The Benefits of Health Care Reform

Many folks have asked, "What, exactly, will health reform mean to me?" Below is a list of some of the many benefits available to children, youth, families, and older adults through health care reform. If you would like more detailed information on everything in the legislation, visit the Washington Post, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.

Benefits for Children, Youth, and Families*

· Guarantee access to health coverage for 95% of all children
· Prevent insurance companies from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions or annual or lifetime limits (eliminating pre-existing conditions for children will take effect immediately)
· Children now covered in parent’s plan till age 26
· Expansion of CHIP for children aging out of foster care
· Medicaid expansion up to 133% of poverty
· Medicaid reimbursement rate raised for states
· Maintain the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) until it is determined whether the new “health insurance exchanges” are safe for children and provide them benefits and cost protections comparable to or better than they have now
· Fund CHIP through 2015 – doubling the number of eligible CHIP children that can be served from 7 to 14 million
· Extend coverage for youths in foster care to age 26.

Benefits for Seniors*

· Encourage states to develop more choices of long-term care services, to enable older people to live in their own homes instead of more expensive nursing homes.
· New regulations on insurance companies would bar them from dropping the coverage of people who get sick, and from putting lifetime caps on coverage. Starting in six months insurance companies could not discriminate against children with preexisting conditions; by 2014 all ages would receive that protection.
· Those in Medicare Part D who fall into the “doughnut hole,” and have to pay all their prescription drug costs for part of the year, would get immediate help this year from a $250 rebate. Next year they would get a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs, and by 2020 the doughnut hole would be closed completely.
· Medicare would cover preventive services with no copayments, and those costs would not apply to the deductible.
· A new insurance exchange would help people who don’t have affordable insurance through their jobs. Until the exchange is set up, employers who give health care benefits for retirees ages 55 to 64 would get federal aid through a temporary reinsurance program.
· A new long-term care insurance program, which workers could pay into, would help them if they become ill or disabled and need help with basic services in order to stay in their homes.
· The Senate bill would strengthen Medicare by requiring insurance companies to competitively bid to offer private Medicare Advantage plans, a move that is estimated to save $118 billion from 2010 to 2019. Currently Medicare beneficiaries are subsidizing enrollees in these plans, which cost an average of 14 percent more than traditional Medicare.

* Benefits assume enactment of Reconciliation Patch (the Senate is expected to pass the patch later this week).

Sources (http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/policy/articles/democrats_release_their_final_health_care_reform_package.html, http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/health-reform-legislative-update.html)

House Passes Historic Health Care Reform Bill; Awaits President's Signature

Last night, the House of Representatives passed a historic reform of our nation’s health care system. The vote is victory for persons of all ages. The new law will extend coverage to millions of children and older adults, while helping seniors afford their prescription drugs and grant children more access to pediatricians. Grandparents raising millions of grandchildren will no longer face the prospect of having to choose between healthcare and potential bankruptcy. It will also help curb the rising costs of our health care system that threaten our nation’s finances.

Thank you to everyone that made calls and wrote letters. You can visit http://www.gu.org/TakeActionNow.asp and http://generationsunited.blogspot.com/ for continued updates on the legislation's impact on your family and constituents as well as information on how you can continue to communicate with your legislators. These reforms are long overdue, but are welcomed warmly!

Arizona Becomes the First State to Drop Children's Health Insurance Program

In times of economic downturn, children and seniors are most vulnerable.

On March 18th, faced with a $2.6 billion projected shortfall next year, Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona signed a budget that will leave 47,000 low-income children without health insurance, reported the New York Times.

Additionally, according to the William E. Morris Institute for Justice, based in Phoenix, Governor Brewer and the State legislature are considering reducing the TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) grant from 60 to 36 months and restricting the program so that only a few families who take in their relative children will qualify for a TANF grant.

According to the Institute, "Only about 40% of unemployed persons are eligible for unemployment insurance benefits in Arizona. In these times of high unemployment and few jobs, TANF is truly the program of last resort. Children are helpless victims of the recession. Without TANF, these families will have no money to buy clothing, maintain stable housing or provide for their children’s basic needs... If enacted, this program will leave thousands of [Arizona's] poorest children with no support."

Arizona's budget cuts illuminate why it is critical for Congress to pass health care reform. Without health reform, more states will follow Arizona's lead and more children and families will be in danger. Until then, Generations United urges state legislators to continue to preserve CHIP and TANF funding. Even in times like this, a state's budget is inherently a moral document, as it communicates the state's priorities. Children, families, and older adults need our support and investment.

