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The Inflation Reduction Act Makes Progress Toward Health Justice

Post author By admin
Post date August 24, 2022

This blog was co-authored by Senior Policy Analyst Stacey Pogue and Policy Analyst Karla Martinez.

The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law on August 16, progresses toward health justice by making health coverage and prescription drugs more affordable for many Texans.

The Act extends enhanced subsidies for Health Insurance Marketplace (HealthCare.Gov) coverage through 2025 that have saved Texans in the Marketplace an average of $560 per year. These subsidies, first available in 2021, have made coverage more affordable for many Texans and driven record enrollment in the Texas Marketplace. In 2022, Texas saw the largest percentage increase in Marketplace enrollment in the nation — a stunning 42% to reach 1.8 million Texans. The enhanced subsidies were slated to expire at the end of 2022. By continuing them through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Congress prevented 370,000 Texans from becoming uninsured and maintained affordable coverage for another 1.4 million who would have seen their premiums spike.

Enhanced Marketplace subsidies are not available to Texans caught in the Medicaid coverage gap, i.e. working but poor adults — primarily Texans of color — who earn too little to qualify for Marketplace subsidies, but too much to be eligible for Medicaid. These Texans have no affordable coverage options today because Texas leaders have refused to expand Medicaid, an action taken in 38 other states and Washington, D.C.

The Inflation Reduction Act also makes prescription drugs more affordable for seniors and individuals with disabilities who have Medicare prescription drug coverage. It caps total out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions at $2,000 a year, caps out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 a month, makes vaccines available with no out-of-pocket costs, and expands eligibility for Medicare’s low-income drug subsidy. On top of that, the bill lowers drug costs for both Medicare enrollees and the federal government by 1) requiring the federal government to negotiate with drug companies to lower prices on some high-cost drugs, and 2) requiring drug companies to pay rebates if they raise prices at a higher rate compared to inflation.

Every Texan celebrates the progress of the Inflation Reduction Act, which makes health coverage and prescription drugs more affordable for many Texans, but more work remains. We will continue to advocate for the Texas Legislature to close the coverage gap and reduce our state’s worst-in-the-nation uninsured rate. Regardless of race, background, gender, or zip code, every Texan deserves access to quality, affordable health coverage.

Blog

Join the Policy Leaders of Texas Fellowship Program!

Post author By admin
Post date August 12, 2022

2021-2022 Policy Leaders of Texas Fellows Isabel Agbassi and Braelynn Barborka share their experiences with the program and why eligible students should apply today.

Braelynn Barborka

My name is Braelynn Barborka. I am a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, double-majoring in Government and Women’s & Gender Studies. I had the privilege to be a part of the 2021-2022 cohort for the Policy Leaders of Texas Fellowship Program. I am currently a legislative and policy intern for Every Texan. During the summer going into my junior year, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my time. I knew I wanted to be in a program where I would continue to gain and apply knowledge. I came across Every Texan and really loved the message that “social justice requires public policy.” The Policy Leaders of Texas Fellowship program gave me a platform to not only learn but also talk about my experiences within higher education.

I learned about many subjects and tools during my time as a fellow, but one of the most valuable things I learned is that policy work can and must be done in collaboration with those who are currently being affected by the issue. It was great to work on something like higher education as a current student. I was also able to speak with Every Texan staff members from other departments about policy areas beyond higher education. I loved that I was given an opportunity to learn about the state budget, food insecurity, and other issues that heavily affect policy reform and are connected to higher education. I was able to take that knowledge and create ideas that will be used for the structure of future legislation.

The PLT Fellowship program also helped me develop a bird’s-eye view of the higher education system and understand the intricacies of the problems it faces. I was able to hear from other students to get a better understanding of the struggles we all have to endure and how we can come together to fight them. Throughout my time in the program, it truly felt like Every Texan was interested in hearing from current students, and I was given many opportunities to voice my concerns about policy issues and what I wanted to get out of my time as a fellow. If you are someone who is interested in joining a program that gives you not only opportunities to learn about an array of issues, but also spaces to create ideas and to be heard, then the Policy Leaders of Texas Fellowship Program is for you.

Isabel Agbassi

I went into this fellowship as a sophomore eager to learn about how to better advocate for other college students, and I left as the student body vice president of my college institution.

