Policy Archives - EverThrive Illinois

Illinois Budget Address

Earlier this week, Governor JB Pritzker delivered a virtual Budget and State of the State Address to the 102^nd General Assembly.

EverThrive Illinois was pleased to hear the Governor’s continued investment in nutrition support, housing support, early childhood development, child care, and funding to address ongoing vaccine hesitancy. Despite ongoing state budget stress from the pandemic, the Governor did not propose any cuts to state agency budgets. The Illinois Department of Human Services, Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Department of Public Health (IDPH), and the Department of Child and Family Services all have budget proposals that would keep funding at 2021 levels.

The pandemic has genuinely changed how we engage with our neighbors, loved ones, jobs, and communities. Due to COVID-19, income inequities between those who have the most and those who have the least have increased. In 2020, millions of households had shifted the way they work and care for their children due to the pandemic. This shift in care has caused more harm to female-identifying caregivers than male. In fact, Black and Latina mothers have stopped working due to layoffs or necessity at a higher rate than white caregivers.

In the recovery plan for Illinois, legislators and decision-makers must go beyond holding the line on funding and make bold financial investments in health care, financial support, and employment support for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. Closing corporate tax loopholes and implementing a progressive income tax are two ways that the state could raise much-needed revenue and lessen the financial tax burden of low and middle-income families.

We urge the Pritzker Administration and legislators to support policy solutions identified by many robust state reports as ways to address ongoing racial health disparities in pregnancy care. Specifically, leaders must address the increased rate of maternal mortality and morbidity and infant mortality among Black families by:

Providing a year of postpartum health care coverage to all people with Medicaid coverage, regardless of their immigration status
Providing respectful and responsive care to all pregnant people, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community
Provide support in the form of doula services and home visitor care to people with Medicaid coverage
Reduce barriers to abortion access for all people
Apply for a family planning State Plan Amendment to leverage federal funding to increase access to family planning services

Finally, during the annual state agency budget briefings following Governor Pritzker’s Address, Dr. Ezike, Director of IDPH, unveiled a new mission statement.

“To advocate for and partner with the people of Illinois to re-envision health policy and promote health equity, prevent and protect against disease and injury, and prepare for health emergencies.”

EverThrive IL is grateful for the community leaders and agency staff who are working to shift how social services are designed and administered in Illinois. IDPH’s re-commitment to health equity is energizing, and we believe that Illinois can achieve health care equity, birth justice, and racial justice when we work together. We look forward to working with the 102nd General Assembly members and the Governor’s Office to improve Illinoisans’ health.

One Step Closer to Expanding Postpartum Coverage

Maternal and Infant Mortality, Policy

Across the U.S., thousands of people lose Medicaid coverage at 60 days postpartum. The entire postpartum period is 12-months, however, and applies to anyone who has experienced pregnancy. Coverage is important for birthing parents but essential for those who may have lost a pregnancy or experienced high-risk complications and have specific medical needs. Ending coverage early puts people in danger of losing access to essential health care when they need it the most.

Ensuring coverage during the full perinatal period is what EverThrive Illinois has been working toward for over 30 years. EverThrive IL is proud to share our advocacy’s impact to create a community where all people have safe, affordable, accessible health care. EverThrive IL strategically identified an opportunity to advocate for a nation-wide change and seized it to take a collective step towards building a better Medicaid program.

MACPAC, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, is a non-partisan legislative branch agency that makes recommendations to the states, members of the U.S. Congress, and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Testimony from EverThrive IL and other health advocates urged MACPAC to recommend a 12 month-postpartum coverage mandate for Medicaid. This push for expansion was successful, and MACPAC made a historic recommendation for a nation-wide Medicaid expansion with a 100% federal match in funding.

Mandating twelve months of coverage for people in the postpartum period is the first step to ensuring people stay healthy after giving birth. Not only will a mandatory expansion provide life-saving coverage for parents, but insurance coverage of a parent is a predictor of insurance coverage and health outcomes of children. Children will have better outcomes and have healthier parents by their side.”
EverThrive IL’s comments to MACPAC on mandating 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage.

MACPAC’s recommendation of a 100% federal match in funding requires no state dollars to extend coverage to individuals with Medicaid or CHIP coverage as state budgets are stretched due to the pandemic. This bold recommendation signals postpartum coverage is a nation-wide solution to the rising rate of maternal death and severe morbidity. Most importantly, it would extend this vital coverage to more people sooner because state legislatures won’t have to use state funding to implement the expansion.

The ongoing pandemic shows us that with federal support, states can expand access that save lives. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act directed states to provide continuous coverage to people enrolled in Medicaid. The emergency continuation includes people enrolled on the basis of being pregnant who would have otherwise lost coverage after 60 days and has provided life-saving health care during the pandemic.

Permanent Medicaid coverage extension to one year postpartum is already underway in Illinois. Public Act 101-0010 directed the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to expand Medicaid coverage from 60 days to one year postpartum. EverThrive IL has worked with HFS for over a year to effectively implement this change. As of February 2021, HFS has not yet received the required approval from federal CMS. Additionally, disparities remain in access and outcomes for people who are undocumented and unable to receive Medicaid coverage. Both the proposed Illinois expansion and MACPAC recommendation leave out people who are undocumented, and EverThrive IL will continue urging the state to address this lapse and cover all birthing parents.

We applaud MACPAC’s decision to support this equitable policy change and encourage policy decision-makers to continue supporting innovative solutions. Health care is a human right, and we must consider ways to include all people, regardless of citizenship status, while improving Medicaid.

authored by:
Kelsie Landers, LMSW
Policy and Advocacy Director

Sarah Ferguson
Policy Intern
University of Illinois at Chicago – MSW ’21

One of our best tools to fight the pandemic? School-Based Health Care

Covid-19, Policy

February is School-Based Health Awareness Month and to celebrate EverThrive IL is recognizing how this evidence-based model is playing a crucial role during the ongoing pandemic. Whether virtually or in-person, young people, their families, and the greater community are connected to a network of care through the 66 school-based health centers (SBHCs) located in Illinois.

