ACTS-CNY

Co-Chairs: Mrs. Linda Ervin & Mr. Peter Sarver

Monthly Meeting for 2010: To Be Determined.

There has been great progress made in the past two years by adding 3,000 kids to Child Health Plus through the efforts of the community coalition ACTS initiated in January 2007.  More than 9,000 kids are now enrolled.  However, we continue to be “shocked” that there are children who do not see a doctor because they are uninsured!  In Onondaga County, there are still some 8,000 eligible but unenrolled children in Child Health Plus-the public insurance plan for children above the Medicaid level.  

The coalition of ACTS, the Governor’s Regional Representative, the Office of the County Executive, County Department of Social Services, County Health Department, Total Care, Fidelis, BlueCross/Blue Shield, AmeriChoice, and Upstate Hospital, among others, have been meeting monthly to lower administrative barriers and to expand marketing approaches.  We are most grateful to this dedicated group for their ongoing commitment to work toward health care as a right for our young people. Everyone can help spread the word about Child Health Plus!  No child should go without medical care!

Adults are also without health services.  The most recent estimate for CNY is that there are more than 63,000 uninsured adults.  The basic premise of our Task Force is that Health Care is a Right and that this Right is denied when people are unable to afford health insurance.  In late 2008 we began to join in the national efforts to achieve comprehensive national health care reform in 2009.  ACTS hosted a community-wide town-hall meeting on December 30, 2008, to gather input on health care for the Presidential transition team.  Moreover, members of ACTS traveled to Washington on two occasions to engage Congress-we took 30 leaders in December 2008 and in June 2009. 

In July 2009, ACTS was represented on a panel of experts that Congressman Dan Maffei organized for community dialogue. Support for the “public option” and the coverage of immigrants were our major messages.  Since then we have been busy calling the public’s attention to the need for Congress to pass major reform.  ACTS sponsored marches at the State Fair and in the University area to highlight grassroots support for universal health care.  We also held two educational forums: at St. Joseph the Worker in Liverpool and at Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church in Dewitt.  ACTS is confident that Congressman Maffei and U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand will continue to provide strong leadership for major reform.  It must include a robust Medicare-like “public option” because this will provide consumers with a choice other than profit-driven private insurers and will drive down costs through competition.

Our public officials in Washington need to know our support for the final passage of this landmark legislation for universal health care.

UPCOMING:

“Healing our Health Care System.”  It will take place on Sunday February 28 at 4:00pm at May Memorial Church (3800 East Genesee St., Syracuse).  Dr. Eastwood, former CEO of Upstate will be speaking.  Many members of the community will be sharing their stories and we can bear witness.   Please contact Mary Lou Crittenden at 751-2161 or marycraig3@verizon.net for further questions.