Policy Alert: President Obama to Speak on Health Care Reform at George Mason University

This Friday, March 19, 2010, President Obama will speak on the urgent need for health care reform in Fairfax, Virginia at George Mason University’s Patriot Center. Doors open at 9:00AM EST and the event kicks off at 11:30AM. This event is free and open to the public and doors open at 9 AM. No tickets are required for this event. Please arrive early to ensure admittance.

If you plan to attend, please email mness@gu.org with the subject “Health Care RSVP” and include the number of attendees.


EVENT LOCATION
The George Mason University Patriot Center
4500 Patriot Circle
Fairfax, VA 22030

Further information is available at www.whitehouse.gov/GMUremarks

Letter on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility

Below is a letter from Donna to President Obama, Congressional Leaders, and Co-Chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility.

March 12, 2010

Dear Mr. President, Congressional Leaders, and Commission Co-Chairs:

Generations United, the national membership organization focused solely on improving the lives of children, youth, and older adults through intergenerational solutions and policies, asks the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility to refrain from using the commission to fuel a false sense of competition between the generations. Generations United shares the commission’s aim of reducing the federal debt and balancing the budget, but believes those goals must not come at the expense of unraveling federal investments and supports for the young and the old.

Some vocal commentators assert that it is necessary to cut vital programs like Social Security and Medicaid for the future of our children and our grandchildren. These arguments presuppose that these programs do not benefit children. Generations United urges the commission to use its important role in educating the public to explain the key role Social Security plays in lifting millions of children out of poverty – paying more benefits to children than any other federal program. Generations United questions how our children will benefit from fewer investments as they age and pass through our schools, job market, and into retirement. The best gift we can give our children and grandchildren is a nation with a strong safety net that supports people of all ages.

The best way for the commission to prevent intergenerational conflict is to ensure an open and transparent process. An open process will allow Americans to become more familiar and informed on any potential recommendations from the commission. Individuals and organizations representing a broad segment of society should be offered the opportunity to comment publicly on the available policy options open to the commission.

Please do not hesitate to contact us in the future; we look forward to being a resource to the commission.

Sincerely,

Donna M. Butts

Executive Director

From Donna Butts: Help for children here and abroad

The children of Haiti are the most visible, most raw symbols of that earthquake-ravaged country’s persistent needs. Their stories of injury and loss continue to haunt us long after the news segments fade. Their anguished faces remind us that the devastation we view from the comfort of our homes is a daily reality for them.

Understandably, many well-intentioned Americans have been moved to open their homes as well as their hearts to Haitian children. Agencies are overwhelmed by requests from families who want to end the suffering they see on their television screens. Church groups are holding seminars. Nonprofits are raising money for rescue missions. Pending legislation in Washington D.C. seeks to bring Haitian children to the U.S., placing them in foster care before matching them with parents.

Philanthropists, politicians, and pundits have been weighing in on whether adoption is the appropriate response to this crisis. In the midst of news that has become an international controversy, however, lies a larger truth. All children deserve a permanent, loving home with a family that will protect, nurture and guide them.

Natural disasters dramatically threaten the survival of families and children. So, too, can the challenges of life here at home. The scenes of loss and terror, the long and laborious journey to stability, play out not only in Port-Au-Prince, but in neighborhoods, towns, and cities across America.

Even as our nation’s attention is focused on the plight of Haitian children, we must keep in mind the critical importance of strengthening the safety net we have established for children in our own country who have experienced abuse or neglect.

More than half a million children across the U.S. are currently living in foster care. Although foster care is intended to be a temporary refuge until families can put their lives back on track, children spend more than two years, on average, in the foster care system. Each year, thousands of youth turn 18 and “age out” of foster care with no permanent family to rely upon.

Adoption is one of several options for children in foster care who cannot safely remain at home. Legal guardianship by a relative is another. Almost a fourth of children in foster care live with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other relatives. Foster children who have been placed with relatives are more likely to live with their brothers and sisters; stay connected to their communities, culture, and heritage; and less likely to change schools. All of these are factors that lead to a healthy, productive adulthood.

Today, in state capitals across the nation, lawmakers are crafting strategies to protect vulnerable children and strengthen support for families by implementing the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoption Act of 2008. The Fostering Connections legislation aims to increase the number children exiting foster care with safe, permanent, loving families through adoptions and guardianships with relatives. You age out of a system, but you can’t age out of a family.

Fostering Connections is a vital, and urgently-needed, step forward to benefit children and families. We must show our state lawmakers that the passion we have for the people of Haiti – evidenced in the millions of dollars given in personal and corporate checks, government commitments, and offering plates – is matched by the passion we have for children in the U.S.

