Healthy Montana Kids Plan. It will expand Medicaid eligibility to 185% and SCHIP eligibility to 250% beginning October 1, 2009.  Governor Brian Schweitzer allowed the bill to become law without his signature.

Advocacy Sample

California Budget Fact Sheet—This fact sheet comes from the Finish Line team in California. Faced with a tough budget situation, the California team has made this fact sheet to emphasize to policymakers that fully funding California’s CHIP program, Healthy Families, is the best choice for California kids and families. With strong messaging about the cost-effectiveness and need for continued coverage for kids, the fact sheet is a great tool for messages with policymakers and the public as the budget process moves forward.

Media Materials

Texas Paper Supports Kids Coverage—This editorial is part of the ongoing debate in Texas about several pieces of legislation that will affect CHIP and Medicaid. The editorial grabs an event straight from the headlines, swine flu, and uses it to make a powerful point that when kids don’t have health insurance, they can’t protect themselves from health threats. This newsworthy hook is a simple illustration of the problem that uninsured Texas kids deal with every day, and it provides an opportunity for CHIP and Medicaid to be the solution to the problem. Also, by tying insurance to an event like swine flu, it adds a public health perspective that legislators will find harder to ignore given its dominance in Texas and national headlines.

Wyoming Advocate Thanks Supporters, Looks Ahead—This opinion piece shows how to effectively blend state and federal advocacy by acknowledging positive policy actions at both levels of government. By celebrating victories, this advocate acknowledges the work done by policymakers so far and then smartly moves the conversation forward to his next advocacy priority: making sure children are prioritized in health reform. Finally, he closes with a vision of the type of leadership that will be necessary keep helping kids and their families, a vision that all policymakers can aspire to.

Outreach and Retention Resources

The Southern Institute’s Report on the Retention Initiative—The Southern Institute conducted an initiative in eight states to study and support best practices for retaining children and adults in Medicaid and CHIP.  A new report shares the findings of the project with the intent of improving retention across all states.

New Jersey Outreach Working Group Report—A Working Group of state officials, advocates, health plans, and contractors examined outreach, enrollment, and retention efforts for children in New Jersey. The work group found that states that are most successful in enrolling and retaining eligible children in their public health insurance programs employ multi-prong, creative approaches in their outreach and enrollment efforts and have an efficient, coordinated IT system.

See an important item we should have included in the Flash?  Use the Finish Line listserve to send it around!

May 8, 2009

The breaking news in the Finish Line Flash this week is the brand new guidance from CMS on coverage of pregnant women.  We also point you toward a grant opportunity you may want to raise with your state Medicaid agency, a number of great op-eds, and a series of posts on CCF’s blog, Say Ahhh!

New CHIPRA Guidance

CMS Issues Letter on Covering Pregnant Women—In its first substantive guidance on a provision of CHIPRA, CMS has released a letter on the continuing and new options for states to cover pregnant women through CHIP.  Find the letter and a draft state plan amendment template on our website.

Grant Opportunity

NASHP Announces ABCD III—NASHP and the Commonwealth Fund have announced the next in their series of Assuring Better Child Health and Development Initiative grants.  ABCD III focuses on making policy and system changes that help connect child health care providers with other child and family service providers needed by young children for health and development (e.g., mental health, early intervention, early care and education programs such as HeadStart, family support such as WIC, and specialty health services).  State Medicaid agencies will serve as the lead grantees in five states.  Find more information from NASHP.

Media Materials

Texas Leader Urges Legislature to Go Further for Kids—This op-ed from a businessman who leads a faith-oriented business shows how effective it can be when faith leaders present specific solutions to problems in their communities, in this case, reducing the number of uninsured Texas kids by removing barriers to enrollment in CHIP and Medicaid. The author effectively carries both the economic message (children’s coverage is a good investment) and the moral message (removing barriers to enrollment is the right thing to do for kids) and makes a strong statement that instead of focusing on the problem, it’s about finding the right solution.

