Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Leadership Training through the Kennebec Valley Organization

KVO is offering a half day leadership training to all its member organizations. See the flyer for more information, or visit KVO's website. If you're attending, please email helen.hnsn@gmail.com or Dan Koehler at 873-5844 or at kvo@gwi.net

Sunday, November 23, 2008

State Employees offer to pitch in and save money

November 21, 2008 State Employees representing the Executive Branch bargaining units with over 9000 employees came to bargaining today with an offer to help with the budget crisis. State employees who have gone without raises for two years in recent contracts, and consistently accepted raises lower than inflation, today offered to help balance the budget by identifying savings and waste in State government. State employee’s raises have not kept up with inflation for the last ten years consistently leaving them behind the private sector in real income today called for everyone to pitch in. The State employees represented by the MSEA-SEIU manage lifesaving services for children and adults through DHHS, DOT, and Public Safety. All branches of State government provide necessary services to the people of Maine and State employees stand ready to help save tax payer dollars by ending wasteful outsourcing and bloated contracts to out of state companies. “Why send our money out of State, when we can hire Mainers to do the work for less?” said one of the Union negotiators, No one knows how to serve Mainers better than Mainers and we will work with the State to identify areas where money can be saved and funds kept in Maine. When we keep the money in Maine it helps our revenue fo ALL Maine citizens! 'We provide quality services." We want to help cut the tax burden said members of the negotiations team. Many people don't know that some state employees earn so little that they qualify for state services. Even these employees are dedicated to doing their part to get everyone in Maine through these hard times. There are so many examples of waste and opportunities for savings said another member of the executive branch teams. We can find ways to save tax dollars. “State employees pay taxes too and see their neighbors and friends hurting. With the help of their Union State employees have been trying to point out the waste of outsourcing for years and maybe during this crisis the time has come for the legislature to listen to those who know the work best. State employees are your friends and neighbors and they don't want agencies to close and the public suffer. Mainers will still need to register a car, adopt a child, be sure their food is safe, and educate their children. State workers know how fragile the economy is at the moment but they know Maine will weather this downturn better than many States because Mainers will pull together. Saving State services has strikes home when it is made personal. Here is a personal story. Recently two public safety workers working long hours and many unpaid hours on their own time were responsible for tracking down a sexual predator. The detective work rivaled the best of CSI. These two heroes don't make Hollywood salaries, they don't get a bonus for catching a monster. They did it to keep your children safe. No one knows how many children may have been saved from this monster. Last week one of these heroes was told they were scheduled for layoff, after saving children their child would have a mother with no job. I hope the State will work with its citizens to lower costs and I expect the public would question why State agencies would refuse to partner with State employees at no cost in a mutual goal of saving tax dollars. The State is expecting as much as a half billion dollar deficit and our members want to be part of the solution, we have the skills and the people to replace contracted services, saving both jobs and money for the taxpayers of Maine while improving services. The workers' contract does not expire until July 2009 but they are in negotiations now in order help find savings in the coming biennial budget. State employees know they find ways to save the State millions of dollars. They are willing to commit the resources to make this happen. Update: Saturday November 22 Ground Breaking Meeting of Executive, Judicial, and Community College bargaining units. In a show of solidarity and strength the three bargaining units that are most closely associated with the biennial budget process met on Saturday to share their concerns, their talents, and to build solidarity. The theme developed was "The best for the largest number, regardless of bargaining unit". This unprecedented meeting will lead to more sharing in the future and make it harder to pit one unit against another. "We all share common interests and we all want to help each other" said one of the Union team members. from Union Maine's blog . . . thanks Tom!

Canadian Home Care Workers Face Same Issues

I found this video on union brother Tom Maher's blog; Union Maine. See the video of Canadian Home Care Workers. It is amazing to see that our neighbors to the north, although in a different country with different laws and customs, are facing the same issues home care workers here face. Low pay and compensation due to low funding. We're all in the same boat. The RFP process mentioned in this video sounds too familiar!

771's Officers for 2009

771 has two incumbent officers and two new officers. This is exciting as 771 has a full slate of officers again. Re-elected were Helen Hanson for President and Joe Berry for Vice President. Newly elected were Ted Rippy for Secretary and Pat Crowell for Treasurer. 771 has a strong team of leaders. We will continue working with the Direct Care Worker Coalition, Maine PASA and the Kennebec Valley Organization in efforts to gain better working conditions and better care for our consumers. On thing I failed to mention, KVO awarded MSEA-SEIU a certificate of appreciation as MSEA was the top donor in this year's fundraising campaign. Thank you MSEA. For more on KVO's Annual Convention click here.

