Category: Reproductive Justice

Our friends at NJ Policy Perspectives have put together an excellent report [tt_vector icon=”fa-external-link”] for those trying to understand the Affordable Care Act realities in NJ. The news release is below.  I would strongly suggest clicking on the link and reading the full report.  This would be a good thing to have at our coffee tables and to distribute to those who are concerned about the Affordable Care Act.

Thanks,

Craig

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Maura Collinsgru, NJ Citizen Action: 609-519-0408

Jon Whiten, NJPP Deputy Director: 917-655-3313

The Sky Isn’t Falling: NJ Consumers With Substandard Health Plans Have Choices (And the State Can Help)

Trenton – State officials are facing important policy choices regarding substandard health plans that will impact the availability of comprehensive health care that is affordable to as many New Jerseyans as possible, according to a new Issue Brief released today by New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP). Consumer health advocates from the NJ for Health Care Coalition joined NJPP’s Ray Castro to discuss the findings and reinforce that consumers have many good options to obtain quality coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“Consumers haven’t heard the message – they have choices. If and when they need new coverage, they can access the coverage and protections offered by the ACA and apply for subsidies to help them cover the cost,” said Maura Collinsgru, Health Policy Advocate with NJ Citizen Action.

The report examines the range of choices available to policy makers and consumers regarding substandard health plans and the potential impact of cancelling or continuing them. It suggests the impact that cancelling substandard plans would have on consumers has been overstated since only one percent of New Jerseyans – 110,000 – have substandard plans, and they already have the option of extending these plans for up to one year.

“The problem of individuals losing their substandard health plans because they do not meet ACA requirements has been exaggerated and can be managed by the state, insurers, and federal government as long as they work together to address the real needs of these consumers. This issue needs to be put in its proper perspective,” said Ray Castro, Senior Policy Analyst at NJPP and author of the report.

While eliminating substandard plans is consistent with the state’s longtime goal to provide comprehensive insurance coverage for everyone, further extending substandard plans would lead to higher costs for others who purchase comprehensive insurance and could threaten important consumer protections guaranteed by the ACA. Those who stick with their current plans will not be eligible for tax credits or cost sharing assistance. They will also lose important benefits that outlaw discriminatory rating practices, as well as annual and lifetime caps on coverage.

The report recommends that New Jersey take a more hands-on role as several other states are doing by offering supplementary premium assistance to make comprehensive coverage more affordable. Most New Jerseyans would happily replace substandard plans with comprehensive insurance if increased costs were not part of the deal. While the ACA provides generous subsidies for insurance, these may not always be sufficient in New Jersey, which has one of the highest costs of living in the nation. The good news is that the state can help – and it should – by tapping the hundreds of millions of dollars each year it will begin saving in 2014 as a result of the Medicaid expansion to provide additional assistance to consumers.

Although not widely reported, or understood by New Jersey consumers, those who face cancellation this year have the option to continue in their current plan for one year if they re-enroll before December 31^st. However, advocates strongly urged consumers to instead obtain the more robust and comprehensive coverage available through the Marketplace.

Consumer advocates say New Jerseyans need more information in order to make the choice that is right for them. To make the transition easier for those consumers affected, the state needs to oversee, monitor, and evaluate the transition process and ensure that consumers are aware of their rights and options.

The Coalition is renewing their call for the Governor to utilize the 7.6 million dollars remaining from a state planning grant to educate New Jerseyans on the range of new coverage options available to them and to help clear up the misconceptions that unnecessarily alarm consumers.  The money could be lost if the Governor fails to submit a plan to Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) over the next two months.

January 22, 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade case which made abortion legal in the United States. The UUA is partnering with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice [tt_vector icon=”fa-external-link”] (RCRC) to create a preaching resource on the anniversary, including readings, questions, statistics, and stories. Contact the Rev. Rob Keithan, Director of Public Policy at RCRC, (rkeithan@rcrc.org) to be notified when the resource will be released.

A brand new six-week curriculum from the Unitarian Universalist Association titled, “Reproductive Justice: Expanding Our Social Justice Calling,” will equip Unitarian Universalists with tools for effective public advocacy, tie us to our theological and historical resources, help us understand the complexities of reproductive justice, and strengthen our relationships with each other.  Cirriculum: Reproductive Justice Curriculum for Congregations [tt_vector icon=”fa-external-link”]

More from Reproductive Justice: UUA: Reproductive Justice [tt_vector icon=”fa-external-link”]

Greetings!

As you undoubtedly know, reproductive health, rights, and justice have been under vigorous attack in recent years. In fact, according to the Guttmacher Institute, 92 anti-abortion measures were passed at the state level in 2011—nearly three times the previous record of 35 set in 2005!

However, as you might not know, Unitarian Universalists are mobilizing to be a force for reproductive justice—and we’re hoping you’ll be part of it. Specifically, please join us for a conference call on April 5th at 4:00pm (call info is below).

In this first gathering of reproductive justice activists from around the country, we’re trying to do two things:

First, we’re working closely with Jessica Halperin, UUA Program Associate for Women’s Issues, to build a network of UU individuals and congregations dedicated to reproductive justice.

Second, the 2012 UUA General Assembly in Phoenix will select a new Congregational Study/Action Issues (CSAI) for 2012-2016, and Reproductive Justice is one of the five contenders! It was proposed by the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, NJ, through Mandy Restivo and Carol Loscalzo, co-chairs of the Reproductive Justice Committee (and 2 of the 3 people writing you this letter). Notably, they had strong support from their minister, the Rev. Kathleen Green, who will be on the April 5th call! Click here for the titles and text of all five options: http://uua.org/statements/current/index.shtml.

Since the UUA General Assembly hasn’t issued a major statement on the issue since 1993, and has never discussed the concept of reproductive justice, we think it’s time! Imagine how much we could accomplish if the whole UUA was studying and action on the issue for FOUR years! Currently we have 3 congregations who have endorsed the proposed CSAI: the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ft. Myers, FL, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair, NJ, and the First Unitarian Society of Denver, CO. We would love to add to the endorsement list! Click here for a definition and short history of reproductive justice: http://reproductivejustice.org/what-is-reproductive-justice.

Although we intend to work closely with Jessica Halperin on building a network for reproductive justice, we must respect that as a UUA staffperson she cannot take a position on any CSAI proposal.

We are joined in this effort by the third writer, Rev. Rob Keithan. Rob is currently a Consulting Minister at the Unitarian Society of Germantown in Philadelphia, which recently launched a reproductive justice task force. In late February, he also started a new job—as Director of Public Policy at the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, a national interfaith organization dedicated to reproductive justice.

We decided that our best approach would be to reach out to as many individuals, congregations and groups who might be interested in joining the network and/or working to get Reproductive Justice selected as the 2012-2016 Congregational Study/Action Issue. We invite you to join us! We are planning a conference call on Thursday, April 5 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. The call in number is (218) 632-0550, access code: 679579#.

If you would like to join our effort, and/or RSVP for the April 5th call, please visit http://bit.ly/GM7Em5 and share your contact information with us! And, of course, please pass this letter around to any other UUs who might be interested.

We look forward to some energizing—and hopefully successful!—collaboration in the service of promoting Reproductive Justice,

Signed, Carol Loscalzo, Mandy Restivo, and Rob Keithan