Iowa Legislator Recaps Success, Sets Vision for Future—This op-ed is by a state senator from Iowa, a champion for children’s health coverage who has worked closely with our Iowa Finish Line team. Sen. Jack Hatch stresses the importance of maintaining commitment to the vision, covering all kids in Iowa, even when the budget and other factors get in the way. This op-ed is also a great example of a policymaker taking ownership of an issue and using it to show both his leadership and the state’s.

Oregon Pediatrician Presses for Greater Kids Coverage—Legislators in Oregon are at a key point in the legislative session, and they have the chance to dramatically expand coverage for Oregon’s kids. This messenger, a pediatrician, emphasizes the urgency and the short and long-term impacts the bill would have on kids in Oregon. By highlighting access to coverage, an immediate change, and the increase in federal dollars, a long-term economic benefit, the author urges policymakers to be leaders on children’s health and stresses the unique opportunity that they have to help Oregon families.

State and Federal Updates

More chances to Say Ahhh!—Check out Say Ahhh! A Children’s Health Policy Blog, for recent updates from CCF staffers and guest bloggers.  Recently, Liz Arjun highlighted states moving forward, Joan Alker covered a health reform hearing, and Colorado’s Deb Colburn filled us in on her coalition’s recent success.

See an important item we should have included in the Flash?  Use the Finish Line listserve to send it around!

May 1, 2009

The Finish Line Flash this week is full of strong messages in support of covering kids—from an outspoken economist, a member of Congress, and a Texas editorial board.  We also wanted to point out a new study on trends in Medicaid payment rates.

Remember, to access the Finish Line website, the username is childhealth and the password is finishline.

Media Materials

Economist and NY Times Blogger Uwe Reinhardt Addresses Coverage for Kids— This op-ed from a Princeton economist shows the value of including multiple perspectives when making an argument for children’s coverage. Several states, including the Finish Line team in Texas, have successfully worked with economists from local universities to bring an economic angle to their outreach and messaging. Being able to bring up key data points to drive your message home with policymakers and business leaders can be a great weapon in your advocacy arsenal.  Reinhardt takes it a step further by connecting with the nation’s core values.

Keeping Kids a Priority in Health Reform— This op-ed from a current Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) makes the case that by using CHIP and Medicaid as a solid foundation, we can and should move forward on broader health reform. However, we know that even with the CHIP reauthorization advocates and policymakers can’t stop working to make children and kids coverage a priority. Rep. DeGette gives strong arguments why even as health reform moves along, we shouldn’t lose sight of the kids.

Texas Paper Labels Coverage Expansion Money Well Spent— This editorial from the Waco Tribune treats the viability and benefits of kids coverage as a foregone conclusion, a great message for policymakers in Texas who this week were considering a set of measures that will be great for children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. The editorial holds CHIP and Medicaid up as strong, cost-effective programs that are common sense policy for taxpayers, parents, and most importantly, kids.

Research Corner

Study Compares Medicaid and Medicare Payment Rates—A Health Affairs paper examined the relative levels of payments to physicians in Medicaid managed care and Medicare.  It found that while Medicaid payments have risen slower than inflation, Medicare fees have grown slower still, leading to a somewhat smaller gap between the two.  Medicaid payments went from 69% of Medicare in 2003 to 72% in 2008.

News from your state’s legislative session?  Use the Finish Line listserve to send it around!

April 23, 2009

This week in the Finish Line Flash, find a photo of Colorado’s governor signing a new kids coverage law, a reminder of next week’s conference planning call, news of a useful web seminar from NASHP, and your weekly dose of effective media messages.

