“While We Celebrate a $15 Minimum Wage, Let’s Remember It’s Not Enough”

There has been a lot of buzz around the Seattle City Council’s historic adoption of a $15 minimum wage, the highest in the nation. Now there’s also excitement over last week’s passage of a living wage ordinance by the King County Council that sets the same wage floor for county employees and contractors. Yes, $15Continue reading ““While We Celebrate a $15 Minimum Wage, Let’s Remember It’s Not Enough””

Online Community College for Organizations Helps Connect Leaders

“Education (should be) the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” – Paulo Freire “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” ― Malcolm XContinue reading “Online Community College for Organizations Helps Connect Leaders”

Maine People’s Alliance Hosts Annual Winter Retreat

On December 1st and 2nd, 120 members of our affiliate Maine People’s Alliance (MPA) came together from across the state for their Annual Winter Retreat. The event created space for staff and leaders to reflect on their work over the past six months and to develop plans for 2013.

Left in the Dark

Today, members of the Health Rights Organizing Project called on the federal government to prevent health insurance companies from denying health care to people who speak limited English. Under the new health reform law, patients have the right to appeal insurance companies’ health care denials. Insurers are supposed to inform patients of these rights, includingContinue reading “Left in the Dark”

New State Health Insurance Exchange Rules Must Be Strengthened

Earlier this summer, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a preliminary set of regulations that instruct states in the development of their new health insurance marketplaces, also called exchanges. These rules govern all aspects of how the exchanges are run and are a key mechanism for reigning in health insurance company profiteering.Continue reading “New State Health Insurance Exchange Rules Must Be Strengthened”

Medicaid Makes a Difference Report

Congress is locked in a budget battle that’s grabbed round-the-clock media attention. Lost in the coverage are the real stakes in the debate, including the lives of the more than 50 million people covered by Medicaid, which is now in the budget-cutting cross-hairs. More than half of these 50 million are people of color. RacialContinue reading “Medicaid Makes a Difference Report”

Medicaid Matters across Generations

On July 12th, over 250 people joined with Senators Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Al Franken of Minnesota and Claire McCaskill of Missouri to highlight the important role Medicaid plays for seniors, kids, families and America and to decry recently proposed cuts to the critical program. The Alliance for a Just Society worked with CaringContinue reading “Medicaid Matters across Generations”

The Exchange in Vermont: A Model for Other States

On May 6, the Vermont State Legislature passed a law creating a new health policy for its state.  The Governor signed it into law that same day. The Act, H. 202, includes a fairly comprehensive set of policies that should serve as a model for other states to follow. H. 202 not only creates anContinue reading “The Exchange in Vermont: A Model for Other States”

Why Medicaid Matters

In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicaid and Medicare into law. At the signing ceremony, he spoke of the tradition of leadership that compelled the country to create such programs. He also spoke of another tradition, one embedded in our national identity and values. He said this value “calls upon us never to be indifferentContinue reading “Why Medicaid Matters”