I’m Isabel Agbassi, and I’m a junior at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Public Health with a minor in Health Care Reform and Innovation. I was a part of the 2021-2022 cohort of the Policy Leaders of Texas Fellowship and am now a health and food justice intern.

As a pre-health student, the root of my policy interests has been equity in the health care sphere, whether it be about addressing social determinants of health, tackling health disparities, or understanding the ethics of health care policy. But as I navigated my journey to graduation, I noticed universal higher education issues that had the potential to hinder my success and the success of so many others. These issues — which include the lack of diversity and inclusion in STEM and research, food insecurity, the financial barriers to pursuing graduate education, and inadequate mental health care — consistently interfere with academic retention. In the face of such issues, one can either accept them as the norm and try and make due in spite of them or take action to make positive change and empower others to do the same. I chose the latter because I am a firm believer in helping improve your community. And it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

The fellowship introduced me to passionate and inspiring college students who I constantly learned from throughout the year. Together, we grew as advocates under the amazing mentorship of Simona Gabriela Harry, the Policy Leaders of Texas Program coordinator, Skyler Korgel, the higher education policy analyst, and Chandra Villanueva, the economic opportunity team program director. From the beginning, they centered our personal learning styles, optimal working conditions, and aspirations. We always started meetings with mental health check-ins before diving into a wide variety of topics such as the Texas budget and legislative process. We were always in a comfortable environment where questions were welcomed and encouraged. Some of the highlights of my time as a fellow include doing a team exercise where we made our own Texas budget, creating my first theory of change, and hearing from the various experts at Every Texan who joined meetings as guest speakers.

My major takeaways from this fellowship include a more comprehensive view of the current state of higher education and actionable steps to fixing issues, empowerment to advocate for myself and others, and an understanding of how much goes into making positive change come to fruition.

In these formative years in college, it’s important that we students remember the power each and every one of us has to create a better and more equitable environment for everyone. I truly recommend participating in the PLT Fellowship Program to learn and become a better advocate for your community.

Testimony

Testimony to the House Select Committee on Health Reform on Reducing the Texas Uninsured Population

Post author By admin
Post date August 5, 2022

This week, the new Texas House Select Committee on Health Reform begins hearings on its ambitious and important list of interim charges, from tackling health care cost growth to increasing health care coverage. In creating the committee, Speaker of the House Dade Phelan has put a much-needed focus on health care policy.

Every Texan’s Anne Dunkelberg and Stacey Pogue shared with the committee the three top ways Texas can reduce its worst-in-the-nation uninsured rate:

Use federal funds to provide Medicaid to “working but poor” adults — both parents and adults without any dependent kids at home.
Remove barriers to enrollment/renewal of currently eligible individuals in Texas Medicaid.
Maintain record-breaking enrollment at HealthCare.Gov. Texas is already poised to do so.

View the full testimony from Associate Director and Health & Food Justice Team Director Anne Dunkelberg, and Senior Policy Analyst Stacey Pogue here.

Blog

Policy Leaders of Texas: Recommendations for Equitable Higher Education

Post author By admin
Post date August 1, 2022

The Policy Leaders of Texas Fellowship Program is an initiative sponsored by Every Texan that provides students with the necessary resources, knowledge, and social justice framework to champion issues in higher education policy that are a part of a self-identified and self-constructed policy agenda that demands transformative change. Through the program tenets — empowerment, learning, and leadership development — we envision a postsecondary education system in Texas that is accessible, affordable, safe, healthy, and supportive for all students.

Accessibility

Access to higher education is not dependent solely on tuition costs — a lack of child care, limited transportation, unfamiliarity with finance options, and physical inaccessibility are just a few of the factors that create barriers for students. Universities should strive to provide resources that reduce all impediments to truly make higher education more accessible for all students.

Recommendations:

Universities should provide financially accessible child care for staff and students. Existing child care programs should receive more funding to fully accommodate needs.
All buildings, events, and campus spaces should be physically accessible to all students, and accessibility must be constantly monitored to ensure accommodations are made quickly and effectively.
Learning outcomes are largely influenced by the tools accessible to students. Every campus building should have Wi-Fi, heating and air conditioning, bathrooms, classroom technology, etc. in excellent condition for student use.
To improve college accessibility for marginalized students, admission and financial aid should focus less on traditional methods of merit and instead emphasize non-traditional factors, such as work experience and application essays.

