Advocacy Committee Report
This is turning out to be a very busy political season with much going on in both the National and the State arenas. This is a report on what actions NMHCA has taken for the 2009 advocacy work.
For
January 2009
• Produced a letter of support for Project ECHO in support of HS-PAR-08-270 “Utilizing Health Information Technology (IT) to Improve Health Care Quality (R18).
• Endorsed two sections of the DPA 2009 Legislative Sign On Letter. The two sections were “Treatment Instead of Incarceration” and “A New Bottom Line”.
February 2009
• Several members of NMHCA along with NMHCA gave testimony in support of Medical Marijuana for patients going through treatment for HCV.
For Federal
December 2008
• NMHCA signed on as an organization to the First 100 Days Document. This letter addressed the issues related to hepatitis C in
the
• Signed onto the letter to President Obama regarding Rep. Ramstad. Rep. Ramstad was to be the nominee for the nation’s next “drug czar” The letter address syringe exchange programs, medical marijuana, and other public health issues.
December 2008 and February 2009
• Monitored the Colorado Syringe Exchange piece of legislation. Helped with information about our state and the syringe exchange program here.
January 2009
• NMHCA signed on as an organization for the Viral Hepatitis in Senate Economic Stimulus Bill. This letter addressed our support for increased funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) in the Senate stimulus package.
February 2009
• NMHCA signed
on as an organization in support of the Wellness and Prevention stimulus letter. This letter addresses funding in the House-passed
and Senate Appropriations committee-approved stimulus legislation. Drafted by the Trust for
• NMHCA signs on as an organization in support of the Viral Hepatitis Organization Sign On Letter. This letter drafted by NASTAD addresses the need to have funding of $335 million for HIV, STD, Viral Hepatitis, and TB prevention.
• NMHCA signs on as an organization in support of the Letter to Obama on Syringe Exchange & the Federal Funding Ban. Drafted by the Harm Reduction Coalition, this letter addresses President Obama to keep his pledge on supporting the lifting of the federal funding of syringe exchange.
February 2009
• NMHCA is continuing to monitor the stimulus package working its way through congress. The Nelson-Collins amendment in the Senate version will strip out all of the $5.8 billion Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, which includes the funds for STD and HIV prevention and testing activities.
• The Senate version and the House version are now going to a conference where both sides will resolve the differences. Remember that the House version does include $3 billion Prevention and Wellness Fund of which $335 million is intended for domestic HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD, and TB prevention programs.
NMHCA will sign on, endorse, or write letters in support of the packages that include funding for prevention programs for HIV/AIS, viral hepatitis, STD, and TB language.
Stay Tuned!
Stephani Patten
Advocacy Chair