The Border Organization Takes on Hospital Management
"Members of The Border Organization group expressed frustration Wednesday over Val Verde Regional Medical Center's process in hiring new chief executive officer Victoria "Vicky" Barnthouse. The closed-session, private-ballot vote in favor of Barnthouse was done at VVRMC's July 1 hospital district board meeting.
Read moreAustin Interfaith Weighs in on Health Insurance Exchange
"Texas officials have declined to establish a state-based health insurance marketplace, a major provision of the federal Affordable Care Act. So private organizations are working to educate Texans about coverage options through the federal health insurance exchange, which opens on Oct. 1....The department will also finance at least two "navigators" — organizations intended to guide people through the exchange — per state.
Read moreYuma County Interfaith Fights for Immigration Reform & Medicaid
Bishop Gerald F. "Kicanas joined nearly 100 members of churches of different denominations from the area who gathered ... to organize a campaign in favor of not only a new immigration law but also efforts of Gov. Jan Brewer to expand the state's health program for the poor: the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)....
Kicanas' appeal came as he spoke to members of Yuma County Interfaith, a faith-based group whose leaders and members represent a variety of religious denominations in the area."
Read more800 VIP Leaders Renew Call for Expanded Medicaid in Arizona with Governor Jan Brewer & Key Legislators
"Meeting city, state, faith and education leaders on Thursday, Sen. John McComish, of District 18, voiced his continued support for Gov. Jan Brewer's plan to expand Medicaid in the state at a panel hosted by the Valley Interfaith Project (VIP).....McComish and Rep. Heather Carter, of District 15, pushed the expansion that would give Medicaid to about 300,000 low-income Arizona residents.
VIP's crowd included nearly 800 people from surrounding churches, school districts and organizations."
Read moreDAI Calls on TX Legislature to Support Medicaid Expansion Bill
Leaders of Dallas Area Interfaith called on Texas legislators to support bi-partisan House Bill 3791 which would expand Medicaid to insure an additional 1.5 million Texans. Clergy from Jewish, Catholic and Protestant congregations announced that DAI had collected over 5,000 signatures in the last few months in support of expansion Medicaid.
'Together Louisiana' Leaders Keep Pressure on Gov. Jindal
"With a call for a "pragmatic" approach to the expansion of Medicaid healthcare for the poor, the leaders of the Together Louisiana alliance of congregations has challenged Governor Bobby Jindal and lawmakers to work with the federal government on expanding health coverage for the poor. "We don't need an ideological discussion about Obamacare," the Rev. Melvin Rushing of Baton Rouge told a State Capitol rally. "We need our state's technocrats to sit down with the national Medicaid technocrats and work through this issue as the practical, pragmatic matter it is."
Our Views: Poor need coverage, The Advocate (4/29)
Read moreTogether Louisiana Battles for Medicaid Expansion
"A new analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Office said accepting the Medicaid expansion envisioned by the federal health care law -- but so far refused by Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration -- would save Louisiana between $532 million and $544 million over the next five years.....
The theme of Tuesday's rally -- led by Together Louisiana, a recently formed coalition of religious and civic groups, and the American Association for Retired People -- was that if Jindal doesn't like the Medicaid program, he should insist on certain conditions while accepting the expansion...."
Read moreOne LA Enrolls Hundreds in County Healthcare System
"L.A. County is teaming with OneLA to hold enrollment events in places where those needing healthcare coverage naturally congregate, such as churches and schools....Volunteers are identifying people through the church parishes and doing pre-screening so the enrollment can occur on the spot. Some of the people are eligible for Medi-Cal, and others are being enrolled in Healthy Way LA, a temporary coverage program until the Medi-Cal expansion takes place in 2014.
The effort relies on trained volunteers, with help from Neighborhood Legal Services and the L.A. County Department of Health Services. The volunteers are also working to link people with clinics near their homes."
Read moreEPISO, With El Paso Elected Officials, Challenges Governor
Elected officials and members of Border Interfaith and the El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization joined the CEOs of University Medical Center and Del Sol Medical Center to push for expanded Medicaid coverage to insure 1.5 million uninsured Texans, including about 135,000 El Pasoans....
Lucy Nashed, a deputy press secretary for the governor, in an email said Perry is against a Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, but is interested in flexibility from the federal government "to address the challenges in the current broken Medicaid system."
Read moreCOPS / Metro Alliance Fights for County Support of Medicaid
"Groups seeking expansion of Texas' Medicaid program will plead their case outside the Bexar County Courthouse on Tuesday before Commissioners Court is set to take up a resolution supporting their position....Leading the 9:30 a.m. gathering Tuesday ... will be County Judge Nelson Wolff. Also expected are representatives of the county hospital system community organizations called COPS/Metro Alliance.
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