Taking Action in Olympia: WA State Action Day Recap

Yet again, MS Activists in Washington State have demonstrated that together we are stronger than MS! More than 65 activists attended our annual State Action Day at the state capitol in Olympia, and conducted nearly 100 visits to their legislators.

This year's group of MS Activists!

We brought the stories of people living with MS to our state's elected officials, ensuring they understand the needs of people with MS. Our requests focused on two pieces of legislation, HB 2326 and HB 2445, both of which will improve access to information about our health care insurance and how decisions are made about benefits and care.

Thanks to all of our activists for joining us!

MS Activist Jonathan Sari shares this recap of our annual Washington State Action Day:

MS Activists ready to take action!

On a brisk February morning, committed MS Activists from around Washington State met in Olympia to further the cause of Washingtonians living with MS.

Our legislative agenda for the session was to improve transparency in our state's health insurance system. As happened each of my prior years, we heard from expert speakers

who laid out the problems that our proposed legislation was intended to remedy, along with the outcomes we expected to result from those remedies. We also were honored to hear a vision for the future outlined by our Governor Inslee.  

Governor Jay Inslee speaks to the group.

After the presentations, it was time to speak with our legislators. For Legislative District 46, those legislators are Senator David Frockt, Representative Gerry Pollet, and Representative Jessyn Farrell. We did not manage to secure meetings with Representative Pollet or Senator Frockt, but Representative Farrell graciously made time to meet with us.

It was my third year attending our State Action Day. This year, my two compatriots (who had made the hour-long drive from our North Seattle district to the state capitol each of my prior two years) couldn't attend -- so I conducted the visits on my own.

Jonathan Sari (right) at a legislative meeting last year

I arrived at Representative Farrell's office fifteen minutes early. These legislators are busy! While I waited I watched her wrap up a meeting with the fire fighters union and receive a message from the Speaker of the House -- a request that ended up limiting our meeting time. 

Representative Farrell remembered me from our earlier meetings and given our limited time, I kept our request to the basics: I asked for her support for our bills and explained that we hoped to streamline reporting and improve accountability for health insurance. She asked some good questions and although I didn't remember all of the specific answers, I promised to get answers that day. I also shared my personal experience of my own medication denial by my insurance company. I thanked her for her time, letting her know that I was following her email newsletter, and let her get to her meeting.

MS Activists meet with legislative staff.

I also dropped off the information packets with Representative Pollet's and Senator Frockt's offices. Before returning home, I reported in to Linnea, the Chapter's advocacy manager, to request the information to follow up so I could follow up that evening with Rep. Farrell.

I am glad to be a part of the Society's efforts to make government work better for those of us living with MS.

-Jonathan Sari

Visit our Facebook page for more photos of our State Action Day event.

Questions? Want to get involved? Let us know.

What's in Obamacare for people with high out of pocket costs?

Last night, a KING 5 town hall event on health care featured a question from MS Activist, Susan Brock. The town hall, titled "Health Care: Time to Get in the Game," answered many common questions that people with MS may have about the health law, like "what will happen to me if I'm on Medicare?" or "what will happen to my coverage at work?" Susan's question may be the most important though for people with MS - "What's in the law for people with a chronic condition like MS who experience high out of pocket costs?" 

I don't think Susan's question was answered sufficiently. The panelist answering the question had just talked about help that employers will get for paying for employees' coverage and so he answered the question with that in mind. However, Congressman McDermott did point out that there are no more annual or lifetime limits that often limited coverage for someone with extremely high costs. In addition and most importantly, everyone will now have an annual cap on out of pocket expenses (roughly $6300/year - not including premiums). And if you have a lower income (say because your MS prevents you from working full time), you'll have an additional help with your out of pocket costs. So in short, there's a lot to like in the Affordable Care Act if you currently have high out of pocket costs.

The KING 5 special will be on the air again on KONG 6/16 Sunday, September 7 at 6:00 p.m. and again on NWCN Monday, September 9 at 8:00 p.m. It's also available online - look for Susan's question at the 4:08 mark during the third segment. 

Keep checking back on this blog for more information on the new health care law. There's lots more to come! And if you want to know more about how you will be impacted by the health care law, speak to an MS Navigator at 800-344-4867 or check out more MS-specific information on our website.

Health care reform - what does it mean for you?

Come 2014, our health care landscape is going to look very different for people with MS. You can no longer be denied insurance coverage for your pre-existing condition, many of you will have limits on your out-of-pocket costs, and you could even get low-cost or even free health plans. Why? The Affordable Care Act will come into full effect.

Sounds great on the surface, but what does it really mean for YOU? We are starting to see some opportunities to learn more about these changes and we'll see many more in the months ahead. The National MS Society will be hosting a teleconference in early October aimed at the parts of the health care law most important to people with MS. We also have a great website geared towards getting you the information you need to know.