Friday, November 21, 2008

State's insurance superintendent cites need to change how industry operates

SKOWHEGAN -- Closer oversight of companies and better information for consumers -- those are among the goals from the top state official who oversees Maine's insurance industry. Without any changes, more and more people will not have the safety net they need, and that could be a matter of life and death, Mila Kofman said. "How will we explain this to future generations? To our grandchildren?" Kofman said. "There is no transparency in private health coverage. Consumers don't have enough information to make informed choices." Kofman, superintendent of the Maine Bureau of Insurance, delivered her remarks during a keynote address Sunday night at the fourth annual convention for Kennebec Valley Organization, held at the Centenary United Methodist Church in Skowhegan. About 30 people attended the event, and Kofman urged audience members to be activists on health-care issues. Kennebec Valley Organization includes religious congregations, labor union locals and community and small business groups, and its members have been pushing for the very changes Kofman talked about. Kofman's agency aims to protect the public through regulation and oversight of the insurance industry, examining companies' finances, products and policies. Before she was appointed the state's insurance superintendent in March, Kofman was an assistant research professor at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, leading studies on problems within the health care industry. During her talk, Kofman noted there are an estimated 47 million uninsured people in the United States and 20,000 people die each year of preventable deaths. She rattled off a laundry list of problems with private health insurance: It's largely unaffordable for lower- and middle-income people; consumers don't have access to full copies of a policy before they enroll; policy language is confusing; and benefits can be cut back even after enrollment. What to do? Expanding Maine's public insurance under Dirigo Health is probably unlikely because of state budgets shortfalls, Kofman said. But her agency will focus on several legislative initiatives, including: • Requiring insurance companies to provide full coverage contracts before enrollment and posting it on their Web sites. • Conducting a regular analysis of whether companies are complying with current laws and standards. • Investigating whether companies are unfairly targeting the elderly. To highlight the problems with private insurance, Kofman also used an example that she recently encountered: A patient with cancer needed chemotherapy treatment that cost $5,500 for a single injection. The patient's insurance covered only a maximum $1,500 each day. "If you ask me, that's not real insurance; that's not real coverage," Kofman said. "It won't save your life." Scott Monroe -- 487-3288, 861-9253 smonroe@centralmaine.com published in Morning Sentinel Monday, November 17, 2008

Thursday, November 20, 2008

HEALTH CARE 101

KVO's Health Care Team, in an effort to better understand how the health care system works, is getting some help from Doug Clopp and Steve Kelleher. Doug and Steve both have extensive backgrounds in health care policy. The Health Care Team thought that they were the right choice to help us learn more about the current health care system. The first "class" was on the basics; the difference between providers, payers, and consumers; as well as an introduction to the cost/access/quality triangle. These learning sessions prove to be very interesting and very informational. Members of KVO's member groups are encouraged to attend if you want to learn more about the health care system in the US and in Maine. Our next "class" is Tuesday, Nov. 25th from 6-8 pm at the St. Francis Parish Hall on Elm Street in Waterville. If you want to attend, please contact me helen.hnsn@gmail.com or KVO's lead organizer Dan Koehler at dan.koehler2@gmail.com or at 272-2083.

Homemaking RFP Update

Tuesday, November 18th, was the second hearing on the appeal on the decision of DHHS's Office of Elder Services to award the Homemaking contract to Catholic Charities of Maine instead of the current service provider, Home Care for Maine. The appeal panel got to hear testimony from Catholic Charities. Home Care for Maine continued to make the point that Catholic Charities was over budget in five of the eight districts on which it provided proposals for. The next step is for both sides to submit closing summaries to the appeal board by 3 pm on November 25. The appeal board will start reviewing the case on December 1st and have fifteen days in which to make its decision. We will know if Home Care for Maine will continue to provide the homemaking services by mid December. In the meantime, Home Care for Maine will continue to be the service provider until January 31st.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

771's Elections

A reminder, 771 is holding its annual election of officers next Saturday, November 22 at MSEA Headquarters at 65 State Street in Augusta from 1 to 3 pm. 771 is giving away a door prize of a $50 gas card to one lucky meeting attendee. Yes, you must be present to win. 771 will have social time and lunch with MSEA's Kids First chapter before our meeting begins. This is a great opportunity to meet child care providers, share stories and have some good food.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Massachusetts Businesses prove critics Wrong on Health Care Reform

Fears that businesses in Massachusetts would stop providing employee health insurance because publicly subsidized insurance is available are unfounded, according to a new report from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Two years after Massachusetts enacted its landmark health-care reform; four out of five Massachusetts businesses provide health-care coverage to their employees, increasing from 73 percent in spring 2007 to 79 percent in spring 2008. This law has resulted in over 439,000 people getting insurance coverage since the plan started! The state’s health-care reform act was enacted in April 2006. To ensure that all of the state’s residents have health insurance, the state expanded its Medicaid program; established a sliding-fee scale for insurance; required residents to purchase health insurance if affordable coverage is available; and required employers with 10 or more workers to contribute to their employees’ coverage or pay into a state fund. There’s been concern that employers would stop providing coverage to their workers and opt to pay into the state fund, but this new report shows that didn’t happen. This is good news for advocates pushing for public/private reform strategies. Carol Regan Director Health Care for Healthcare Workers

