Lower Costs Insurance Industry Reforms that Save Money Prohibits lifetime limits on how much insurance companies cover if beneficiaries get sick, bans insurance companies from dropping people from coverage when they get sick, and regulates the use of annual limits to ensure access to necessary care until 2014, when annual limits are prohibited. In 2014, caps what insurance companies can require families to pay in out-of-pocket expenses, such as co-pays and deductibles, for all new plans and all plans purchased through a health insurance Exchange.Financial Relief Provides a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who do not receive Medicare Extra Help and hit the donut hole in 2010. Provides a 50 percent discount on brand name drugs purchased in the donut hole by the same beneficiaries starting in 2011. Completely fills in the donut hole by 2020. Cracks down on excessive insurance overhead starting in 2011 by applying standards on how much insurance companies can spend on non-medical costs, such as bureaucracy and advertising, and provides consumers a rebate if non-medical costs are too high. Provides sliding scale tax credits, starting in 2014, for those who cannot afford quality health insurance.

Greater ChoicesEliminating Insurance Company Discrimination Provides people who have health problems, but who lack access to health insurance, access to a plan that protects them from medical bankruptcy, within 90 days of enactment. This high risk pool is a stop-gap measure that will serve as a bridge to a reformed health insurance marketplace. Prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage or charging more based on a person’s medical history, including genetic information, and limits premium variation due to age, beginning in 2014.

More Affordable Choices and Competition Creates state-based health insurance Exchanges to provide a variety of choices, including private options, co-ops, and multi-state plans, to foster competition and increase choice. Expands Medicaid coverage to all individuals with incomes under 133 percent of the federal poverty level ($29,300 for a family of four this year), and gives states flexibility to establish basic health programs for low-income individuals, including legal immigrants, who are not eligible for Medicaid. Greater Support for Asian American and Pacific Islander Small Businesses oProvides tax credits, starting this year, to help small businesses with the costs of providing health insurance to their employees. Credits are available on a sliding scale, with the full credit of 35 percent of the cost of coverage during 2010 – 2013, and 50 percent of the cost of coverage in 2014 and after, going to businesses with 10 or fewer employees and average annual wages of up to $25,000, while firms with up to 25 employees and average annual wages of up to $50,000 will also be eligible for a credit. One-Stop Shopping oProvides standardized, easy-to-understand information on health insurance plans available through the Exchanges so Americans can easily compare prices, benefits, and performance of health plans to choose the quality, affordable option that is right for them. Those who purchase health insurance on their own and small businesses will be able to purchase health insurance through the Exchange, when they open in 2014. Insurance Security oEnsures that families always have guaranteed choices of quality, affordable health insurance if they lose their jobs, switch jobs, move, or become sick and provides premium tax credits to those who can’t afford insurance, which will significantly reduce disparities in accessing high-quality health care. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have among the lowest rate of uninsurance, but this uninsured rate varies among Asian subgroups, at 13 percent for Vietnamese, 13.6 percent for Filipino, 12 percent for Chinese and 13.2 percent for other Asian groups. [CDC, 12/09; Department of Health and Human Services, 10/21/09] Strong Focus on Minority HealthNational Institute of Minority Health oElevates the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health from a Center to a full Institute, reflecting an enhanced focus on minority health. Office of Minority Health oElevates the Office of Minority Health within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the Office of the Secretary and codifies into law a network of minority health offices within HHS, to monitor health, health care trends, and quality of care among minority patients and evaluate the success of minority health programs and initiatives. Quality, Affordable Health CarePreventive Care for Better Health oEnsures that all Americans have access to free preventive services through new health insurance plans to prevent illness and disease before they require more costly treatment. This is of particular benefit to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, who are often less likely to receive preventive care. For example, just 65 percent of Asian women received a pap smear during the last three years, the lowest screening rate among all racial and ethnic groups. [CDC, 2009] Controlling Chronic Disease oInvests in care innovations such as community health teams to improve the management of chronic disease, which is of particular importance to Asian Americans, who face a high prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and liver disease. [HHS, 12/21/09] In Hawaii, Native Hawaiians have more than twice the rate of diabetes as whites and are more than 5.7 times as likely to die from diabetes as whites living in Hawaii. [HHS, 12/21/09] Promoting Primary Care oInvests in the primary care workforce to ensure that all Americans have access to a primary care doctor so they stay healthier, longer. Strengthens the system of safety-net hospitals and community health centers to ensure high-quality, accessible care. More than seven percent of Asian American children lack a usual source of health care, compared with less than six percent of all children. [CDC, 2009] Fighting Health Disparities oExpands initiatives to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of health care professionals and strengthen cultural competency training among health care providers. oMoves toward elimination of disparities that minorities currently face both in their health and in their health care by investing in data collection and research about health disparities, with a particular focus on identifying differences among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by country of origin and ethnicity. Asian Americans have infrequent medical visits, may struggle with language or cultural barriers in accessing health care, are most at risk for certain types of cancer, heart disease, and stroke, and face a high prevalence of certain diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hepatitis B, and others. [HHS, 10/21/09] Data by country of origin and ethnicity will help to discern differences among the diverse populations that are typically aggregated into a single group. Support for the TerritoriesAffordable, Accessible Health Care oIncludes $6.3 billion in new Medicaid funding for the Territories, including American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico. In addition, the Territories may establish an Exchange and receive $1 billion to make coverage more affordable for qualifying individuals and families who participate in the Exchange.

for an intimate dialogue about ways to strengthen local efforts related to Ohio’s Asian American communities.

