Local Officials Helping with the ACA in Florida and Texas

As we gear up for the Rally for Michigan's Health in the Capitol on Wednesday morning, it's interesting to take a look at the tactics other states are taking to get support for the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion, and make sure people are enrolled.

In Florida and Texas, there is less support than in Michigan, and they are pulling out all the stops to pass Medicaid expansion to insure their citizens. Luckily for Michigan, our governor is in favor of expansion, whereas in other states hostile governors are making passage more difficult.

So what's the White House to do? They are recruiting local officials - the people closest to those who would be affected by the expansion - to lead the way in promoting the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion. Local officials know community concerns and the issues immediately affecting those they represent - these are the men and women who can express those concerns to other politicians.

Libraries are also becoming an outreach point for health insurance. Libraries are easily accessible to most people, as well as a location people turn to for information about the government. Setting them up as a hub for outreach activities and complete information about insurance will open the exchanges to more people by eliminating the information barrier.

Medicaid expansion will lead to a healthier US population - playing politics with our health is unfair and harmful.

To learn more about this tactic, read the New York Times article here.


Please join us at the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday, July 3 at 9am! Urge the Senate to vote on Medicaid expansion.

Michigan Stands with Texas

Senator Wendy Davis is nearing the end of a 13 hour filibuster to block Senate Bill 5 in Texas. She has been speaking since 11:18am CDT, without eating, drinking, sitting, leaning on the podium, or going to the bathroom. She has only stopped speaking to take questions from other senators.

Why is SB5 this important? It is a sweeping abortion bill that Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards states, “If this passes, abortion would be virtually banned in the state of Texas, and many women could be forced to resort to dangerous and unsafe measures.” (Source)

The bill's regulations and restrictions would most likely wind up closing all but 5 clinics in the state of Texas.

In a state so large, forcing women to travel to access legal procedures will decrease their ability to do so, especially with waiting periods in effect. Travel cost, time off work, and finding child care amplify the impact of the new regulations on women.

Additionally, the bill refers to many "scientific" findings that are not backed by medical professionals.

Senator Davis is reading analysis of the bill, the stories of women, and updated, medically approved science. You can watch a live stream of it here and join the thousands of people filling the capitol wearing orange.

Add your story to those Senator Davis is telling here, and help her to maintain the floor.
Follow on Twitter: Trending now #sb5 #txlege #standwithwendy

Update (6/26/13 1:50am CDT): A vote occurred in the Senate after the filibuster was stopped on technicalities. However, the vote occurred after midnight, and is therefore not valid. However, because of how unclear things are, and an issue with the time stamp on the vote having been changed, the Senate has been called to a caucus behind closed doors. Cecile Richards, still at the capitol, just addressed the crowds telling them not to leave yet. We are still waiting.


Update (6/26/13 2:22am CDT): After the caucus, Senator Davis texted: "The Lieutenant Governor has agreed that SB-5 is dead." The official vote was recorded at 12:03. As Cecile Richards reminds us though, the fight isn't over, and has to continue.

Medicaid Expansion Moves Forward

With the federal government funding the expansion 100% for the first two years, and 90% after that, under the Affordable Care Act, it seems silly not to expand Medicaid to half a million people in the state of Michigan. Implementation eliminate the coverage gap for these half million working Michigan residents who were intended to be covered under health care reform but who earn too much to currently qualify for Medicaid and not enough to get tax credits to buy coverage in the new health insurance marketplace.

Expanding Medicaid would cut the uninsured population in Michigan in half. Preventive services and primary care will be available to more people, reducing care costs and emergency room visits. The overall health of the state will improve, thereby further reducing costs for the state.

We're still not there though. This bill still has to get through the Senate. Sign the petition to let your legislators know this issue is important to you. 

Tell Your Legislator to Accept the Funds and Expand Medicaid in Michigan

Here's the final facts breakdown: 

• Approximately 1.1 million people living in Michigan are uninsured.
• Expanding Medicaid will result in health care coverage for at least 450,000 low‐income parents and nondisabled, childless adults who currently do not qualify for coverage.
• Michigan could save up to $200 million in state spending per year.
• From 2014 through 2016, providing Medicaid coverage to low-income Michigan residents is paid entirely with federal funds, resulting in at least $200 million per year in savings for Michigan.
• Federal funds will always cover at least 90 percent of Medicaid costs.
• Estimated 10‐year state savings totals $1.1 billion, while estimated new federal revenue to the state totals $20.5 billion.
• In 2017, “saved” state funds can be redirected and effectively used to match Medicaid federal funds while providing comprehensive health care services to the newly eligible population.

 Learn more about the passage of this legislation. 

Trent Franks' 20 Week Abortion Ban

 The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act has been passed through the House Judiciary Committee. This bill maintains that the fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks, and therefore should not be submitted to the procedure. Additionally, a judgment is being made that women have had enough time to discover they are pregnant and make the decision to terminate. The bill does not make exception for rape or incest, the argument being that "the incidence of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low." Moreover, this abortion ban includes non-viable fetuses - those fetuses that would not survive childbirth.

 

Here’s Rachel Maddow with a full break down of the bill and voting (3:00-5:00). 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Getting involved in the legislative process is extremely important, even if it feels futile. Calling your representative, your senator, and signing petitions can get you heard. Protecting your rights and the rights of those around you isn’t always easy. With our collective effort, we can make our voices heard and protect the health of our nation.