Affordability

Higher education should be accessible for all students, but with increasing tuition rates and living costs across the country in the last five years, higher education programs have become unsustainable or altogether unattainable for many. Universities must subsidize the cost of tuition and basic necessities for all students and offer safe and inexpensive housing options.

Recommendations:

Achieving a higher education should be free of any financial burden. Universities should be responsible for the costs of learning, like technology, books, transcript fees, and other supplies students need for success.
Attending a university creates a financial burden for students. In order to make higher education more accessible, there needs to be an emphasis on providing more opportunities for students to negate the financial burden, including more scholarships and work study programs.
Universities must ensure housing has adequate infrastructure and that students are safe from security threats and environmental injustice.
Housing must be accessible and affordable for all students — there should be adequate housing that meets student demand and costs a reasonable amount, as well as proper zoning to allow universities to increase student housing as needed.
Universities should prioritize services that are critical for student success and attendance such as child care and accessible, affordable parking.

Campus Justice and Safety

Historically, universities have failed to place student justice and safety at the forefront of campus justice initiatives. Universities can only accomplish true campus safety through the implementation of restorative justice practices and the abolition of campus police in favor of investing in community-based student resources.

Current Title IX practices on campus often prioritize and even require a carceral approach to Title IX offenses that involves reporting, disciplinary hearings, and police involvement. Restorative justice offers a framework that prioritizes accountability, safety, and dialogue, and should guide Title IX proceedings and other disciplinary issues in order to serve all students.

Recommendations:

Universities should implement the restorative justice framework into Title IX practices by exploring more options for Title IX resolution outside of official case documentation and punitive action, such as chosen informal solutions or restorative justice centers.
Universities should also offer restorative justice options for students involved in incidents that fall outside of Title IX.
Campus police should be abolished in favor of time and personnel investments towards non-police solutions; mental health resources; and funding for books, technology, and reduced tuition.

Health Care: Physical and Mental

Health care is a human right, and universities have a responsibility to provide their students and alumni with free or low-cost health care and mental health resources. These resources include eye care, dental care, reproductive and sexual care, non-punitive substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, and assistance in referring students to off-campus doctors and pharmacies.

Recommendations:

University health services must prioritize mental health resources by increasing staff to meet student demand, providing more mental health support groups, and destigmatizing the use of these services.
Campuses can foster a health-focused culture through hiring more dietitians and promoting their services to increase student involvement.
Institutions should promote and employ a diverse approach to destigmatizing student health, including student-led mental health groups, gender- and identity-based accommodations, and dedicated spaces for BIPOC, LGBTQ students, disabled students, undocumented students, and student-parents to offer individualized support.
Less than half of college students with persisting mental health issues seek care. There must be campus-wide efforts to reduce the stigma around accessing mental health care including investment in professionals and campaigns to increase student comfort and trust in seeking mental health care.

Student Supports

Student services enable institutions to serve the whole student and extend beyond costs directly related to their university. To accomplish this goal, students need access to nutritious and affordable meals, the ability to receive health care, and investments in cultural spaces that allow students to feel safe and in community.

Recommendations:

Students should have access to campus-funded food pantries with mobile and delivery capabilities.
Universities should provide food support for students — and their families if necessary — in the form of either food or funds for students to go grocery shopping.
Many students do not use existing food security resources because they are unaware of them. Universities should invest in widely promoting these resources.
Students should have access to affordable, quality housing near campus that is connected to reliable transportation.

Administration, Faculty, and Staff

The priority for administration, staff, and faculty of a university must be to provide an environment that is welcoming and accommodating to all students in the classroom and beyond. To create this environment, administrations need to establish more comprehensive feedback systems that incorporate the ideas, thoughts, and experiences of a diverse group of students and use this feedback to guide future agendas.

Recommendations:

Universities must engage with their student population by actively consulting traditional and nontraditional student organizations during decision-making.
Diverse faculty and a commitment to student inclusivity must be a priority to ensure student satisfaction and engagement.
Students should receive a high-quality education. Therefore professors’ teaching skills should be continuously improved through training.
Universities should be financially transparent by providing an itemized tuition bill to gain student trust in their institution.