Our determination to protect and provide for Haiti’s children is a shining example of the human spirit. Let us harness that energy to protect children in need on American shores, as well.

Statement from Donna Butts on Health Care Reform

Following President Obama's remarks on Wednesday, March 3, Generations United Executive Director Donna Butts issued the following statement, urging members of Congress to continue their efforts to extend healthcare to our nation's most vulnerable citizens.

"Our nation cannot continue to allow millions of Americans from all generations to go without access to high-quality affordable health care. Nothing is more important for the long-term success of our children, families, and older adults than Congress finishing healthcare reform.

Generations United welcomes the president's proposal to help more people access care through the Medicaid program. By increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rate, more children and seniors will be able to find a doctor or hospital willing to extend care to them.

In his call to action, the president recognized children, young adults, and older adults still face an insurance market that can refuse to cover them because of a preexisting condition, or bankrupt them because of inadequate coverage. Our nation's seniors are still without a long-term-care insurance program and our children still need access to preventive care. We applaud this important effort today. While not perfect, this bill makes important strides in addressing an issue that touches all generations."

E-mail cscott@gu.org for more information.

Kentucky Seniors4Kids are featured in this "Blueprint for Kentucky's Children" video by Kentucky Youth Advocates! At 6:10, this video highlighting solutions for improving child well-being in Kentucky shows Seniors4Kids advocates Mary Musgrave, Pat Murrell and Major General James B. Baylor speaking up for the importance of quality pre-k.

New Momentum on Health Reform

There is new hope for the millions of uninsured and underinsured children, youth, and older adults. Later today, Congressional leaders and the President will convene in the Blair House, across from the White House, to discuss the future of health reform. Earlier this week the President released his own proposal that makes a number of important changes to the Senate health care bill that passed earlier this year. Nobody expects there to be unanimous agreement over the President’s proposal today, but people do deserve a reasonable and constructive debate from our nation’s leaders.

Inaction on health care reform is not an option; the rolls of the uninsured will continue to rise, while others will face higher premiums and shrinking coverage. Generations United is pleased President Obama and Congress have decided to continue the important work to make sure people of all ages have access to high-quality, affordable health insurance.

PA Seniors4Kids Bernard Chatman in Chronicle of Philanthropy

Looking for inspiration? PA Seniors4Kids Captain Bernard Chatman shared his story in last week's edition of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. You must be a Chronicle subscriber to read the entire article, which includes the following eloquent words from Bernard:

"We must invest in high-quality pre-kindergarten programs to give every child the ability to become more productive in ways that benefit all of us economically and socially as well. Pre-kindergarten programs don’t just help individual children and their families, they provide benefits for generations to come through creating stronger communities, responsible citizens, and successful students.

On my most recent birthday, I turned 59. My contemporaries and I do not see ourselves as old. We believe our lives have just started.

We are blessed with wisdom and the experience of long lives, and we have much to give to the generations who follow us. When we see children who are troubled by difficulties in school or in life, we have learned not merely to say, “What’s wrong?” but also to ask, “How can I help?”

From the Policy Desk: What the Presidential Budget Commission Should Do

Today, President Obama signed an executive order establishing the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform made up of six presidential appointees and twelve appointees from Congressional leaders. The commission is tasked with reaching an overwhelming consensus (14 of 18 members must agree) on a plan to close the federal deficit by the middle of the decade, as well as making sure the long-term budget outlook of the United States is sustainable. I’ve blogged about the dangers of budget commissions before, but I thought it might be helpful to suggest three positive things the budget commission could do.

1. Strengthen Social Security for all ages. Social Security is the most successful anti-poverty program in this country’s history. It provides invaluable support for current retirees, future retirees and children. Social Security will continue to run a surplus until 2023, but faces a relatively modest long-term shortfall. The commission should reach out to Social Security actuaries and put together a package of reforms that strengthens both the program’s adequacy and solvency.

2. Our children, youth, and seniors need critical investments across the lifespan. Our budget should reflect the values of our nation and our commitment to protect the most vulnerable.

3. Provide a budget plan that raises adequate revenues. A new report from the Center for Economic Policy Research points out that our budget woes are largely driven by the great recession and changes in the tax policy last decade.

Seniors4Kids stand up for early childhood education

In Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, older adults are gathering together to show support for quality early childhood education. Their voices are being heard.