State Update

Colorado Governor Signs Expansion Law—The Colorado Finish Liners celebrated a significant victory this week when Governor Bill Ritter signed the Colorado Healthcare Affordability Act which includes a new funding mechanism and new policies to cover more Coloradans, including an expansion of Colorado’s CHIP program, Child Health Plus (CHP+) to 250% of the FPL and 12 months continuous coverage for children enrolled in Medicaid.  This measure is funded through a partnership with hospitals which will allow the state to generate an additional $600 million a year through a provider fee, and draw down $600 million in federal Medicaid matching funds, including support for the CHP+ program.  It is estimated that over 100,000 Coloradans, including 21,000 children, will gain health coverage as a result of this measure. Find a press release, the bill text, and a photo of the signing on the main Finish Line page.

In addition to this significant victory, the Colorado Finish Liners are working on two additional pieces of legislation that gained momentum this past week.  HB 1020, which would allow for phone and online renewals for Medicaid and CHIP and HB 1353, which would direct the state to take up the new option under CHIPRA to cover lawfully residing immigrant children, both passed out of relevant committees this week and continue to move forward.

Congratulations to the Colorado Finish Liners!

Reminder

Finish Line Conference Planning Call—We’ll be holding a call open to all Finish Liners and Narrative grantees to help plan this July’s Finish Line conference.  The call will take place Thursday, April 30, from 3:00-4:00 PM Eastern.  The call in number is 1-866-339-6642 and the access code is *6870886*.  Next week, we’ll send around a list of potential agenda items that we can use to start the discussion on the call.

Learning Opportunity

Express Lane Eligibility Webinar—The National Academy for State Health Policy will hold a web seminar on express lane eligibility opportunities under CHIPRA on May 14 at 3:00 PM Eastern.  Speakers include:
-Beth Morrow, The Children’s Partnership
-Stan Dorn, The Urban Institute
-Ruth Kennedy, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
-Valerie Harr, New Jersey Department of Human Services

You can register for the webinar though NASHP.

Media Materials

Healthcare reform in a bad economy –This op-ed supports what we already know, that CHIP is a popular, effective program that is good for kids and their families. Using statements from an economist from M.I.T., the author drives home the point that children need to be a part of thoughtful health reform.

Washington can’t afford to cut health care—This op-ed by two advocates in Washington state calls on the legislature to stand by their commitments and make health care coverage a priority in these tough economic times. By emphasizing the state’s responsibility to its most vulnerable, the op-ed uses effective economic messaging to make the case for the state keeping its promises.

Faith leaders support coverage—By marrying statements of faith, uninsured kids, and political advocacy, these faith leaders and policymakers make a strong statement about how children’s health insurance should be a non-partisan issue and a priority for all.

See a media piece we should have included in the Flash?  Use the Finish Line listserve to send it around!

April 17, 2009

This week’s Finish Line Flash brings another round of updates and useful materials.  You’ll find news of yet another state moving forward to expand coverage, messaging suggestions that put to use unemployment and bankruptcy statistics, a moving, updated collection of family stories, a chance to learn about medical homes for children, and more.

State Update

Kansas Fulfills Its Promise—Governor Kathleen Sebelius this week signed Kansas’s 2010 budget bill, which includes the funding necessary to raise children’s coverage eligibility to 250% of FPL.  Kansas legislators approved the expansion last year, but made funding contingent on the passage of CHIP reauthorization.  About 8,000 additional children are expected to be covered.  The Kansas Narrative grantees thanked legislators for their support with a newspaper ad.

Messaging and Media

Unemployment/Bankruptcy–As the economic crisis deepens, many families have been hit by job loss and also the loss of employer-sponsored health care coverage. The addition of the housing crunch to unemployment is one reason personal bankruptcy filings have risen 40% over the last 12 months. Unfortunately, the loss of coverage is a significant contributor to bankruptcy. When bankruptcy is caused by a single factor, unpaid medical bills are the number one cause. For overall bankruptcies, health care is the second biggest reason.

To encourage states to strengthen the safety net, especially for uninsured children, we have developed some messages to help maintain momentum and build broad support for the idea that now, more than ever, is the right time to protect and expand coverage for kids. Here are those messages. To supplement these messages, you may want to make use of the most recent unemployment statistics and the state by state breakdown for bankruptcy filings.

