Congressional action on health reform appears to be moving quickly, with bills expected out of the Senate and then the House before the July Congressional recess and promises of votes on Capitol Hill before the August recess.  Leaders have stated their intent to get a combined House-Senate compromise bill to the president in the fall.

What does APHA want to see in health reform? A new 2009 Agenda for Health Reform has been developed and posted on the APHA Web site, along with a list of suggested questions to ask members of Congress about health reform. Go to: https://secure3.convio.net/apha/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=135

As would be expected for the world’s largest public health organization, APHA is emphasizing the need to achieve universal coverage for health care and take additional steps to optimize the nation’s health through health promotion and prevention programs. So the APHA Agenda for Health Reform is divided into two sections.

The first section lists measures need to “support population-based services that improve health.” Examples include prevention and early-intervention services at the individual and community levels, and strengthening of programs to reduce health disparities. One innovative proposal would establish health goals and outcomes, and then require an annual “State of the Nation’s Health” report to hold ourselves accountable.

The second section focuses on measures to “reform health care coverage and delivery.” It describes a vision of comprehensive health care for all this way: “All people living in this country should have comprehensive benefits, including evidence-based clinical preventive services, management of chronic diseases and conditions, behavioral health, dental and vision care, and reproductive health services, without restrictions in coverage due to pre-existing conditions.” I’ve added the emphasis on these benefits because it is important to our section that APHA’s Agenda for Health Reform has specifically included services we provide and support – both for people living with HIV/AIDS and to help prevent infection with HIV and other STDs.

As health reform moves through Congress, we will likely be faced with attempts from conservatives to exclude reproductive health services from coverage packages under health reform. We must work through APHA and our own organizations to resist this attempt. We must also oppose any efforts to enact new expansive “provider conscience” language in health reform bills, as has been requested by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. We must work to ensure that reproductive health care is treated just like other types of health care in any reform bill, and is not singled out for exclusions.

How can you get involved in health reform efforts this year? The APHA’s Action Board, on which I represent our section, is planning activities during the summer Congressional recesses. APHA members and members of APHA affiliates from targeted states will be asked to meet with key members of Congress about health reform. These members are expected to include the Democratic chairs and Republican ranking members of the Senate Finance Committee (Max Baucus of Montana and Charles Grassley of Iowa) and Health Committee (Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Mike Enzi of Wyoming) and the Democratic chairs and ranking Republican members of three key House Committees: Ways and Means (Charles Rangel of New York and Dave Camp of Michigan), Energy and Commerce (Henry Waxman of California and Joe Barton of Texas) and Education and Labor (George Miller and Howard McKeon, both of California). In addition, other members of these same committees may be targeted, such as Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, who is leading an effort in the Senate Finance Committee to develop a “public plan” option that would be included in health reform. APHA supports the inclusion of a public plan in health reform. Finally, APHA will be looking to educate leaders of the House and Senate, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

If you are a constituent of one of these key members of Congress and would like to volunteer to become involved in these Congressional meetings, please contact Susan Fulmer at SFinSC@aol.com.  She will help put you in touch with volunteers from state and local affiliates of APHA in order to form teams to make Congressional visits. If you cannot spare the time for such a meeting, you still can participate in APHA’s health reform activities by responding to APHA Action Alerts asking you to send e-mails to your members of Congress or make telephone calls to them. Please be on the alert for these messages about the need to include public health in the health reform debate and to support public health prevention measures. Our section has a keen interest in making sure health reform includes a full range of reproductive health services. We also want to increase Congressional support for pregnancy and STD prevention measures. So, it’s time to get active!

During the months of July and August, APHA is asking us to schedule meetings with our legislators in their district offices, participate in town hall meetings hosted by these legislators, and seek opportunities to ask questions of candidates running for office. If you are willing to meet with your Congressional representative during the summer, you should call right away to schedule an appointment, because their schedules fill up fast. Don’t know how to do this? Don’t know when your representative will be having town hall meetings? Check in regularly at the APHA Action Campaign Web site for news and updates: http://www.apha.org/advocacy/tips/advocacyACtionCampaign.htm.

As the Section’s representative to the Action Board, Lois Uttley will be helping to link section members with state public health associations that are arranging office visits to members of Congress over the summer. If you would like to be part of this effort in your state, please contact her at lois@mergerwatch.org.

Susan Fulmer

HIV/AIDS Section representative

APHA Action Board