Catholic Health World Articles

Elizabeth Allen, left, a legislative assistant for Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, meets with Dennis Gonzales, regional vice president of mission integration for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System, and Traci Thompson, system director of advocacy and public policy for CHRISTUS Health.

Attendees of the 2018 CHA Legislative Advocacy Conference received materials supporting CHA’s “Medicaid Makes It Possible” campaign to leave behind on visits to Capitol Hill offices; many sported Medicaid campaign buttons on their visits.

Thomas F. Turner, vice president, business development and government relations for Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio, and colleague Shannon Jerse, left center, deputy general counsel, Sisters of Charity Health System in Cleveland, meet with Abigail Duggan, right center, senior policy advisor, and Tina Chhabra, a legislative fellow. Both women are on the staff of Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.

Colin Goldfinch, a staff member for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Nick Uehlecke, a staff member with the House Committee on Ways and Means, discuss health care priorities for the next Congress.

Marco Paredes, foreground, associate director for health, Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Kip Corriveau, director of mission, Bon Secours St. Petersburg Health System, review “Medicaid Makes It Possible” material with Ansley Rhyne, a legislative assistant to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ministry advocates from systems and facilities across the nation gathered here Oct. 25-26 for CHA's Legislative Advocacy Conference. As part of the conclave, attendees visited over 80 congressional offices. Ahead of the midterm election and an expected lame duck session in November, many of the conference speakers talked about the potential for changes in the makeup of the next Congress and several state governments, and what that might mean for health care.

Attendees also heard from key Capitol Hill staff and health policy analysts about the potential threat of the budget deficit to health care programs, the future of the Medicaid program and the proposal to limit the ability of legal immigrants to access health care programs through an expanded definition of "public charge."

During the Hill visits, attendees discussed all those issues along with expressing ministry support for the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, which would provide resources and training for palliative care programs; and support for the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act, which would align substance use disorder treatment records with other medical records under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA, protections.