In Harm’s Way—Texas Finish Liners have updated their publication In Harm’s Way: True Stories of Uninsured Texas Children.  The report blends family stories with analyses of the barriers to covering children and lays out an agenda for covering all children in the state.

Former Montana Congressman Supports Kids Coverage—Pat Williams, a former member of Congress from Montana, penned an op-ed in support of using Recovery Act funds to provide health coverage to children.  The column takes a regional approach, urging all of the Rocky Mountain States to move forward.  It connects kids coverage to both families’ budgets and states’ economic competitiveness.

On the Web

Say Ahhh!—You’ve likely already heard the news of CCF’s new blog, Say Ahhh! A Children’s Health Policy Blog.  One of the main reasons we launched the blog is to engage in an ongoing conversation on the issues that we all care about and work on every day.  So please join the discussion!  We encourage you to comment on the posts to emphasize, challenge, improve upon, or maybe even praise anything you read on the blog.

Medical Homes for Children Webinar–The Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration will host a webcast on April 21 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern. This webcast will highlight efforts to support the implementation of medical home for children across multiple stakeholder groups, including an overview of the medical home concept and an update on the activities of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ National Center for Medical Home Implementation.

Have something to share with colleagues but think blog comments are a bit too public?  Use the Finish Line listserve to reach out to a select group of advocates.

April 9, 2009

This week’s express edition of the Finish Line Flash brings news of an important victory in Colorado and a reminder of this summer’s Finish Line conference.

State Update

Earlier this week, lawmakers in Colorado approved House Bill 1293 that would raise significant new revenues through a new hospital provider fee and that includes a number of provisions that will improve health coverage and access for children. Upon approval by CMS, these revenues would:

-Expand CHP+ eligibility to 250% of FPL
-Expand Medicaid eligibility for parents from 60% to 100% of FPL
-Implement 12 month continuous eligibility for children in Medicaid
-Increase hospital reimbursement rates under Medicaid

The bill is expected to be signed by Governor Ritter, although a date hasn’t been set.  The Colorado Finish Liners, through the All Kids Covered initiative, supported this legislation throughout the session and will be attending the bill signing and then turning their attention to successful implementation of this exciting new legislation.

Reminder

This year’s Finish Line Conference (for both Finish Line and Narrative grantees) will be held in July in Washington, DC.  The conference will open with a reception on Monday, July 13 and include working sessions on July 14th and 15th.  Stay tuned for information on how you can help participate in planning this meeting.

See a media piece we should have included in the Flash?  Use the Finish Line listserve to send it around!

April 3, 2009

As states move to implement CHIPRA and health reform gathers momentum, new opportunities await and new issues will impact kids coverage.  The newest Finish Line Flash provides you with some great opportunities to look ahead and learn more about the messages and issues we’ll all be talking about in the new era.  We’ve included messaging points from Spitfire and other materials from the recent CCF-CBPP CHIPRA conference.  We’ll also point you toward two ways to bolster your knowledge of emerging policy topics—a CBPP report on insurance exchanges and a Commonwealth Fund panel on state strategies for value purchasing.  And as usual, we’ve collected two media pieces that exemplify effective messages.  To access the Finish Line Flash and the rest of the Finish Line website, use the username “childhealth” and the password “finishline”.

Putting CHIPRA to Work

CHIP Messaging for the Next Phase – Spitfire Strategies has developed a message set to help advocates advance kids coverage and make the most of CHIP reauthorization in the context of challenging state budgets.  The message sets and a variety of other materials from the Putting CHIPRA to Work conference are now available on the CCF website.

Learning Opportunities

CBPP Examines Exchanges – The health insurance exchange has emerged as a central concept in several state health reform efforts as well as in active proposals for national health reform.  A new paper from CBPP explains the benefits of an exchange and how a national exchange should be structured to best serve enrollees.  As health reform comes more and more into focus, now is the time to master the issues.

