Enrollment for 2018 insurance plans opened today, and will remain open until December 15th. If you need to enroll, re-enroll, or change an insurance plan you got through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you need to do it in the next 45 days. If you qualify for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) you can apply at any time, and if you have some life event you might qualify for the Special Enrollment Period.
If you need help enrolling, you can contact ENROLL Virginia at 1-888-392-5132 or info@enroll-virginia.com, or visit enrollva.org/events/ to find a free workshop near you.
The Trump administration shortened the enrollment period and cut funding for advertising about it, so try to share this around to make sure people who need it see it.
Showing posts with label healthcare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthcare. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Friday, May 5, 2017
Shame on Representative Brat: Demo Against Anti-Healthcare Congressman
Today, Friday May 5th 2017, from 5-7pm, near the Glen Allen CVS (10901 West Broad Street, Glen Allen VA), there will be a demonstration against Representative David Brat of the 7th Congressional District. Yesterday, Brat voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act (the ACA, or Obamacare) and replace it with Trump's American Health Care Act (AHCA), which will allow states to rescind consumer protections for health insurance customers and end Medicaid expansion. The bill narrowly passed the House, and has gone on to the Senate.
Effectively, this was a vote to strip millions of people of their health insurance coverage and allow insurance companies to charge more for less (here is a good summary from govtrack.us). It will most seriously affect women, those with illnesses or disabilities, and the elderly. Among other things, the AHCA ends fines for large employers who do not provide health insurance, allows states to end protections for people with pre-existing conditions and to repeal requirements that insurance companies cover basic services, and cuts $900 billion from Medicaid. This is expected to cause widespread loss of insurance, an increase in costs, and ultimately, deaths.
The major problem that the public had with the ACA (besides its association with Obama, which made the law a major target of the Republican party) was the "individual mandate," which financially penalized people for not buying insurance while providing insufficient subsidization for those who couldn't afford it. The ACHA removes the tax penalty, but also substantially decreases subsidies to help people afford coverage and allows insurance companies to impose a surcharge of up to 30% the year following a lapse of coverage— essentially meaning that the individual mandate is not only intact, but much more severe, and the charges will go directly into the pockets of insurance companies (incentivizing them to find reasons to cancel your coverage every other year).
Every Republican Virginia congressman except Barbara Comstock (10th District) voted with Brat. This means: Robert Wittman (1st District), Scott Taylor (2nd District), Thomas Garrett (5th District), Bob Goodlatte (6th District), and Morgan Griffith (9th District) all voted to make healthcare more expensive and less equitable.
For more info, see this link.
Effectively, this was a vote to strip millions of people of their health insurance coverage and allow insurance companies to charge more for less (here is a good summary from govtrack.us). It will most seriously affect women, those with illnesses or disabilities, and the elderly. Among other things, the AHCA ends fines for large employers who do not provide health insurance, allows states to end protections for people with pre-existing conditions and to repeal requirements that insurance companies cover basic services, and cuts $900 billion from Medicaid. This is expected to cause widespread loss of insurance, an increase in costs, and ultimately, deaths.
The major problem that the public had with the ACA (besides its association with Obama, which made the law a major target of the Republican party) was the "individual mandate," which financially penalized people for not buying insurance while providing insufficient subsidization for those who couldn't afford it. The ACHA removes the tax penalty, but also substantially decreases subsidies to help people afford coverage and allows insurance companies to impose a surcharge of up to 30% the year following a lapse of coverage— essentially meaning that the individual mandate is not only intact, but much more severe, and the charges will go directly into the pockets of insurance companies (incentivizing them to find reasons to cancel your coverage every other year).
Every Republican Virginia congressman except Barbara Comstock (10th District) voted with Brat. This means: Robert Wittman (1st District), Scott Taylor (2nd District), Thomas Garrett (5th District), Bob Goodlatte (6th District), and Morgan Griffith (9th District) all voted to make healthcare more expensive and less equitable.
For more info, see this link.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
"Writing Gender Confirming Surgery Letters for Transgender Clients": Free Workshop for Medical/Mental Health Professionals
Monday, January 23rd 2017, from 5:30-7:30pm, at Health Brigade (formerly the Fan Free Clinic; 1010 North Thompson Street, Richmond VA), there will be a free workshop for medical and mental health providers who work with transgender clients requesting gender-affirming (what used to be called "sex change") surgery. From the event description:
"This workshop is intended for mental health and medical providers working with Transgender clients who request a recommendation letter for gender confirming surgery. Gender confirming surgery letters are necessary for trans individuals seeking surgery for surgeons and insurance purposes. This workshop will provide participants with letter content requirements. "
Free, but Health Brigade is accepting donations to defray the costs. Participants must register here.