Friday, November 7, 2008

Update on Federal Health Care Legislation

This is exciting news . . . Yesterday, Families USA held a call with John McDonough, Senator Kennedy’s staff person in charge of developing his health reform legislation. Several things came out of that that are worth sharing: · The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Finance Committee, chaired by Kennedy and Baucus, respectively, have been working together and are both committed to moving universal health care in 2009 · Senator Baucus has a white paper coming out next week outlining what his legislation may look like. Enclosed is the letter he sent yesterday to President-elect Obama · Staffs of both committees are meeting with Obama’s staff, and HELP has held numerous stakeholder meetings to get input on four categories of reform: Coverage, Quality, Prevention (including population based approaches) and Financing. · We were all encourage to contact our member of Congress to convey a sense of public urgency on the need to do reform and not wait · They expect to be fully engaged by January 20th. · SCHIP: Needs to be reauthorized by April 1st. Options under consideration include: do a quick extender and then fold it into a broader reform later on in the year; do it immediately and get an early “win” for the new Administration, or put SCHIP into an economic stimulus package. There was a bit of a discussion of workforce issues, but as you can imagine, they are particularly focused on access to primary care. Long-term care did not come up. One other thing of note: Connie Garner is the staff lead for Senator Kennedy on disability issues which is likely to include access to home and community based services. Senator Baucus' letter to President-Elect Obama President-Elect Barack Obama Washington, DC 20270 Dear Mr. President-Elect, My sincerest congratulations on your victory in this week’s election. As we celebrate the coming of historic and much-needed change in our national leadership, I know that you and I agree: work must begin immediately on fulfilling the promises that we have made, as leaders, to the American people. For this reason, I write to inform you that as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, next week I will present to you and to the country my plan to move forward on health care reform in the early days of the 111th Congress and of your administration. As you know, the Senate Finance Committee has jurisdiction over Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and other health entitlement programs. I intend to work with you and with my colleagues on the Finance Committee, as well as with the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and relevant Committees in the House, to finalize a comprehensive health reform plan that can pass the Congress and be put on your desk in a timely fashion for signature into law. The analysis and outlook that I will unveil next week will detail specific policy areas and proposals on which I believe the Congress must move forward to achieve successful health care reform – from options for strengthening the employer-based system and reforming the delivery of health care for efficiency and quality to existing ideas on comparative effectiveness research and health information technology. These proposals will be built on the key principles that I have identified as essential to successful reform: - Universal Coverage: Our challenge is to find a mix of public and private solutions that will allow every single American to receive affordable, quality health care. - Sharing the Burden: As neither the employer-based system nor the individual market can fulfill the demand for affordable, portable, quality coverage, we must seek to ensure affordable coverage through pooling arrangements. I will outline various types of pooling arrangements that may help individuals and businesses afford quality coverage. - Controlling costs: As America cannot sustain its current rate of growth in health care spending, I will detail options in the tax code, in savings, and in other areas where efficiencies may be found to reduce the growth of health care costs. Our economy and our nation’s global competitiveness depend on success in this area. - Prevention: Remaking our health care system with prevention at its foundation can avoid both needless suffering and the high costs of treating an illness that has been allowed to progress. I will outline a new focus on preventive care. - Shared Responsibility: Individuals, employers, and the government must all play a part in the creating and funding of a new health care system. I intend to enumerate specific roles and opportunities for all to share the burden. Many of my reform objectives as Finance Committee Chairman will dovetail with your own health plan; in the places where our opinions and policy plans diverge, I am eager to work with you to achieve consensus. My staff is already in contact with your transition team and has made plans for a thorough briefing on our work product next week. I look forward to meeting with you personally in the coming weeks to discuss this further. As your candidacy and election have been historic, so I hope that your first term and the 111th Congress will be historic for their success in the achievement of comprehensive health care reform that finally makes health care accessible and affordable for every American. Sincerely yours, Max Baucus (D-Mont.) Chairman Senate Finance Committee I received this piece of exciting news in an email from Carol Regan of PHI.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Home Care for Maine Homemaking RFP Appeal

The date for the next appeal hearing is Nov. 18. At this time, I do not have the location or the time.

