Voices of Health Advocates: Priorities for 2016

Across the country, state advocates are pursuing multiple strategies to improve health care in America. Three years into the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, many advocates are focusing on extending health insurance to all people as the next phase of health reform.

Others are tackling major problems consumers face, like the high cost of health insurance, surprise medical bills, and inadequate provider networks.

At our Health Action conference last month in Washington, D.C., we heard about the great work advocates are doing in their legislatures and communities to improve access to high-quality, affordable health care. Hear from advocates working in Colorado, Connecticut, New York, and Tennessee about their priorities for 2016.

Tackling affordability issues in Connecticut

Rose Garcia, Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut
Focusing on affordability issues. Too many residents are paying too much out of pocket for health care.

Building support for Medicaid expansion in Tennessee

Michele Johnson, Exe​cutive Director of Tennessee Justice Center
Educating the public to build support for the governor’s plan to expand Medicaid. Will show why expanding coverage to 280,000 Tennesseans makes good financial sense.

Health coverage for immigrants in Colorado

Aditi Ramaswami, Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved
Developing a plan to provide all immigrants with insurance options and access to health care. Also looking at how to integrate the consumer voice into high-level state conversations about health systems transformation.

Improving language access in New York

Laura Redman, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Seeking to improve language access in the health insurance marketplace and launching a new “coverage for all” campaign to extend insurance to undocumented New Yorkers.