WE ENVISION A STATE AND NATION WHERE WE ALL HAVE ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE, COMPREHENSIVE AND HIGH QUALITY HEALTH CARE.
 

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2008 PRIORITY: 
COVER ALL KIDS AND MAKE IT WORK!
 

Women, working together will make Maryland a national leader - with health care that is always there for everyone!
Be A Health Care Reformer – Join Us Now!

 

bill signingYou did it! With just one and half hours to go in the 2008 Maryland General Assembly session, the Kids First Act passed and was signed into law by Governor O'Malley on May 22.  Coalition Steering Committee members Leni Preston and Leigh Cobb (back row) joined the Governor and Delegate Mizeur, sponsor of the Kids First legislation, for the bill signing.

Kids First means that the 90,000 children in our state who are eligible for public programs (Medicaid or Maryland Children's Health Program – MCHP) but not now enrolled will have a better chance of getting access to the health coverage they need.   Now we need to make it work - see below for more information. 

Don't forget! On July 1 the Maryland Medical Assistance Expansion Program began - learn more

 

You are key to our success.  Please join our organization and sign up for our free email newsletters and alerts so you will get the news as soon as it is available.

 
COVER ALL KIDS - 100%

buttonFor the 2008 General Assembly, the Maryland Women's Coalition set a goal of passage of the Kids First Act – the first step to ensure that all kids in Maryland have the most basic of human rights – the health care they need to lead happy and productive lives. But, we are not done yet. We need to be sure that the eligible kids are enrolled and that 50,000 more get the health care they need.

Learn more about the current state of uninsured kids in Maryland, why we should cover all kids, how we can pay for it and, most important, how you can help. 

Our Cover all Kids buttons (image above) are available for a $1.50 donation by email. Get several. Give to your friends and colleagues to spark interest and discussion of this very important effort.

 
MAKING IT WORK!

The Coalition's task now is to ensure that:

  • The goal of the Kids First Act - to enroll Maryland 's approximately 90,000 children eligible for Medicaid and the Maryland Children's Health Insurance Program (MCHP) – is met. To do that we are partnering with our member organizations, governmental agencies and others to identify and address the barriers to enrollment. In other words, we need to make sure that the system works!
  • Affordable insurance packages are available to bring access to health care to the 50,000 children above 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. A commission was formed under the Kids First Act to provide recommendations. We need to be sure these meet the needs of Maryland 's families.
 
Health Care for All – Partnership Meeting

The Maryland General Assembly will reconvene on January 14, 2009. Before then the Coalition will identify legislation that will further our goal of health care for all. If you have issues or legislation you want to discuss please contact us [link]. And, plan to attend our Partnership Meeting on Saturday, November 22 nd from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We want to hear from you.

 
Raising Women's Voices for the Health Care We Need

As the regional coordinator for this national action campaign we can supply you with information, materials and speakers so that you can take action in your own community. Learn more.

 

 
Events  more
Health Care for America Now! Campaign was launched on July 8.  Our coalition has signed up as MD Regional Coordinator for this campaign.
 
News You Can Use more
Harry and Louise are back! Watch their latest video supporting healthcare reform this time.
 
Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007. Census bureau study.
 
New Census Data on Uninsured Children, Aug. 26, 2008. Statement on the Census study by Cindy Mann, Georgetown University Health Policy Initiative Center for Children and Families.
 
Covering the Uninsured in 2008, Aug. 25, 2008. Kaiser Family Foundation
 
Expanding Medicaid a Less Costly Way to Cover More Low Income Uninsured Than Expanding Private Insurance, June 26, 2008 report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
 
Maryland Medical Assistance Expansion Program Slated to Begin July 1, 2008 Eligibility expands to parents and other family caregivers of children earning up to 116% of the Federal Poverty Level.
 
U.S. Variations in Child Health System Performance; a State Scorecard Report of the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System
 
Basics for Reform more
MD Current Coverage
 
Contribute personal stories to an anthology on the current health care system
 
Kaiser Family Foundation
Covering the Uninsured in 2008
 
The Uninsured and Their Access to Health Care, 2006
 
Updated Fact Sheets on Women's Health Insurance Coverage
 
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Several useful advocacy resources on covering the uninsured
 
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
The current tax and the rankings of all states showing Maryland is 22nd.
 
Detailed tobacco tax analysis