EverThrive IL recently shared our recommendations for addressing COVID-19 with Governor Pritzker’s administration, and chief among them was supporting the role SBHCs could play in the vaccine rollout and safe reopening of our schools. We were pleased to see Governor Pritzker meet with SBHC professionals at Morton East School-Based Health Center one day after sharing our recommendations. We commend the Governor for his commitment to supporting the SBHC model and investing its ability to address specific community needs during the ongoing pandemic.

SBHCs are primed to serve this role. SBHCs foster relationships with the communities they serve, building trust in the health care system while providing whole health services like medical, behavioral, dental, and vision care. What makes the school-based model of health so special is that it brings together two pillars of the community: health and education. Even with schools closed during the pandemic, many SBHCs provided a crucial access point for communities with the least access. As the COVID-19 pandemic placed added stress and prolonged trauma on so many communities, SBHCs continue to serve as a lifeline to essential behavioral health services. Their presence is important now more than ever, as they provide early and consistent intervention as well as prevention, that reduces the strain on emergency rooms by decreasing emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

SBHCs by design take a holistic approach to care, working alongside the community to connect families to services they would otherwise not have direct access to. For this reason, we pushed for the continued funding of our SBHCs so that they could stay open, even when schools shut down, as a vital resource to the health and wellness of our community. When we invest in SBHCs they’re not only able to help individuals access care, but they are able to support larger public health efforts to respond to the pandemic.

authored by:
Simone Jacob
Communications Intern
Mount Holyoke College ’22

2021 Policy Priorities

Policy

We are pleased to announce the 2021 EverThrive Illinois Policy Priorities that will direct our work in the upcoming year. These priorities reflect our ongoing commitment to address the most pressing health problems facing women, children, and families. They also advance our mission to dismantle systemic racism and inequality, paving the way for greater health equity in Illinois.

State Priorities

1.) Advocate for policy and systems changes that positively impact health and birth outcomes for parents and children.

This includes supporting policies, programs, and funding that address the root causes of maternal mortality. We’ll specifically focus on expanding Medicaid coverage to 12 months postpartum for every Illinoisan, regardless of immigration status, expanding access to doula, home visiting, and lactation support services for people with Medicaid coverage, and addressing racism in medical settings.

We will also support expanding access to quality mental health and substance use support for pregnant and postpartum individuals, advance policies that aim to reduce health disparities, and advocate for immunization policies and programs that provide science-based information and the timely administration of vaccinations during pregnancy and across the lifespan

Finally, we’ll fight for policies that promote healthy pregnancies and healthy infants, which include but are not limited to, infant mortality reduction and breastfeeding programs, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC), Medicaid, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

2.) Advance policies that improve the physical, mental, social, and emotional health of children and adolescents.

This includes advocating for the full integration of school-based health centers (SBHCs) into all financial models, including Medicaid Managed Care, and supporting policy that sustainable implements behavioral health services in SBHCs. We will support policies that improve and increase access to Early Intervention services and both policies and practices that increase access to mental health providers, nurses, and restorative justice services

We’ll oppose the use of physical restraints and other punitive measures that have negative impacts on the mental, emotional, and physical health of youth and oppose the use of police booking stations in schools, the use of police force against students, and the overreliance of police in school settings.

Finally, we’ll support access to sexual and reproductive health education in schools, and support efforts to repeal the Parental Notification of Abortion Act

3.) Advance policies that promote access to high-quality, comprehensive health insurance for every Illinoisans.

This includes promoting policies that improve the efficacy and consumer-focus of Medicaid coverage, and increase transparency and affordability of private health insurance plans. This also includes codifying in state law the protections enacted in the Affordable Care Act.

We will monitor short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans to ensure they are accurately conveying terms of coverage and aren’t using predatory tactics to mislead consumers. We will also protect, support, and advocate for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health benefits in all forms of insurance coverage, including ensuring health plans have robust coverage for contraceptives, pregnancy management, and abortion, and expanding equitable access to telehealth services. We will also support the implementation of the Reproductive Health Act (H.B. 40) and the presumptive eligibility rule.

4.) Advocate for an Illinois state budget that adequately funds policies that foster vibrant communities and promotes the health of children, adolescents, women, and families.

This includes advocating for ongoing state funding to address postpartum coverage disparities between citizens and those without a legal pathway to coverage, increased funding for the Illinois SBHCs, and increased funding for Infant Mortality Reduction programs and programs related to maternal health. We will continue to support a progressive income tax structure for Illinois to require those who earn more income to pay a higher rate and those who have a lower income to pay a lower rate.

Federal Priorities

In addition to our statewide advocacy, EverThrive IL will monitor and advocate for the following focus areas:

Support policies and programs that address the Black maternal health crisis.
Support policies and programs that support school-based health centers and programs that provide youth access to sexual and reproductive health information and resources.
Support policies, programs, and funding that improve health outcomes and support parents throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Support policies, programs, and funding that promote healthy pregnancies, infants, and children
Support and protect policies that expand access to affordable, timely access to the full range of contraceptive and abortion care. We also support repealing the Hyde Amendment and oppose any policies that would restrict or delay access to abortion care.
Support and defend access to high quality, affordable health care, and insurance. This includes a robust network of enrollment assisters, including Navigators and Certified Application Counselors, to conduct outreach and enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans and Medicaid, as well as promote health literacy.
Reject any measure to restrict and eliminate access to vital health programs and social supports based on immigration status, especially as it relates to the public charge rule.