The Elections are over . . . now's the time to get down to business

771 will elect its new officers on November 22. A chapter meeting/election will take place at MSEA Headquarters in Augusta from 1-3 pm. 771 will have a door prize of a $50 gas card going to a lucky member. In order to win it, you must be present. Home Care for Maine members of 771 need to start thinking about their contract with HCM. That will also be discussed at the meeting on Nov. 22. If you're interested in being nominated for an executive office or a delegate, please contact me helen.hnsn@gmail.com and I'll pass the word to our organizers. Also, if you want to serve on the bargaining team for HCM, do the same, contact me helen.hnsn@gmail.com and I'll get the word to our rep. Here's the email I received from Owen about our bargaining team and upcoming negotiations. Helen, We need to start, if you all haven't already, putting together a Bargaining Committee for your next successor contract. Your current Collective Bargaining Agreement ends June 30, 2009. I suggest we put together a Bargaining Committee this month elected by your Unit's members to review the current contract to consider proposals from your unit members and Bargaining Committee members to amend or change it for the better. This may take a few meetings on the Bargaining Committee's part, but I would like to have suggested non-economic language changes regarding hours or working conditions (if any) completed by the first of the year but in no event later than January 31, 2009. Then I can mail our Demand to Negotiate Letter to Mollie Baldwin over at Home Care for Maine requsting financial information that we (our Bargaining Committee) would need to determine any suggested economic changes regarding wages. At that point, we would be well on the way to begin scheduling actual face-to-face bargaining sessions with HCM Management. Please share this email with anyone you know in your Unit who would be interested in being on this Bargaining Committee. ---Owen Sullivan, Field Representative MSEA-SEIU Local 1989

Monday, November 3, 2008

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Vote No on Question 1

Health coverage, quality care most important issues As a local physician, I appreciate the opportunity to address concerns about Question 1. On Election Day, Maine voters will decide what is more important to them: preserving and expanding health coverage for Maine families, children and small businesses; lowering the current assessment of health claims; providing rate reform to 40,000 Mainers who pay for their own health insurance; or pennies on a glass of wine, a beer or soda.
I think the choice is clear. And the choice became clearer last Thursday (Oct. 23).
That was when the Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit in Kennebec County Superior Court to overturn the previous funding formula for the Dirigo initiatives.
The lawsuit shows the true colors of the Yes on 1 campaign. Maine voters should be outraged that they have been deceived by the Yes on 1 side.
For months, the campaign has said no one would lose coverage if Question 1 passes because the law will revert to the previous funding by the savings offset payment. Now it has sued the state of Maine to get rid of that funding.
If successful on the ballot and in court, Maine’s noble attempt to expand coverage will be dead. It will be a sad day.
It will also be an expensive day. If health coverage suffers, everyone’s pocketbooks suffer.
At least now we see the real intention behind the campaign – to eliminate the Dirigo initiatives.
Where will those 18,000 people who are currently covered go? Where will the 700 businesses that are enrolled get insurance to cover their employees? Where will the 1,500 people waiting to get into Dirigo go?
We have been part of the political deception – another reason to vote “no” on Question 1.
The Kennebec Journal took exception to the process the Legislature used to enact the new funding, which replaces the old funding.
The beverage tax had been recommended by the 2006 Blue Ribbon Commission on Dirigo. The commission recommendations were presented by its chairwoman, Sandra Featherman, a former president of the University of New England, to the Legislature’s Insurance Committee in 2007.
The beverage company lobbyists had more than a year to lobby legislators on this issue. The Commission Report was a public document and the eight commission meetings were public and well attended.
The Legislature’s final action on the proposal should not have been a surprise to anyone.
The newspaper’s editorial took exception to the statement that the drinks being taxes are unhealthy. But you must look at the toll that alcoholism and sweetened beverages take on our health-care system. Maine spends more that $350 million treating obesity and its complications. When alcohol-related illnesses are considered, more than half a billion dollars in health-care costs are involved.
Fed Up With Taxes is a clever sound bite, but its success will put at risk health-care coverage and access to quality care will actually increase the assessment on our own premiums. I’ll gladly pay the few extra pennies.
Unfortunately, the newspaper’s editorial did not mention several benefits of the new law. The revenue generated by the legislation is dedicated funding that supports not only the Dirigo Health Program but also the changes in the individual health insurance market. About 40,000 Mainers currently pay for their health insurance because they do not get it from their employers. The new law offers them rate reductions.
So, if Yes on 1 succeeds, those 40,000 Mainers will not get their much needed reforms. If you are one of those 40,000 people, you should be upset that the national beverage industries are trying to take your rate reforms away.
Please vote “no” on Question 1. MAINE COMPASS Maroulla Gleaton, M.D., of Palermo, practices ophthalmology in Augusta. Kennebec Journal, Tuesday, October 28, 2008, page A5