1. Sustaining and Improving Consumer Assistance Cheryl Fish-Parcham Families USA, November 11, 2010

2. How to Support an Advocacy Role in Government Based Programs Join its advisory committee, or at least meet regularly; Encourage new program staff to talk with/visit good established programs; Make sure outreach is really done: notices in insurance plan materials; community speaking; media; include contact info in your own materials;

3. Make Sure Staff Is Trained Help with staff training on: – Issues of concern to the advocacy community; – Public programs and community resources; – Affordable Care Act Ask staff to speak in community trainings Suggest/facilitate training by others: – IRO on successful appeals – HHS and DOL should be sending training teams – staff need a person to call in each agency for complex cases – Plug staff into national conference calls/listserves

4. Work Towards Subcontracts For: Outreach and community education Community intake Training Representation in appeals Perhaps setting up systems: policy and procedures; data systems – HHS will also help with the latter

5. Help program play a sentinel role Review data; Talk regularly about difficult cases that show a need for administrative or policy change; Help write/review reports to get legislators and administrators attention; Facilitate oversight hearings or informal meetings with legislators/regulators

6. Sustainability Can you help the program get good PR? Community awards? Columns in legislators newsletters? Legislators and governors constituent service staff aware of program? Recognition from agency head? Would a state law help ensure continuity? How is the placement?

7. Federal Appropriations Law says: $30 million for first fiscal year; Authorized to be appropriated…sums as necessary for future years This does not guarantee future years of funding! We must work for it!!!

8. Steps Now: Will President request >$ in 2012 budget? – Letter to President, cc Secretary Sebelius Jan/Feb: Ask your Member & Senator to request an appropriation: – Draft a formal letter for them to send to approps committee – Explain how much $ your state got and how it is used. – If your Member/Senator is on Ways and Means, Finance, or HELP, ask for Committee sign-on letters to appropriators requesting further funding as dictated by ACA

9. Steps (continued) Work with champion Members/Senators who authorized consumer assistance Get allies involved: Friendly insurance commissioner to start a sign-on Sign-on of nonprofits that received subcontracts Disease associations/others

10. Resources from Families USA CHAPS listserv Consumer Health Assistance Programs web page on www.familiesusa.org. Hapnetwork.org – website for SHIPs (Medicare counseling programs) but has helpful materials on volunteer use, other best practices Legal Rights Center

11. Questions? Cheryl Fish-Parcham cparcham@familiesusa.org