Campus Democracy

Universities should strive to implement transparency measures for students to see what the university has accomplished and to see where students can voice their ideas on areas where the universities can improve. Along with more student democracy, more policies should be implemented to make local, state, and federal elections more accessible for students, administration, and staff.

Recommendations:

Due to the importance of civic engagement, universities should make accommodations for election day such as not having class, not having assignments due, and allowing student absences if they are volunteering during the early voting period.
Voting should be accessible to all students. Polling places should be proportionate to the student population and within a reasonable range of campus, and universities should provide free transportation for students to these polling places.
Universities should work towards making student IDs a legal form of identification for voting.
Universities should expand their efforts in keeping students aware of administration and institutional decision-making, along with being transparent about how student advocacy impacts these decisions.

This blog was cowritten by the 2021 – 2022 Policy Leaders of Texas cohort:

Isabel Agbassi – The University of Texas at Austin

Braelynn Barborka – The University of Texas at Austin

Faith Cachay – The University of Texas at Arlington

David Harrison – The University of Texas at Tyler

Alexis Kosloski – University of North Texas

Suseth Munoz – The University of Texas at Austin

Julia Zaksek – The University of Texas at Austin

Blog

Reflections on BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month

Post author By admin
Post date July 28, 2022

At Every Texan, we believe that all Texans, regardless of race, background, gender, and financial status deserve to thrive and succeed in life. However, historical policies have created barriers for people based on their race or ethnicity, often leaving Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) with fewer opportunities and resources than those of their white counterparts.

This problem and the need for equitable solutions are not unique to Texas — discriminatory policies and practices exist across all borders. Ongoing racism, discrimination, and structural inequalities perpetuated by harmful legislation and cultural norms can cause entire groups of people to feel unsafe, unheard, and unsupported, which can have a direct impact on mental well-being and foster both collective and individual trauma in those communities.

Conversations around mental health should take into account the broad and multilayered experiences of people from all backgrounds. This blog consists of two individual portions, one sharing the experience of a Black woman at a predominantly white institution, and the other sharing from the perspective of a Muslim American. These individual pieces showcase different backgrounds and communities while shedding light on how the widespread inequities in this nation bring about similar, serious implications on the mental health of many different people of color.

Muslim Americans & the Fear of Mental Health Stigma

Sarah Imran, Research & Data Intern

As a Muslim woman who is a daughter of Pakistani immigrants, I am no stranger to stigma, discrimination, and overall disconnectedness from the general American community. I recall “diversity days” in public school where my predominately white classmates gawked at my shalwar kameez, our traditional clothing, and tossed my Pakistani flag around the classroom. I vividly remember the first time I was called a terrorist when boys warned my peers to “stay away from my backpack.” However, I also know the sting of fellow Muslims admonishing how I dress and judging my sexuality.

I have so much pride in my ethnicity and my religion, as they have gifted me with the qualities that make me who I am today. But these lived experiences and my background have given me a new perspective — one that puts mental health at the forefront of my hopes for the people of my community.

Dealing with discrimination has been a lifelong fight for many Muslims. These struggles are widely shared and intersectional — according to Pew Research, 58% of Muslims in the U.S. are immigrants, with no single racial or ethnic majority in the population. Many American Muslims deal with the trials of Islamophobia and grapple with the xenophobia and racism that is all too prevalent in the U.S.

A study published in the Journal of Islamic Faith and Practice shows that Muslims suffered increased assaults and intimidation in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s term — in New Zealand, 51 Muslims were shot and killed by two men who claimed to be inspired by Trump as their “symbol of renewed white identity.” Muslims are also directly targeted in the political landscape — the “Muslim Ban” in the U.S. coupled with the rise of nationalist rhetoric, which views immigrants as “other,” have contributed to the negative and discriminatory experiences of Muslim Americans. Even further, research by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) shows that in the Texas Legislature alone there were 16 “Anti-Sharia” bills introduced between 2011 and 2017. Many people, including my own family, left their home country to risk it all for the so-called “American dream,” only to find out that they were not as welcome as they may have thought.