Healthcare.gov is another great resource for you. In many states, that's the new place you'll go to purchase affordable health insurance. In Washington, HealthPlanFinder will be your source to find, compare, and enroll in health insurance.

When you are purchasing health insurance, here are a few things for you to watch for:

• Make sure your neurologist is in your plan's network
• Check to make sure your MS drugs are covered
• Understand your total costs, including deductibles and cost-sharing - not just premiums

Purchasing health insurance can be confusing. Healthcare.gov and HealthPlanFinder will make it easier, but we encourage you to contact us if you have questions or are concerned about getting the best plan for you. We can help. Call the National MS Society at 800-344-4867. 

Help us make sure the health care law works for people with MS

People with MS often have a difficult time finding a good health insurance plan that is affordable and comprehensive. Too often, plans either cost way too much or don't cover your MS drugs. Luckily, help is on the way. 

The Affordable Care Act created a new way for people to compare and purchase health insurance that fits your budget and meets your needs. The Marketplace (also known as an exchange) will allow you to fill out one application and you'll be able to compare plans based on price, benefits, and quality. 

To make sure the Marketplace (called HealthPlanFinder in Washington) works for people with MS, we need some people who are willing to be "user testers" of the new website. You'll have a chance to make sure that the particular needs of people with MS are considered. If this interests you, please let me know at jim.freeburg@nmss.org or (206) 284-4254, ext 40237. We are looking for testers available August 5-9 and 12-16. You'll need to travel to Olympia for a three hour session. 

Healthplanfinder will open October 1, with coverage starting January 1, 2014. Individuals outside of Washington can find their exchange at Healthcare.gov. 

Should health insurance plans be required to cover MS drugs?

Insurers in Washington are looking for ways to cut the cost of their individual plans. One option is to remove brand name drug coverage. Premera did that in its Lifewise catastrophic plan a few years ago, and when Regence and Group Health tried to counter by doing the same, the Insurance Commissioner's office stepped in to say that access to at least some brand name drugs must be available for those that need them.

To learn more about this trend, check out this recent article that cites the high cost of MS drugs as a reason why people need insurance coverage.

Who benefits from health care reform in Washington?

Washiington's Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) asked this question and they have a pretty good analysis that describes the number of people, county-by-county, who will benefit from the Affordable Care Act.

The OIC report shows that people in every corner of the state will benefit. Take a look at the report to see how many of your neighbors will have access to health insurance in 2014.

The high cost of MS on the national stage

Check out this recent article on the Huffington Post about Mitt Romney's wife, who lives with MS. It's true that health insurance coverage varies widely in this country and it's incredibly difficult to get health insurance once someone is diagnosed with a disease like MS. For those who can afford it, health care is available. For everybody else, good luck! Luckily, the Affordable Care Act will change that, if it's upheld by the Supreme Court.

The Affordable Care Act – Do you know what it is doing for you already?

Not much has been said about the Affordable Care Act since its passage which baffles and saddens me. In my opinion, every member of Congress and the President should mention all of these benefits in every speech. There is much to be proud of in this piece of legislation. The Affordable Care Act is not perfect, but it’s a place to start in protecting Americans who do not have access to health insurance and those who are underinsured. So much has been implemented already and there is much more to come in 2014!

As of Sept 2010, these benefits have been implemented.

- Pre-Existing Insurance Plans (PCIP) offering coverage for previously uninsurable
- Lifetime caps eliminated
- A policyholder cannot be dropped from coverage because he/she becomes ill
- Annual out-of-pocket limits
- No co-pays for preventative services (vaccinations, mammogram, annual exams, etc…)
- No denials based on pre-existing conditions for children
- Adult children can maintain coverage on the parent’s plan until age 26
- 35% tax credit for small business to encourage employers to provide health insurance
- $250 rebate for Medicare recipients in the ‘donut hole’

What will the Affordable Care Act do for you in 2014?

- Eliminate discrimination due to pre-existing conditions
- Competitive health Insurance exchanges making health insurance available to all Americans
- Premium subsidies making health insurance affordable to individuals and families
- Expanded tax credits for small business to encourage employers to provide health insurance
- Medicare ‘donut hole’ eliminated

It’s now up to states to implement the center piece of the Affordable Care Act – health insurances exchanges - and the National MS Society is watching the creation of these exchanges closely to make sure they work for people with MS. The exchanges may be challenged by some legislators and candidates running for election in November. It is up to us to keep the pressure on our state and federal representatives so they know that this bill HELPS PEOPLE WITH MS. And we VOTE!

Have any of you directly benefited from the Affordable Care Act already? I know I have!

Please join us at the Day of Activism on January 30th in Olympia. Register at http://wasmain.nationalmssociety.org/site/Calendar?id=270894&view=Detail

Remember – It’s Time for Action! Washington