Contact Jenn Gallienne with any questions at (804) 358-6343 ext. 143.
"This workshop is intended for mental health and medical providers working with Transgender clients who request a recommendation letter for gender confirming surgery. Gender confirming surgery letters are necessary for trans individuals seeking surgery for surgeons and insurance purposes. This workshop will provide participants with letter content requirements. "
Free, but Health Brigade is accepting donations to defray the costs. Participants must register here.
Contact Jenn Gallienne with any questions at (804) 358-6343 ext. 143.
Monday, January 16, 2017
2017 General Assembly: Bills Involving Health, Mental Illness, and Disability
Note: Bills can still be filed until January 20th, so new items may be added.
To see my master list of 2017 legislative topics, click here.
The letters before a bill’s number designate its chamber of origin. HB= House Bill, SB= Senate Bill, HR= House Resolution, etc.
Bills to support:
SB 1005: Mandates that community service boards and behavioral health authorities must, effective July 1 2018, provide same-day access to mental health screening services, outpatient primary care screening and monitoring services, and follow up for people IDed as needing assistance getting primary health services. As of 2021, must also include a bunch more.
SB 1027: Allows certain approved providers to manufacture and dispense cannabis-derived medical products for the treatment of intractable epilepsy. Currently, these clinically-proven treatments are not available, even under a doctor’s orders, because cannabis is not legal in Virginia.
SB 933: Mandates that the annual training for sheriff’s deputies and correctional officers at jails must include mental health first aid. Many people experiencing mental health crises end up in jail instead of at hospitals; training of this type might improve how jails handle them.
HB 1480: Similar to the above, requires police officers to be trained in mental health awareness.
SB 841: Makes certain medical use an affirmative defense for some marijuana-related charges. Marijuana is clinically proven to benefit sufferers of some conditions, but it is not legal in Virginia.
HB 1426: Directs the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Director of Criminal Justice Services to come up with an alternative mode of transport for people being involuntarily committed to psychiatric institutions, so that the police don’t have to be called.
HB 1522: Establishes that if a person convicted of a capital crime had a severe mental illness at the time their crime was committed, they cannot be sentenced to death.
SB 940: Mandates that jail inmates be screened for mental illnesses and evaluated regarding their need for services within 72 hours. This will help address the issue of mentally ill people being warehoused in jail cells without services.
To see my master list of 2017 legislative topics, click here.
The letters before a bill’s number designate its chamber of origin. HB= House Bill, SB= Senate Bill, HR= House Resolution, etc.
Bills to support:
SB 1005: Mandates that community service boards and behavioral health authorities must, effective July 1 2018, provide same-day access to mental health screening services, outpatient primary care screening and monitoring services, and follow up for people IDed as needing assistance getting primary health services. As of 2021, must also include a bunch more.
SB 1027: Allows certain approved providers to manufacture and dispense cannabis-derived medical products for the treatment of intractable epilepsy. Currently, these clinically-proven treatments are not available, even under a doctor’s orders, because cannabis is not legal in Virginia.
SB 933: Mandates that the annual training for sheriff’s deputies and correctional officers at jails must include mental health first aid. Many people experiencing mental health crises end up in jail instead of at hospitals; training of this type might improve how jails handle them.
HB 1480: Similar to the above, requires police officers to be trained in mental health awareness.
SB 841: Makes certain medical use an affirmative defense for some marijuana-related charges. Marijuana is clinically proven to benefit sufferers of some conditions, but it is not legal in Virginia.
HB 1426: Directs the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Director of Criminal Justice Services to come up with an alternative mode of transport for people being involuntarily committed to psychiatric institutions, so that the police don’t have to be called.
HB 1522: Establishes that if a person convicted of a capital crime had a severe mental illness at the time their crime was committed, they cannot be sentenced to death.
SB 940: Mandates that jail inmates be screened for mental illnesses and evaluated regarding their need for services within 72 hours. This will help address the issue of mentally ill people being warehoused in jail cells without services.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Help at the Hull Street Library
Every other Tuesday and Thursday from December 13th, 2016 to February 7th, 2017, from 10am-12pm, at the Hull Street Library (1400 Hull Street, Richmond VA), staff from the Daily Planet will be on site to answer your questions about the Affordable Care Act and the enrollment process.
If you need to apply to enroll in health insurance through the state marketplace for 2017, the deadline is January 31st. On December 31st 2016, your 2015 coverage will end, and if you don't take action to change or drop it, you will be automatically re-enrolled.
To add this item to your Google calendar, click here.
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