State Value Strategies – While many of us have focused on expanding coverage, it’s important to remain attentive to two additional goals for health reform—improving quality while reducing costs.  Just as they are on coverage, states are moving forward on these fronts.  A Commonwealth Fund panel brought together state officials (Trish Riley of Maine and Philip W. Magistro of Pennsylvania) and other experts to discuss ongoing state strategies to achieve better quality and reduced costs through value purchasing.  You can listen to a recording of the panel discussion and view the slides at the Fund’s website.

Media Materials

Success of School-based Enrollment Recognized in Texas – This editorial spotlights a successful enrollment strategy focused on pairing health insurance eligibility with school registration forms. While working with your state’s Department of Education or even a local school district can sometimes seem like a tall hill to climb, this editorial shows the benefits of tackling this type of partnership. The editorial also incorporates Finish Line messaging by talking about children’s coverage as cost-effective, a solvable problem and a positive thing for kids and their families.

A Prayer Service to Kick Off Cover the Uninsured Week in Louisiana – With prayers and statements about helping the uninsured, especially children, a group of faith leaders and others make a powerful case for viewing the lack of health insurance as not a policy or political problem, but a human one.

March 27, 2009

The centerpiece of this week’s Finish Line Flash is a run-down of state activity on children’s coverage in the first few months of 2009.  We’ve also chosen three media items to showcase and need to make a correction to the Narrative call time mentioned in last week’s Flash.  Take a look:

State Updates

State Activity on Children’s Coverage – With legislatures in session across the country, many states have considered changes to their kids’ coverage efforts.  Recognizing the importance of supporting families in these tough economic times, many states are moving forward.  We’ve put together a list that shows strong proposals, enactments, and implementations of children’s coverage bills, along with an indication of the level of budget deficit faced by these states.  Know of something we’ve missed?  Please pass along the news!

Media Materials

Putting It All Together in Arizona – An Op-Ed from a Phoenix hospital executive brings all of the latest Finish Line/Narrative messaging together in a single, brief piece.  A great example to adapt and use in your state!

Kansas Editorial: ‘Keep the Commitment’ – This editorial from Kansas embodies Finish Line language regarding not leaving federal money on the table and marrying that with the vision of keeping kids covered.  It states, “On…health care coverage for uninsured kids, lawmakers have not only responsibilities but opportunities to act…if the Legislature wants to take meaningful action on behalf of Kansans who are feeling the recession deeply, it should not adjourn before keeping the commitment to HealthWave.”

Correction

In connection with last week’s news of the Texas Business Leaders Summit, we mentioned that Laura Guerra-Cardus will be a special guest on the next Narrative call.  That call will take place on Tuesday, April 7 at 12:00 pm Eastern, not on March 31 as originally stated.  Please join us on the 7th to hear more about the Texans’ great work to gain support from an important set of allies.

Other updates to pass along or communications pieces that are so good you just have to share?  E-mail your fellow advocates using the Finish Line listserv!

March 20, 2009

In this week’s Finish Line Flash, you’ll find news and materials from a very successful summit the Texas Finish Liners recently held for members of the business community.  We’ve also collected some more great examples of media work, a new and useful study of kids’ insurance status, and the latest state updates.

Promising Practices

Texans Convene Summit for Business Leaders — Over the past year, the Finish Line team in Texas has focused on outreach to and engagement of business leaders, especially in the Houston area. After securing a strong liaison to the community through one of their board members, they helped facilitate a summit, “Dollars and Sense: Texas, Taxes and the Uninsured Children,” through an existing major business partnership in the state.

