COVID-19 & Healthcare

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I have said it before, and I will say it again: how long are Arizonans going to tolerate the billionaire bastard Koch brothers dictating public policy in Arizona? It's time to tear up the "Kochtopus" network of astroturf far-right organizations in this state by the roots and salt the ground to make sure that they never grow back again.

The opposition to Gov. Jan Brewer's Medicaid (AHCCCS) restoration plan does not come from rank and file voters in this state, but rather an astroturf campaign by the "Kochtopus" far-right organizations, incuding the Tea Party groups. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) calls them out. AFP, anti-Obamacare docs denounce Medicaid expansion:

A small group of conservative doctors gathered at the Capitol in opposition to Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion proposal, arguing that it will damage health care in Arizona and cause a host of problems at the federal level.

At a Tuesday afternoon press conference organized by the Arizona chapter of the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, three doctors urged the state to reject Brewer’s plan, which would expand Medicaid to cover anyone earning up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. The doctors have been vocal opponents of the Affordable Care Act.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The L.A. Times' Noam Levey reports today, "As Republican leaders try to woo Latino voters with a new
openness to legal status for the nation's illegal immigrants, the party
remains at odds with America's fastest-growing ethnic community on
another key issue: healthcare."

It turns out that Latinos support "ObamaCare" (this is where the GOP's titular leader, Rush Limbaugh, claims it is because Latinos "depend on government for their prosperity.” ) Healthcare an obstacle as Republicans court Latinos:

Latinos, who have the lowest rates of health coverage in the country, are among the strongest backers of President Obama's
healthcare law. In a recent national poll, supporters outnumbered
detractors by more than 2 to 1. Latinos also overwhelmingly see
guaranteeing healthcare as a core government responsibility, surveys
show.

Yet congressional Republicans continue to make repeal of the 2010 Affordable Care Act a top agenda item and have renewed calls for deep cuts in health programs such as Medicaid, which are very popular with Latinos.

"Obamacare is a colossal mistake for our country," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said recently in a speech on the Senate floor. "It needs to be pulled out by its roots."

[A]ttacking the law risks undermining the RNC's planned minority
outreach campaign, which party leaders said in a recent strategy
blueprint must convince Latinos "we care about them."

"This is going to hurt Republicans," said Matt Barreto, cofounder of
Latino Decisions, a nonpartisan national polling firm. "When Republicans
keep saying they will repeal the health law, Latinos hear the party is
going to take away their healthcare."

Obama, meanwhile, made upholding the Affordable Care Act a core part of
his Latino strategy. A quarter of the president's advertising in Spanish
focused on the law, said James Aldrete, who oversaw Spanish-language
media strategy for Obama in 2008 and 2012. "We knew from the start that,
if Latinos knew about the benefits of the law, they were going back the
president," he said. "It was central to our messaging."

* * *

Surveys indicate that close to 30% of Latino citizens and legal
permanent residents lack health insurance. By comparison, just 11% of
white and 17% of black Americans are uninsured, according to the latest
data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Starting next year, the health law will provide hundreds of millions
of dollars in subsidies to low-income Americans and legal residents to
help pay insurance premiums. Illegal immigrants cannot receive these
subsidies.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Rep. Victoria Steele (D-LD 9) has a "My Turn" opinion in the Arizona Republic today reflecting on her mental health services bill recently killed in a Senate Health Committee by teabaggers opposed to "Gabby's bill." Tragedy speaks to need for more mental health first aid:

There are moments throughout the day when I am at the Arizona Capitol
when my mind takes me home. I think of the people I’ve met since I
began this public service. I think about our neighborhoods in Tucson. I
remember how our community pulled together after a horrific tragedy that
took the lives of many wonderful people and nearly took the life of our
beloved congresswoman.

I had one of those moments when I learned that our efforts to help
people get training so they would be better prepared to respond to those
experiencing a mental crisis have failed — for now.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

While our Tea-Publican controled Arizona legislature is busy making idolatrous gun worship the official state religion of Arizona, it has refused to do anything to address mental health issues that are often at the heart of gun violence. The Tucson Weekly reported, Tucson Lawmakers' Bill to Boost Mental Health Services Dies:

A bill that aimed to give Tucson a sense of closure after the January 2011 shooting died last week . . .

HB 2570, by Rep. Ethan Orr (R-Tucson) and Rep. Victoria Steele (D-Tucson) aimed to increase community awareness of mental health issues by taking $250,000 from the general fund to expand the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Mental Health First Aid program.

The bill passed out of the House (54-4) smoothly, but it didn’t get on the agenda for the Senate Health and Human Services Committee in time because the committee's chair, Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, didn't like the bill's cost. Orr said he met Barto, R-Phoenix, and chatted about her concerns. Orr said he was willing to amend the bill so that it was only a symbolic call to support for more mental health awareness in hopes of hammering out more funding for the program in coming budget talks.