Date:  Saturday, August 21
Time:  10 am to 2 pm

Location: OSU Rardin Center, 2231 North High Street – Columbus, OH

Registration $10 (covers lunch) – click here to register
Space is limited register early

Guests will include:

Kathy Lim Ko, President and CEO (bio)
Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum

Lisa Hasegawa, Executive Director (bio)
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development

and others.

Sponsored by:

Ohio Asian American Health Coalition

Congralutations, Dorothy!

PERSONAL REFLECTION ON DOROTHY O’BRIEN by Jennifer Nagrath

Dorothy is one of 4 founding members of the Asian Community Alliance, Inc., Cincinnati, and has been instrumental in getting the organization registered as a nonprofit in the State. She tirelessly works to ensure the smooth operation of the organization setting in motion a bold strategic plan to make the organization more effective and successful. ACA’s growth in the last 4 years is a testament to her skill at keeping the organization flexible to respond quickly to each opportunity and at the same time ensuring established goals are met with no loss of income, which puts the organization on the edge of funding safety.

Dorothy was instrumental in ensuring the Needs Assessment project in Cincinnati was set in motion. She persevered through the years to make this project a reality. It is this commitment to follow through despite the odds, that the community can now use the data collected in discussions with funding sources such as the government or other granting agencies.

Dorothy has always been the “go-to” person when writing grants. Her approach has always been simple – tell an effortless story without too much hype. She has spent countless hours with the Board of ACA teaching and mentoring us on the use of creative language writing for grants.

Dorothy has also clearly wanted for ACA to operate as a bridge between local service agencies and the Asian populations to assure those seeking help can be served. She strongly believes that expanding the role of collaboration is the most effective way to build strong and lasting relationships. She maintains that getting the mainstream community involved helps build a better community for all. This approach clearly has worked well for Cincinnati as it has resulted in a better comprehension of Asian American concerns. She knows too well that in order for us to achieve greater advocacy we must hear the voices of the diverse Asian groups.

It is this kind of advocacy that has led ACA to have an Asian Summit every other year. Dorothy has been instrumental in ensuring that the topics chosen address the very needs and concerns of the Asian voices. For example, addressing Racism at our last Summit has provided a voice for many in the community to share their stories but more importantly provided them with a neutral avenue in which to do so.

Dorothy is keenly aware that engaging ALL the Asian communities and providing them an avenue for communicating is key to enabling their voices being heard. This mantra of hers is one of the reasons that she readily agreed to become a member of the Coalition. Her strength in engaging Asians (being an outsider) is often a welcome respite from the diversity of opinions Asians get lost in so often. Her priority often is to find a collective voice that is effective and viable when advocating for issues of concern. She has used this approach to find and develop leadership styles that reflect the cultural norms of Asian populations.

From working closely with Dorothy, I believe that she is and will always be passionate about the Asian American needs and concerns. For this we are all humbled by her dedication. Her prowess to push the agenda of Asians beyond the ‘model minority myth’ is a reflection of her character to give willingly and selflessly to those in need.

Presented at the Annual Meeting of the OAAHC on June 8, 2010 by Jennifer Nagrath

Award ceremony photo will follow

1st Ohio Asian American Pacific Islander Legislative Day 2010

June 8, 2010

The Statehouse, Atrium

Columbus, Ohio -43215

Highlights

• · Hear from state officials
• · Learn about how state government works
• · Take a tour of the State House
• · Meet with state senators and representatives

Event Schedule

10:00 – 10:30 am Buses arrive from Akron/Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Toledo
11:00-11:15 am Opening ceremony
11:15 – 11:30 am Welcome from chair and introduction of sponsoring organizations; outline of AAPI principles with priorities
11:30 – 12:00 pm Guest speakers
12:00 – 1:00 pm          Lunch
1:00 – 1:30 pm Group skills training – legislative 101 and how you can affect change with state policy
1:30 – 2:30 pm Legislative panelists
2:30 – 3:00 pm Wrap-up and conclusions
3:00 – 3:30 pm Proceed to bus loading area
3:30 pm                        Depart

Contacts:

For more info, questions, or transportation inquiries in other parts of Ohio, please contact:

Akron —Michael Byun, mbyun@asiainc-ohio.org, 330-535-3263
Cincinnati—Kirti Rege, krege@oahcoalition.org, 513-236-2784
Cleveland—Michael Byun, mbyun@asiainc-ohio.org, 330-535-3263
Columbus—Karen Jiobu, kjiobu@gmail.com, 614-570-3518
Dayton—Jenny Couse, jcouse@oahcoalition.org, 937-284-3059
Toledo—Hewen Slak, hslak@yahoo.com, 419-471-0138