
For decades, the bishops have consistently insisted that access to decent health care is a basic safeguard of human life and an affirmation of human dignity from conception until natural death. They have advocated that health care reform legislation should ensure access to quality, affordable, life giving health care for all...and protect the access to health care that immigrants currently have and remove current barriers to access. U.S. Catholic Bishops
The bishops believe that health care is a basic human right. However, health care is costly and for many uninsured people, this is a right that they are unable to access. The bishops have spoken out to urge Congress to limit the cost of co-payments and premiums, so that health insurance is within reach of those in need.
Since the launch of the new Affordable Care Act in October, Access Health CT has been in the news. While public statements highlight the good news that many people are now eligible to receive health insurance, the information is often extremely confusing! Caring Families Coalition (CFC), a project of United Connecticut Action for Neighborhoods (UCAN) is working to organize people in Connecticut, so that every resident has access to the knowledge that will enable them to understand how Access Health CT operates, and to be able to obtain the quality, affordable health care that they want and need. Caring Families Coalition is committed to representing the community's interest in the health care reform debates.
In November, Maryellen Santiago from the CFC met with the OCSJM and explained how CFC will be monitoring the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and Access Health CT. Among the concerns of CFC:
--How to make sure that policies sold through the Exchange are affordable!
--How to make sure that the new process for enrolling in Medicaid does not involve the same problems that people have continuously faced when applying through the Department of Social Services (DSS).
To learn more about the Caring Families Coalition, to offer input or to participate in their educational efforts, visit their website at - http://www.caringfamilies.org/health-care-reform/.