Today in Frankfort, Kentucky, Kentucky Seniors4Kids Captains raised their voices for children at the Capitol Rotunda, meeting legislators, writing letters and participating in an intergenerational activity with AmeriCorps members.

Pennsylvania Seniors4Kids made headlines today with a letter to the editor published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by State Coordinator Yvonne Thompson-Friend.

New York Seniors4Kids State Coordinator Paul Arfin had a letter to the editor published in the New York Times this month as well.

For more, see the Seniors4Kids website.

Snowed In

Hello all,
Here in D.C. we've been snowed under for about a week now -- but our staff has been working diligently from home and in our Texas office!

Connect for Kids has a great Q&A with Brenda Eheart, founder and CEO of Generations of Hope, which created Hope Meadows, the intergenerational community in Rantoul, Illinois, where families adopt neglected and abused children from the foster care system.

She speaks eloquently about finding intergenerational solutions to challenges faced by people of all ages:

"There is tremendous interest in intergenerational communities, in having older adults play a significant role in solving social problems related to vulnerable people. We recently had a group come to us who wanted to design a community for developmentally challenged adults. There are many other groups that might have need for these kinds of communities – whether it is young mothers with drug addictions or kids coming out of foster care with developmental delays."

"We’re very grateful that the concept has grown enough now that anybody can understand what we’re doing."

Read the rest here.

Register for the ICIP conference now!

Hello all! Early Bird Registration is now open for the 4th International Consortium for Intergenerational Programmes (ICIP) Conference, 26-29 April 2010: "Linking Generations - Family, Work, Community"! This year's conference is in Singapore; GU's Donna Butts will be one of the featured speakers.

Spending Ratios Don't Show The Whole Picture

Donna hopes to say more about David Brooks’ column today in the New York Times later (there’s a lot to like about it). I do want to respond briefly to his point about spending on children and seniors.

Brooks cites a recent study by Julia Isaacs of the Brookings Institution that lists the ratio of federal spending between seniors and children at 7:1. Various other columnists have picked up this headline-generating ratio. Notice, pundits rarely use the 2.4:1 ratio for all government spending – most government spending on children is at the local and state level – since it plays less into their selected narrative. However, no matter what ratio they cite, this comparison is deeply flawed.

The ratio of spending tells you almost nothing about the actual wellbeing of children and seniors, or how we support families. Programs are not easily divided into those that support children and those that support seniors. Children don’t live in an isolated bubble, they live in families. Robert Gordon, associate director at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently made this point at an Urban Institute event. It is unclear, he said, whether supports designed specifically for children help families any more than those designed to help families care for an aging parent. When creating public policy, it doesn’t make sense to separate children from families.

Further reading:

Henry Aaron wrote an excellent response to the Brookings paper, challenging the value of trying to separate spending by children and seniors.

Also, I want to point folks to the excellent post by Ezra Klein. Klein correctly argues that it’s the structure of Medicare that is actually driving spending, not some intrinsic selfishness on the part of seniors.

President's Budget Released

The President released his FY2011 budget today. Every year the President prepares a budget and sends it to Congress for consideration. Congress will work to pass a budget by October 1st 2010, though it often takes additional time to complete the budget process. Below are a few highlights of the budget changes the President announced for some key programs affecting children, families, and older adults.

Older Americans Act (OAA), National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), Lifespan Respite Care, and other supportive services
The budget proposes $103 million for the Administration on Aging Caregiver Initiative (further details found here):
• $52.5 million toward the National Family Caregiver Support Program to fund caregiver services and the Lifespan Respite program.
• $50 million increase in supportive services for senior services (under Title III-B), including transportation services and adult day care services.

Health Care (further details found here):
• $2.5 billion for health centers to provide affordable high quality primary and preventive care to underserved populations, including the uninsured. This will allow health centers to continue to provide care to the 2 million additional patients they served under Recovery Act and support approximately 25 new health center sites. In 2008, health centers provided direct health care services to 17 million people.
• New Medicare demonstration projects that evaluate reforms to provide higher quality care at lower costs, improve beneficiary education and understanding of benefits offered, and better align provider payments with costs and outcomes.
• $25.5 billion for additional Federal Medicaid assistance to help states maintain their Medicaid programs and ensure access to health care for millions of Americans.

Corporation for National and Community Service
The budget proposes $1.416 billion for the Corporation for National and Community Service - an increase of $266 million from 2010 (further details found here):
• $914 million for AmeriCorps programs
• $60 million for the Social Innovation Fund in order to test promising new approaches to major challenges
• $63 million for RSVP (no change from FY10)
• $111 million for the Foster Grandparent Program ($104,000 above FY10)
• $47 million for the Senior Companion Program ($96,000 above FY10)

Child Nutrition (further details found here):
• $7.6 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to fully serve all eligible individuals.
• $10 billion over 10 years for a strong Child Nutrition and WIC reauthorization.

