Statewide and Federal Advocacy

Maternity Care Coalition partners with state and nationwide organizations to advocate around state and federal legislation that impact the health of Pennsylvania families.

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State Advocacy:

Managed Care Organizations Changes

As follow-up to MCC's comprehensive look at maternity care in our Childbirth at a Crossroads report, MCC surveyed the three managed care organizations' (MCOs) provider directories and found that, in the summer 2007, they were more than 85% inaccurate.  Often, listed providers were no longer available; the phone number was wrong; or the site listed no longer offered prenatal care.  Out of more than 1,500 listings, only 139 providers at 61 prenatal care sites were available.  The wait time for an appointment averaged just above the two-week standard.     

Since the summer, MCC met with all three MCOs and the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare.  The unintended consequences of inaccurate information was recognized and changes were made by some of the MCOs to assure consumers have accurate and easily accessible information. The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) has also made changes in their procedures to make sure consumers have accurate information.

Read MCC's findings on Prenatal Care in Philadelphia.

Healthcare for Pennsylvania

SB 1137: Through an amendment to SB 1137, House Democrats proposed and passed the Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care (PA ABC).  PA ABC would make health insurance available to approximately 242,000 more Pennsylvanians.  Visit our Advocacy Hot Flashes page to ask your state Senator to pass Senate Bill 1137.

HB 2005: A bill reforming insurance practices to stop penalizing individuals.  The current laws make us all pay more in the end for chronic, rather than preventative care.  Insurance companies would not be allowed to disqualify people from insurance due to pre-existing conditions and they would be restricted in how much money they could spend for things other than providing health care.  At least 85% of premiums would have to go to providing health care which should lead to reduced premiums. The bill would allow the PA Insurance Department to have increased authority to regulate rates and insurance products. 

These changes would shift the health care industry towards preventative, rather than defensive, care.  Defensive care (treating a health problem at its advanced stage) costs more to society; worsens already insidious and persistent racial and class health disparities; and places the U.S. 29th in life expectancy against other industrialized countries.  Check out UnnaturalCauses.org and the video clip below:

HB 1255: PASSED-Prescriptive Authority for Midwives! The bill providing prescriptive authority to Certified Nurse Midwives, passed the state legislature and was signed into law by Governor Rendell on July 20, 2007. MCC gave testimony and submitted comments on the regulations from this new policy to the Independent Review Commission.

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Federal Advocacy:

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Guidelines

H.R. 5613: CMS announced regulations that will drastically impede Pennsylvania’s ability to provide comprehensive health care, including CHIP.  In response, the U.S. House secured a veto-proof margin and passed H.R. 5613-The Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008- by a vote of 349-62.  The measure would impose a moratorium on a series of Medicaid regulations that could cost the nation $50 billion over the next five years, and PA about $270 million over the next two years.  The measure was sponsored by U.S. Reps Dingell (D-MI) and Tim Murphy (R-PA).  Visit our Advocacy Hot Flashes page to call on your Senators to pass this legislation.

Federal Funding for Community-Based Doulas

Chicago Health Connection led advocacy efforts to request Congress to include funding for Community-Based Doula programs  in the Federal budget.  Senators Casey and Specter were very supportive of this funding and we thank them because these programs improve infant health, strengthen families, and establish supports to ensure ongoing family success, as well as:

 

MCC Advocates Danyell Williams (far left, back row) and Becca Pfender (far left, front row) lobbied in D.C. for continued funding of Community-Based Doula Programs.

Cover All Kids

Cover All Kids legislation was passed in late October 2006, expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) so that all children in PA are covered! MCC joined a number of groups, including Public Citizens for Children and Youth and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, to educate the public about the importance of all children having health coverage.  We met with several key legislators, wrote opinion editorials, conducted several letter-writing campaigns, and presented testimony.   

CHIP now Covers All Kids, visit the web site to sign up!

Last Updated June 2008