The Summit was a huge success, business leaders and elected officials at all levels of government (including a U.S. Senator and the Texas Lieutenant Governor) attended and the event received widespread media and opinion coverage. There is much more to tell and they have been generous in sharing the full array of materials and tools that they used to make it a success. To access these resources, which include a PowerPoint, talking points, and an op-ed, simply go to the Texas Business Leader Summit section of the Finish Line grantee Web site. Also, if you would like to hear more from the Texas team, Laura Guerra-Cardus will be the special guest on the next Narrative call, on March 31 at 12pm EST. Contact Ed or Lucy if you need the call-in information for that call or visit www.narrativeproject.org.

Strengthening the Coalition through Communications in North Carolina — This op-ed is for those facing challenges keeping coalition relationships strong when children’s coverage is suffering less than other programs supported by your allies.  It is a well-argued piece about protecting our kids during times of crisis and not letting tough economic times prevent us from making sure child development and health remain priorities. This is a potential model for a piece that allows you to join with an important coalition member to speak to the broader issues facing the coalition, including but not limited to children’s health coverage.

Media Materials

Ohio Finish Liners React to New Numbers — Ohio took full advantage of new numbers revealing a decrease in the number of uninsured children in the state.  Advocates framed the state coverage programs as a bright spot of success amidst the other news facing the state. With the fiscal crisis hitting hard, these numbers are a welcome bit of good news for advocates to celebrate as they move forward with the governor’s planned expansion. Look for great Finish Line messaging from our own Amy Swanson and a strong quotation from Ohio’s Medicaid Director on how these lower numbers are directly related to the effectiveness of CHIP.

Parent Marks CHIP Passage — We are always looking for strong examples from influential messengers.  This op-ed is written by a member of MomsRising, a grassroots parent advocacy group based on the West Coast.  The messaging focuses on a “thank you” for CHIP and then urges policymakers to take more steps to ensure that families have the resources they need during these tough economic times.

Research Corner

Study Compares Access for Covered and Uninsured Kids — Research published in the journal Pediatrics found that young children covered by Medicaid or CHIP had access to care similar to that of privately insured children.  It found that even short periods of uninsurance led to more delays in needed care and that longer periods of uninsurance were associated with a range of access challenges.

State Update

Arkansas Expansion Signed into Law — Last week, we noted the legislative progress of Arkansas’s expansion of eligibility to 250% of FPL.  The bill’s journey is now complete:  Governor Mike Beebe signed it into law this week.  Congrats!  But an advocate’s work is never done, so Arkansas Finish Liners will now turn to implementation of the expansion and other goals.

Any news from your state?  Let other advocates know by using the Finish Line listserve.

March 13, 2009

The second edition of the Finish Line Flash is chock full of updates and examples of effective media materials.  We’ve included some positive developments on immigrant coverage, exciting news from Arkansas, a number of media clips that feature effective messaging, and an update on what may be 2009’s biggest health policy drama–federal reform efforts.  Click on any of the links below to access the Finish Line website and download this week’s materials.

States Move toward Adoption of CHIPRA’s ICHIA Option — Due to effective efforts by Finish Line and Narrative grantees, Rhode Island and Utah have seen strong proposals to cover children and pregnant women who previously were subject to the five year waiting period. Utah lawmakers rallied behind legislation that would have allowed recently arrived lawfully residing immigrant children to enroll in CHIP and Medicaid through the new option. The Salt Lake Tribune editorialized in support of the idea and the bills garnered bi-partisan support but in the 11th hour, supporters came up short with funding. Advocates intend to push the policy again next year. In Rhode Island, Republican RI Governor Don Carcieri included the proposal in his 2010 state budget submission.  It has yet to be acted on by the legislature, but advocates are working hard to keep it in.  These plans show just one area in which CHIP reauthorization is having a swift impact.

CMS Confirms Enhanced Match — An additional incentive for states to adopt the ICHIA option for children is the favorable federal matching rate available.  Under CHIP law, states receive the enhanced CHIP match for children who become eligible as a result of any eligibility expansions, not just income expansions.  CMS has confirmed that expansions under ICHIA will trigger this provision, so states will receive the enhanced CHIP match rate for children enrolled in either CHIP or Medicaid as a result of the state picking up this option.