Visit www.ppaction.org/stoptheban to sign the petition. 

For more information:

www.miplannedparenthood.org

www.plannedparenthood.org

www.progressmichigan.org

48th Anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut

Marking Anniversary of Legalized Contraception, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan Celebrates Expanded Access to Birth Control under New Health Care Law

“We Can’t Let Politicians Take Us Back to the Days Before Griswold”

On the 48th anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut, the historic 1965 Supreme Court decision legalizing the use of contraception by married couples, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan is celebrating the gains made by women since the decision, and is reminding Michigan residents of the expanded access to birth control made possible by the Affordable Care Act.  Access to birth control has ushered in a generation of healthy, empowered women and families and thanks to the Affordable Care Act, birth control is now covered as part of the preventive benefit, without a co-pay.  June also marks the 53rd anniversary of the approval of the pill as an oral contraceptive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
 
Access to birth control shouldn’t be a revolutionary idea, but unfortunately it is to some — with a small group of vocal politicians and bosses still working to deny women access. Forty-eight years after the Griswold v. Connecticut Supreme Court decision, 99 percent of women say they’ve used birth control at some point in their lives — many for a wide range of health reasons in addition to preventing pregnancy.  Thanks to this landmark court decision, the number of women in the U.S. labor force has more than tripled, and women’s income now constitutes a growing proportion of family income. These benefits will only be expanded thanks to the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit, which enables millions of women to get access to the full range of FDA-approved birth control options without a co-pay. 

The court's landmark decision — coming five years to the month after oral contraceptives became available to American women and 49 years after Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in the U.S. — provided the first constitutional protection for birth control for women across the country. Before that, a woman’s ability to control the size and timing of her family depended on her zip code.

SINCE GRISWOLD AND THE FDA APPROVAL OF THE PILL:

Access to birth control has expanded opportunities for women and has helped them move closer to economic equality. Since Griswold, the number of women in the U.S. labor force has more than tripled, the number of women lawyers has increased ten-fold, the number completing four or more years of college has increased more than five-fold, and in 2010 women received more than half of all doctoral degrees.

A 2012 report from the Guttmacher Institute confirmed that women use contraception to better achieve their life goals, with the majority of participants reporting that contraception has had a significant impact on their lives, allowing them to take better care of themselves and their families, support themselves financially, complete their education, and keep or get a job.
Research finds that availability of the pill is responsible for a third of women’s wage increases relative to men. By the 1980s and ’90s, the women who had early access to the pill were making eight percent more each year than those who did not.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 58 percent of pill users report that they use it for a wide range of health reasons, like treating endometriosis, a common but little-understood disease that affects 5.5 million women and is a leading cause of infertility.

You can learn more about the impact of legal birth control and the challenges that remain here: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/PPFA/Griswold_v_Connecticut.pdf.

THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT’S BIRTH CONTROL BENEFIT:

· Seven in ten Americans (70 percent) believe that health insurance companies should be required to cover the full cost of birth control, just as they do for other preventive services.

· Approximately 47 million women nationally, including 4.9 million Latinas, stand to benefit from the Affordable Care Act’s women’s preventive health care provision, including no co-pay birth control. Already, it’s estimated that nearly 27 million women nationally are benefiting from the women’s preventive services provision which went into effect last August. 

· You can read stories from supporters of the birth control benefit here: http://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/files/1213/6537/4425/4-8-13_BC_Stories.pdf

Every year, more than 750 Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide see nearly three million patients — two million specifically for birth control information and services.  Planned Parenthood also offers online tools that can help people start a conversation with providers about health care: My Method can prepare women for a conversation with their providers about the most appropriate and best birth control option for them.

For more information, visit: www.miplannedparenthood.org

Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act

  

The Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act. This title is inherently misleading. It sounds as if you personally will be able to pay less by simply opt-out of insurance coverage for abortion. This is not the case. You will instead have to opt-in for insurance coverage for abortion services, including those in cases of rape and incest. 

 In order to receive coverage for abortion, women need to purchase an additional rider – indeed making women plan ahead for an unplanned pregnancy or an unplanned act of sexual violence. As noted by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan spokesperson Meghan Groen, insurance riders are mostly unavailable, and as they rely on market demand, riders for abortion would be more limited than others. “Nobody anticipates having an unwanted pregnancy,” stated Groen.

Introduction to Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan

This blog is part of the mission of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan. It is designed to provide information on legislative updates, community events, and ways to get involved.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Michigan, is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit.

Our mission of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan is to protect and enhance the ability of the affiliates to deliver reproductive health care services by affecting policy makers through electoral and non-electoral activities.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan also has a Political Action Committee (PAC), which focuses strictly on fundraising to endorse pro-choice political candidates and electoral work.

PPAM serves as the voice of the Michigan Planned Parenthood affiliates and its patients. We work to ensure that women and families in our state have access to high quality and affordable reproductive health care; to ensure that our youth can count on us for medically accurate and age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education; to ensure that the civil liberties of all people are protected; and to build and activate a dynamic community-based advocacy organization that works to improve reproductive justice through public activism and legislative advocacy.

We work to fulfill our mission through aggressive issue education campaigns, comprehensive leadership development, and effective organization and movement building. PPAM has been serving underrepresented populations throughout Michigan for 30 years as an advocate for 25 community health centers, their nearly 90,000 patients, and the millions more low-income women and men in need of family planning services who are uninsured or under-insured.

Click here for more information about Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Click here for more information about Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan.