Monthly Archive for July, 2010

What you shouldn’t have to expect when you’re expecting

Published on July 23, 2010 in Portia Wu, Work & Family and Workplace Fairness. 0 Comments
Portia Wu, Vice President

Portia Wu, Vice President

Owning your own home has long been a central part of the American Dream.  It’s as American as baseball, apple pie and mom.  But according to this column in the New York Times, a lot of moms and moms-to-be are getting short shrift.

On top of their other worries, expectant mothers and women on maternity leave may face another hurdle: Being turned down for mortgages. Some lenders appear to be basing their denials on the retro belief that new moms just don’t go back to work.

It’s against the law to use gender-based stereotypes to make mortgage decisions. And, guess what else?  Their assumptions are wrong!  Here are the facts:

  •    In 6 out of 10 families, the woman is the primary breadwinner or a significant breadwinner. Because of the recession, hundreds of thousands more families with young children rely entirely on women’s wages because only mom is working. Women work—and women go back to work—because their families need their income to survive.
  • Even before the recession, four in five employed first-time moms were back at work within a year of having a child, and the majority went back within three months.   Learn more.

Here’s some good news: The Obama Administration has announced that it will investigate lenders who may be breaking the law and disqualifying women because they are pregnant or on leave. We’re glad that this Administration has jumped on the problem, and hope these investigations are only one part of its response. It seems some lenders, and others who set the standards, need some serious education so they stop penalizing pregnant women and new families!

Not only that, but we think a comprehensive effort to combat discrimination against pregnant women and new moms is long overdue.  Because while this news about mortgages is shocking, many of us just aren’t that surprised.  After all, claims of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace have been skyrocketing for years now.

New  moms get lots of advice about what to eat and what not to drink, and how to decorate the nursery and get ready for the baby.  Maybe it’s time we share some advice with employers, bankers, lenders and other institutions about how to treat pregnant women and new moms fairly!

Have you, or has someone you know, experienced problems getting a mortgage because of pregnancy or the birth of a child? Have you experienced other forms of pregnancy discrimination, at work or at school? Tell us your story, so we can share it with the Administration.

Or learn more about your rights under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the laws that protect women from unfair loans and credit decisions.

Time to Step Up!

Published on July 20, 2010 in Portia Wu and Workplace Fairness. 0 Comments
Portia Wu, Vice President

Portia Wu, Vice President

Today the Obama Administration issued a rousing call to action on two of the most important priorities for working women and families — equal pay for equal work, and strong work-family policies. 

The National Partnership has been championing these causes for decades — and so have you!  Today’s event showed that this Administration is squarely in our corner.

It was thrilling to be at this morning’s Middle Class Task Force event. Announcements by one leader after another demonstrated that equal pay and work-family policies are high priorities for this Administration. 

The President’s Equal Pay Task Force is leading the way in ensuring our government steps up enforcement of — and education about — equal pay laws.

Vice President Biden called on the Senate to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, saying bluntly: “I say to all those, those few Democrats and all those Republicans who at least thus far have said no, or said nothing: This is your chance, and I mean this sincerely, to get on the right side of history…Step up, man. Step up and change the law.”

Lilly Ledbetter & Portia Wu at the Middle Class Task Force Event

Lilly Ledbetter & Portia Wu at the Middle Class Task Force Event

Lilly Ledbetter stole the show. She was a victim of egregious wage discrimination who fought tirelessly — and successfully — to convince Congress to restore civil rights after an appalling Supreme Court decision… but she didn’t stop there. Now Lilly is campaigning to make our equal pay laws stronger. She told the audience in plain English how wage discrimination hurts families every day by keeping them from buying clothes, putting food on the table, and paying for their children’s education. It hurts women by shortchanging them while they’re working and during their retirement.

I hope Members of Congress heard her message to strengthen our equal pay laws. To be sure that they hear from you too, tell your Senators to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.

This morning’s event also featured Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announcing a new, much-needed survey on access to and use of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) — something the National Partnership has fought hard for.  She highlighted the Department’s new guidance on FMLA leave.

The Administration is also building on the White House’s March 2010 workplace flexibility forum to hold events over the next year on workplace flexibility and released a new toolkit to help community groups hold their own workplace flexibility events.

Stay tuned. We’ll keep you posted so you can be part of this important national conversation. In the meantime, learn more about the White House’s Work-Flex Starter Kit and to register an event.

This Morning at the White House…

Published on July 19, 2010 in Portia Wu, Work & Family and Workplace Fairness. 0 Comments
Portia Wu, Vice President

Portia Wu, Vice President

They’ll be talking about you and me, when Vice President Biden hosts an event focusing on some of the issues that matter most to women’s economic security: equal pay and work-family policies.

These issues have long been a top priority for working women, and now we finally have an Administration that’s making them a priority, too.

The National Partnership will be there to hear first-hand about the work of the President’s Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force, which is defending our right to fair pay. We’ll learn about the Administration’s new plan for a nationwide conversation to improve work-family balance for all Americans – and we’ll share that information with you.

With more women in the workforce than ever, our caregiving responsibilities growing, and families relying on women’s wages more than ever, it’s about time.

We’ll report back on this blog after the event. To join it virtually, tune in today at 10:45 a.m. to http://www.whitehouse.gov/live.

Great News: ‘Meaningful Use’ Rule Released Today!

Published on July 13, 2010 in Christine Bechtel, Health Care and HIT. 0 Comments
Christine Bechtel

Christine Bechtel

We’ve said it before and you know it’s true: health information technology is for better health outcomes, not just better technology. And the new regulations released by the Obama administration show that they get it.

I was thrilled to watch HHS Secretary Sebelius, who recently spoke at the National Partnership’s annual luncheon, make the announcement this morning at HHS. These new regulations will mean that those health providers who take federal health IT dollars will be held accountable for improving the care you receive – by using health IT in a meaningful way.

An end is finally in sight for the days when doctors have to sift through incomplete and incomprehensible hand-written medical records – when patients must tote test results from doctor to doctor – and when family caregivers spend endless time trying to coordinate medications and treatments for those who can’t do so for themselves.

And we say ‘good riddance.’ The regulations are strong, sensible, patient-centered – and just what the nation needs as we reform our health care system.

But let’s be clear: our work on the meaningful use of health IT isn’t done. As we move forward, we need to make sure the regulations are strengthened so providers who violate privacy laws are ineligible for federal IT dollars, and so providers are required to give all patients timely access to their health information.

So, for today, let’s celebrate. Today’s action helps put in place the foundation for a health care system that works for patients and families – and we will all benefit as private and secure electronic health records become the norm in the United States. And tomorrow, we forge ahead. Stay tuned….

BREAKING NEWS: Dr. Berwick is Appointed!

Published on July 7, 2010 in Campaign for Better Care, Debra Ness and Health Care. 0 Comments
Debra Ness

Debra Ness, President

Today, President Obama appointed Dr. Donald Berwick to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). I truly believe that Dr. Berwick is the best man for the job – he is a highly qualified candidate with extraordinary skill, vast experience and a deep dedication to improving America’s health care system.

However, he has been the victim of ugly and baseless attacks by opponents of health reform who wanted to undermine his nomination.

Just last week , the Campaign for Better Care organized some 90 of the nation’s top consumer, purchaser and provider groups to issue a strong defense of Berwick. Despite that strong, broad-based support, opponents have continued to misrepresent his work and distort his positions.

A recess appointment should not have been necessary but, given the circumstances, it was. The White House was right to appoint a man who is, quite simply, one of the nation’s leading experts on our health care system. He is sure to be a dedicated and effective public servant who works tirelessly to improve care for vulnerable older adults and others with multiple health problems.

It is past time to put politics aside. We should all unite behind Dr. Berwick and work together to ensure that we realize the promise of reform and make quality, coordinated care available to all.

HealthCare.gov: Your Health Care, Explained!

Published on July 6, 2010 in Campaign for Better Care, Health Care, Kirsten Sloan and Reform. 0 Comments
Kirsten Sloan, Vice President

Kirsten Sloan, Vice President

For many American families, women are the ones who gather information, compare plans, and make the decision about which plan best suits their needs and budget. Today, your job got a little easier.

In a first step of implementing the new health care reform law, the Obama administration launched a new website that gives women access to critical, unbiased information about their private and public insurance coverage options – so women can feel confident they are choosing the best plan for themselves and their families.

We recommend you take a look: http://www.healthcare.gov.

Dr. Berwick… Just What the Doctor Ordered

Published on July 1, 2010 in Campaign for Better Care, Debra Ness, Health Care and Reform. 0 Comments
Debra Ness

Debra Ness

Enough is enough. Dr. Berwick – nominee for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – has been the victim of partisan and baseless attacks, and at the Campaign for Better Care, we think it’s time to set the record straight. That’s why we organized a strongly worded letter in support of Dr. Berwick’s nomination, which was signed by some 90 of the nation’s top consumer, purchaser and provider groups. Dr. Berwick is the right leader, at the right time, to make health care reform work for patients and their families.

Why should you care about Dr. Berwick’s nomination? The CMS is a critical federal agency that runs government-insurance programs for tens of millions of older persons, children, and those living in poverty. As Administrator, Dr. Berwick will help decide how to implement the new health reform law – a crucial role for the future of health care in the United States. That’s why his opponents would have you believe that he will ration care and let the government make health care decisions that should be made by patients and their doctors.

On the contrary, Dr. Berwick has consistently prioritized patients’ needs and preferences – and his record shows that commitment to patient-centered care. He is one of the nation’s leading authorities on health care quality and improvement, and has dedicated his professional career to closing the gap between the health care we have and the health care we should have.

Driven by his belief that health care is a human right, Berwick has launched groundbreaking initiatives to reduce unnecessary deaths, minimize preventable harm from surgical complications, and put control of health care decisions in the hands of informed patients and their families – goals we share at the National Partnership and with the Campaign for Better Care.

Berwick’s supporters describe him as a “passionate advocate for patients’ rights,” and he is “highly regarded in health-policy circles for his work to impose quality-control systems inside medical facilities and improve treatments.”

The New York Times writes that “[w]orking with numerous hospitals and clinics around the country, Dr. Berwick has shown that it is possible to reduce medical errors and improve the quality of care while reducing its cost.”

The Washington Post agrees: although Berwick’s focus “has been on improving care, several health policy experts said his methods often result in lower costs as well.”

And in a glowing endorsement of Berwick, a Los Angeles Times editorial states that “[o]nly in the topsy-turvy world in which end-of-life counseling services are called ‘death panels’ could a doctor who champions patients’ rights and better medical treatment be labeled a threat to healthcare consumers.”

So don’t let the negative, partisan spin fool you: Berwick is the highly qualified, experienced, and patient-centered Administrator CMS needs in order to implement health reform in a way that will lower costs and improve health care coordination.

And the experts agree – Berwick has widespread support from doctors, hospitals, medical schools, consumer groups and several former directors of CMS who served under presidents on both sides of the aisle.

The Washington Post sums it up best: Donald Berwick is “just what the doctor ordered for CMS.”