Arkansas House, Senate Committee Approve Kids Coverage Expansion — By an overwhelming margin (82-14), the Arkansas House voted to extend eligibility in ARKids from 200 to 250 percent of the federal poverty level.  The state Senate’s Insurance and Commerce Committee added its endorsement on Thursday, so all that remains is a Senate floor vote and Governor Beebe’s signature, which is expected.  Congrats to the Arkansas Finish Liners!

Health Reform Momentum Builds — A number of developments have kept progress toward health reform this year moving forward.  President Obama appointed Nancy-Ann DeParle as director of the White House Office of Health Reform.  A White House summit brought together stakeholders from across the political spectrum.  Senator Max Baucus announced his plan to move legislation through the Finance Committee by the August recess.  Kaiser’s Health on the Hill has a good round-up of the news.  And check out Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle’s blog post offering his state as an example for building national reform on Medicaid.  What ideas or practices might your state contribute to a federal reform effort?

Hawk-i and Farm Families — This article represents a fantastic use of family stories to highlight why kids coverage is so important to kids, their parents, and family budgets. In this case, farm families in Iowa have been able to stay on their farms and gain peace of mind after enrolling their children in hawk-i. It is a poignant and powerful article about the impact health insurance can have on the whole family.

MomsRising Letter to the Editor — This letter to the editor comes from another Packard grantee, MomsRising. With the right combination of urgency and confidence, the parent’s perspective on what California’s top priority should be creates a newsworthy hook and a compelling case.

Stimulus Editorial from Kansas — This editorial uses strong economic messaging to make the case that Kansas will benefit from the stimulus funding coming from the federal government. By advancing the idea that this money is to be used to help Kansans endure the economic downturn, the piece puts a positive spin on the stimulus, applauds state leaders for their prudence, and challenges the opposition to construct more thoughtful arguments against the stimulus

Other updates to pass along or communications pieces that are so good you just have to share?  E-mail your fellow advocates using the Finish Line listserv!

March 3, 2009

Dear Finish Liners,

With state legislative sessions in full swing and competing priorities on your advocacy calendars, the team at CCF and Spitfire want to make sure that our technical assistance is working well and continues to be helpful to you.

Therefore, instead of our monthly all-states calls, we’d like to try weekly updates–under the name of the Finish Line Flash–that will include messaging strategies, policy tools, and news from the Finish Line and Narrative states. You can download the materials by going to the Finish Line website (username: childhealth, password: finishline).

Here are this edition’s items:

Messaging for Stimulus — Several states have expressed interest in having messages to address the need to use stimulus money for health care coverage rather than diverting it for other purposes.  We’ve provided streamlined messages based on what is actually in the legislation to help arm you in arguing for the money to be used for its original purpose–health care coverage for families.

Dallas Morning News Op-ed — This op-ed is written by a faith leader in Dallas and is a great example of highlighting upcoming decisions at the state level that will affect kids coverage. By engaging a faith voice to articulate the growing need, the piece has a sense of urgency that what the state needs to do is pay attention to kids and health care coverage.

Kansas Governor Proposes Children’s Coverage Expansion — Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has proposed using a small portion of the state’s economic recovery funds to raise the income limit for children’s coverage from 225 to 250 percent of the federal poverty level, extending coverage to 8,000 more children.

Missouri Health Affairs article – Health Affairs published a study of the effects of Missouri’s 2005 cuts to Medicaid. The authors found a major increase in the numbers of uninsured people, greater uncompensated care burden on hospitals, and revenue shortfalls that forced community health centers to obtain larger state grants and charge patients more.

We still want you to have the chance to pose questions and share knowledge with your fellow grantees, so we hope you’ll continue to use the Finish Line listserv (finishline-l@georgetown.edu) to stay in touch.

Please don’t hesitate to give us feedback as we try something new and we hope this will be an added resource for you.

Thanks,

Your friends at CCF and Spitfire