Child Care, Head Start, and Early Head Start
• Will nearly double the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for middle-class families making under $85,000 a year by increasing their credit rate from 20 percent to 35 percent of child care expenses.
• Provides an additional $989 million for Head Start and Early Head Start to continue to serve 64,000 additional children and families funded in ARRA.
• Provides an addi­tional $1.6 billion for the Child Care and Devel­opment Block Grant (CCDBG) in preparation for reauthorization to expand child care opportunities, and improve health, safety, and outcomes for children.

GU's Response to the State of the Union

President Barack Obama issued a strong appeal to lawmakers of both parties in his Jan. 27 State of the Union address to continue their vital work on healthcare reform, an issue that affects all generations.

At Generations United, we are heartened by this commitment to improving America’s health care. We join President Obama in urging Congress to keep working for reform, as he said last night: “Don't walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people.”

The current economic crisis has challenged Americans from all walks of life. President Obama rightfully addressed plans to promote job creation and business recovery. However, we must remember that true economic recovery is not limited to the workplace. Our nation’s most vulnerable children, families and older adults – the populations hardest hit by economic losses – need care, resources and support. As we await details about President Obama’s deficit commission and plans for a spending freeze, we caution that any conversation on deficit reduction must be viewed through an intergenerational lens. We hope that the proposed deficit commission and spending freeze do not become part of short-sighted fixes detracting from the far-reaching goals President Obama has pledged to achieve for all Americans.

We are pleased with President Obama’s emphasis on education and child care, recognizing that despite difficult economic times, he is emphasizing long-term investments that benefit all generations. Investing in our youth, and in education across the lifespan, has immediate payoffs as well as long-term gains. So does the announced increase in the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), which provides critical services to support family caregivers, including grandfamilies – grandparents or other relatives raising grandchildren.

“The only reason we are here,” President Obama said, “is because generations of Americans were unafraid to do what was hard; to do what was needed even when success was uncertain; to do what it took to keep the dream of this nation alive for their children and their grandchildren.”

We join President Obama in paying respect to the many generations who have sacrificed and worked for a brighter tomorrow. We also stress that connecting the generations is key in solving the problems facing our country. Intergenerational programs have been shown to successfully fight childhood obesity. Workforce mentoring across generations improves communication and productivity. Grandfamilies provide care and support to our most vulnerable children.

Our country is rich in both history and in opportunity, in wisdom and in possibility. As we move into 2010, we must recognize the interconnectedness of the generations and look to solutions that benefit and engage all ages.

Policy Update: Great news for family caregivers

Here's some encouraging news from our policy team:

President Obama will announce a proposed increase in the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) during his State of the Union address on Wednesday night, January 27, 2010. The NFCSP, part of the Older Americans Act (OAA) provides critical services to support family caregivers. Up to ten percent of the funding appropriated for the NFCSP can be used to provide support services to grandparents or relatives over age 55 who are raising relatives’ children.

Visit our NFCSP resource page for more.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Intergenerational Legacy

Greetings! Here at GU, we hope your Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday was filled with reflection, rest and service.

Donna Butts was in the Washington Post on Monday with an op-ed about intergenerational service on MLK Jr. Day and the importance of grandparents and older adults in the lives of our children. Grandparents laid the foundation for both King's and Obama's successes as leaders, just as "First Grandmother" Marian Robinson does today in the White House.

We're also proud to highlight the many successes this weekend by teams of intergenerational volunteers. In her op-ed, Donna referenced the great work going on in San Diego by Keep The Spirit of '45 Alive and the intergenerational volunteer project headed by United Way of Greater St. Louis. Also this weekend, President Obama marked MLK Jr. Day with an intergenerational reflection on the civil rights movement, and in Baltimore, Experience Corps members shared stories with students about their own childhoods during segregation.

Dr. King said, "We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

Let's continue to view the world from that intergenerational perspective in the year ahead.

Children and Familes Have a Stake in Social Security

In this time of heightened conversation about the national debt, Social Security and other vital government programs, we've just released a Fact Sheet illuminating the intergenerational benefits of Social Security. Social Security pays more benefits to children than any other federal program, and serves as a safety net for our most vulnerable children and families. Read, re-read and pass on to your friends and contacts -- we'd love to know what you think about this critical matter.