ABOUT US |
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Our Vision |
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The Maryland Women's Coalition for Health Care Reform envisions a nation where every resident has access to comprehensive, affordable, high quality health care. |
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Our Mission |
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The Maryland Women's Coalition for Health Care Reform is an alliance committed to bringing comprehensive health care to Maryland . In our state, where approximately 1.6 million people are either uninsured or under-insured, the Coalition seeks solutions and advances reforms to provide every resident with affordable, accessible, high quality health care that is always there. |
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The Problem |
| Women are the guardians of children's and family health as well as the caretakers of the sick, disabled, and elderly in our neighborhoods and communities. We are concerned about the hardships faced by far too many of us who cannot see a doctor when we are sick. Women are often unfairly burdened by the current health system because: (1) we work in low paying jobs with no health benefits; (2) we hold part-time jobs without any coverage; (3) we are single mothers with dependent children who are ineligible for Medicaid; and (4) we work in small businesses that cannot afford to provide health insurance. Some 365,000 uninsured women in Maryland are affected by one or more of these problems. |
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The Solution |
| Women across Maryland want, need, and will work for a health care system that provides comprehensive, affordable, accessible, high quality health care for themselves, their families, and their communities based on the Coalition's Principles. The Maryland Women's Coalition for Health Care Reform organizes women and women's organizations to be a force for health care change for the state's residents. The Coalition provides its members with information about legislation, policy, and programs that bring us closer to our goal of achieving comprehensive health care. In turn, members alert thousands of women across the state about actions they can take to advance the health care reform we seek. |
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Our Agenda |
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| The Maryland Women's Coalition for Health Care Reform agenda: |
- Create and promote an annual list of priorities for health care reform based upon the Coalition's Principles
- Organize and recruit women and women's organizations throughout Maryland
- Inform its Members and Friends about health care reform issues, relevant legislation and policies
- Mobilize Members and Friends to advocate for health care reform in Maryland
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Our Principles |
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The Maryland Women's Coalition for Health Care Reform believes that access to comprehensive, affordable, high quality health care should be a basic human right. The Coalition will also support interim steps leading to full reform, based on the following principles - that health care in Maryland will be:
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Universal – Everyone residing in Maryland is covered for health care. |
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Comprehensive –– Health care includes a wide range of physical, mental, and dental health services in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings and from a variety of providers. Health care services include wellness, preventive, primary, acute, chronic, and long term care provided over each individual's lifespan. All prescription drugs are covered. |
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Affordable – Costs of care do not prohibit anyone from seeking and getting care. Premiums, deductibles, and co-pays are on a sliding scale according to income and financial aid is available to low income individuals and families as needed. No one is forced to give up essential income, go into bankruptcy, or become impoverished because of personal health costs. |
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Accessible – Health care services are available in a variety of settings in every community, from urban specialty hospitals to rural health centers, from doctors' offices to school-based clinics, from long-term care and hospice to the home. No one has to travel long distances in order to receive appropriate and timely care. |
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High Quality – Health care services will meet the highest medical standards for everyone. No one receives a lower standard of care due to income, race or ethnicity, gender, employment, immigration status, disability, pre-existing condition, geographic location, or any other reason. |
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Coordinated – Each individual who enters the health system is assured that services and treatments are planned and managed among all providers over the continuum of care for the optimum benefit of the patient's health. Care remains coordinated over the lifespan of each individual. |
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Patient-Centered – Our health system serves the health and wellness needs of people, not the profit margins of insurance and drug companies. Everyone, no matter their age, race/ethnicity, gender, income, or geographic location, should receive health services that are comfortable, reassuring, efficient, and to the highest standards in order to optimize their care. For women this includes the full range of reproductive health services and settings and providers specifically designed to serve them. Transparency and education enables each individual to share in her/his personal medical decisions. |
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Culturally Respectful – Our diverse population requires that health care meet the needs of people with differing health traditions, who speak languages other than English, and whose health needs reflect their lifelong experiences. Each individual who enters the health system is treated with the same high level of regard and caring. |
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Fiscally Sustainable – Fiscally sound strategies for financing a universal system are based on the creative use of multiple public and private sources. These include state and federal revenues, business and payroll taxes, enrollee contributions, tobacco and alcohol taxes, Medicaid and Medicare dollars, and other dedicated revenue streams as needed. Savings and efficiencies are achieved from some of the following:
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- use of health information technology
- eliminating unnecessary paperwork once everyone is covered
- lower administrative costs
- reduced health care costs as people receive preventive care
- lower profit margins for the private health insurance market
- lower drug prices through government negotiations with drug companies
- decreased use of emergency rooms and other costly acute care services
- reductions in waste and duplication through improved tracking of services
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Our Steering Committee |
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Anne S. Kasper, Chair
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Leni Preston, 1st Vice Chair |
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Gina Angiola
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Nate Brown |
Leigh S. Cobb |
| Mary Lou Fox |
Barbara Lenkerd |
Marion Mudd |
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