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Petition Tag - health insurance
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is making a decision RIGHT NOW that will mean life or death for thousands of young people like us. This petition asks him to support Medicaid Expansion and Reform.
We are young people in New Transitions, an organization of youth 18 - 25 overcoming adversity and instability.
Where we live, young people don’t have parents with health insurance or bank accounts. Among our friends it often takes three or four years to get an associate’s degree. It’s hard to juggle classes when you work multiple part-time jobs.
None of our jobs come with benefits. Private health insurance rates are crazy. Basically, we don’t go to the doctor unless it’s a full-blown emergency. Sometimes it’s too late.
Governor Bill Haslam has the power to change all of that. Under the Affordable Care Act passed by Congress, Tennessee can adopt Medicaid Expansion and Reform to provide insurance for people like us whose income at or near the poverty line.
Medicaid Expansion and Reform will be controversial, even though the federal government will pay 90% of the cost. We need your support. Please join our petition drive. Help us tell Governor Bill Haslam to do what is right for Tennessee.
New Transititions: http://www.newtransitions.org
For more detailed information about Medicaid Expansion and Reform under the Affordable Care Act, see: http://www.kff.org/medicaid/quicktake_aca_medicaid.cfm
The cost of expanding access to health care for Tennessee will be small. To understand why, see http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparereport.jsp?rep=68&cat=17
Medicaid Expansion and Reform will have a positive effect on the Tennessee Economy. This article in U.S. News and World Report explains why: http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2012/07/18/medicaid-expansion-is-a-good-deal-for-states-
2. Change Health Insurance Policy for Fulbrighters 
The Fulbright Program is known to be one of the most distinguished academic exchanges in the world. Every year, nearly 2.000 scholars are accepted to the Fulbright and Foreign Fulbright Programs.
As the United States Department of States the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs proudly declares “in addition to academic endeavors, Fulbrighters have a unique opportunity to make a valuable contribution to their host and home communities through participating in community activities abroad and sharing their experience upon returning home.”
Unfortunately, the contemporary health insurance regulations threaten the core principles and aims of the Fulbright Program. The health insurance is terminated upon the scholars’ completion of the academic training, which literally means the graduation day. This policy places the Fulbrighters at risk since most of us are not able to leave the host country on the afternoon of the day we receive our degree.
Being participants of a cultural exchange program, foreign Fulbrighters are given a “grace period” of 30 days upon the completion of the academic program. During this grace period, scholars are not covered with either financial grant or health insurance. In many cases, scholars are not covered by the university insurance either since they are no longer affiliated with the institution. Although opportunities for buying an extension of health insurance exist, many Fulbrighters do not use them because they are misinformed of the terms of their health plan, miss the end date of the coverage, or lack the experience dealing with the local health care system.
This policy puts all Fulbright scholars under serious health risks. The Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE) regulation leave foreign Fulbrighters without any kind of health insurance during the grace period. It really jeopardizes the complete Fulbright experience.
3. Doctors Wanting Fairness and Accountability from Health Insurance Carriers
Dear Doctor:
The current trend in New Jersey by insurance carriers seems to be to deny health services with the underlying message that “maybe we will pay you later.”
This petition will be directed to the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) to alert them should you have any complaints regarding improper denial of coverage for the services you provide your patients.
Services such as initial exams and re-evaluations, therapeutic modalities and others are examples of services that are improperly denied and should be reimbursed.
As the basis for denial, some carriers even go so far as to provide false statements suggesting that you are not licensed to perform these services.
Your filing of legitimate petitions and/or complaints will help DOBI understand the problems you and other health professionals you are facing along with looking for corrective measures.