Advocacy Update: Veterans Media Campaign and REDUCE Act
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National Alliance To End Homelessness
Advocacy Update | January 5, 2010
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Two Important Updates:
Veterans Media Campaign & New Medicaid Bill
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The Alliance would like to update you on two important advocacy campaigns:
1) We would like to collaborate with you on the November 10 national media release of the 2009 data update to Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans. By working together, we hope to bring attention to both the newest data on homeless veterans and related policy priorities currently being considered in Congress. Click here to register for this media campaign.
2) We hope you will help us gain Senate co-sponsors on the REDUCE Act, S. 1781-- a bill to establish a coordinated care Medicaid program. Below is a summary of the critical provisions in this bill.
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Senate Co-Sponsors Needed on REDUCE Act, S. 1781
Coordinated Care Medicaid Program Moving Forward _______________________________________
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The Alliance has been working with many of you to establish a coordinated care Medicaid program as part of health reform. On October 15, Senators Shaheen (D-NH), Brown (D-OH), and Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the program as a stand-alone bill-S. 1781, the REDUCE Act (Reduce Emergency Department Utilization through Coordination and Empowerment Act). Getting additional Senators to co-sponsor (officially sign-on in support of) S. 1781 will show wide support for the bill and will increase our chances of getting it attached to health care reform legislation.
Please work with us to get as many Senate co-sponsors on S. 1781 as possible. Call the offices of your Senators this week; ask the staff person who works on Medicaid if his/her boss will co-sponsor S. 1781.
The legislation would:
- Improve health outcomes for people who are homeless and have multiple disabling conditions;
- Allow participating states to reimburse supportive housing providers for all of the primary health care and behavioral health services that people need to remain safely housed; and
- Improve future Medicaid benefits packages by tracking and evaluating reductions in hospitalizations or institutional admissions and use of emergency health services.
Timing:
To be attached to health reform, S. 1781 will likely be offered as an amendment when the full Senate votes on health care reform legislation. Before health care legislation can proceed to the Senate floor, the Senate Finance committee's version, which passed the committee on October 13, must be combined with the version of the legislation passed this summer by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee.
Before a final bill is sent to the President for his signature, both the House and Senate must complete a version of the bill, reconcile differences between the two versions in a conference committee, and both chambers must vote to approve the same final legislation.
We will continue to update you at key points in the process when we can make an impact, in order to ensure that the REDUCE Act is included in health care reform.
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TOOLKIT
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BUILDING
POLITICAL WILL
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The Alliance works collaboratively with its local, state, and national partners to advance policies and programs that prevent and end homelessness.
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| CONTACT US |
Sarah Kahn
Director of Field Mobilization
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