These events and more have contributed greatly to the general anxiety, depression, and trauma faced by Muslim Americans, and have resulted in many attempts to assimilate to American culture or become “less threatening.” However, this is not a realistic or sustainable option and it can lead to such turmoil that it becomes a matter of life and death. A study released by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2021 found that U.S. Muslim adults were twice as likely to report a history of suicide attempts as respondents from other faith traditions, including atheists and agnostics.

With such stark findings, one would think Muslim communities are able and willing to tackle mental illness for those in need. However, studies also show that many Muslims in the U.S. feel the need to “cast the religion in a good light,” so as to not feed into the stereotypes and discrimination that we face. As a result, mental illnesses get brushed under the rug and almost completely ignored. Shaykh Suhail Mulla, resident scholar at the Islamic Society of West Valley in Los Angeles, said that Muslims won’t seek out mental health services if they fear that their religious identity might be threatened. This fear also impacts Muslims from other identity intersections, particularly queer and trans Muslims who face additional hardships due to a lack of LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the broader Muslim community. Dr. Farha Abbasi, a psychiatry professor at the University of Michigan, said that Muslim teachings support seeking mental health care, and the Quran — the holy book of Islam — emphasizes mental wellness.

This BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, I urge my Muslim brothers and sisters, my brown friends and family, and all immigrants and children of immigrants to understand that mental illness is a widely shared human experience by people of every walk of life. It is not shameful to have depression or anxiety, and our experiences as Muslims in America of all genders, sexualities, and backgrounds need to be addressed and discussed more openly so we can heal and raise a generation of healthier, happier Muslims.

Black Women and the Inequity of Care on College Campuses

Isabel Agbassi, Health & Wellness Intern

Being a Black woman navigating college in the U.S. is already a path bound with a rocky mental health journey. Add the fact that I started in the midst of a pandemic and that my university and STEM-related field of study features a Black population of only about 5%, and the end product is a journey where the odds seem stacked against me.

The social isolation brought on by the pandemic made the transition from high school to college even more difficult. Having to stare at a screen to attend classes, be involved in extracurriculars, talk to friends, and have leisure time took its toll early on — especially when it seemed like everywhere I looked, there were media reports of injustices against people who look like me.

It often feels like my very existence in these traditionally white spaces is a protest within itself. Despite the fact that I simply want to follow my aspirations and passions, the need to be a “strong Black woman” in the face of adversity is a generational trauma that has been ingrained in our culture and perpetuated by a society that excludes us at every turn.

As outlined by the National Alliance on Mental Health Texas, barriers to mental health care for Black Americans include exclusion from services, the stigma of viewing mental illness as a weakness, and provider bias. In the state with the highest uninsured rate in the country, Black adult Texans are among the groups with the worst poverty, and subsequently, uninsured rates.

Black women often face an additional intersectional mixture of racism, sexism, and socioeconomic factors that interfere with access to quality mental health care. These factors contribute to why Black women, a group with historically higher rates of depression, are among the least likely to receive mental health services. And for the Black women who do manage to access care, they face a field with about 4% of therapists being Black.

Mental health care isn’t one-size-fits-all, especially when it comes to Black women –– at higher education institutions like mine, the care needs simply aren’t met. Limited and non-diverse mental health care professionals often overlook the nuanced understanding required to ensure culturally responsive care. Without campus mental health centers that actively train providers on the historical context of medical racism and mistreatment, stigmas, and cultural competency, mental health care for Black women, nonbinary students, and other marginalized groups is inadequate and can often exacerbate issues.

Higher education institutions are meant to promote the well-being of students but continually fail to fully account for the hidden monster of mental health that persistently interferes with academic retention, especially among underrepresented groups. To truly promote equity and belonging on college campuses, it is imperative that all students are considered across the broad spectrum of mental health care needs.

BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to highlight the unique mental health challenges and needs of historically oppressed racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. and uplift stories and perspectives from voices that have been silenced and ignored for far too long. This month is a reminder that despite widely diverse lived experiences, we are tied together in our struggles. Now is the time to work together toward uplifting everyone in our Texas community, especially those who face poorer outcomes due to systemic barriers and failures.

Blog

Celebrating One Year of Marisa Bono’s Leadership

Post author By admin
Post date May 5, 2022

At Every Texan, we value equity and opportunity for Texans of all backgrounds and especially for those who need it most. Together, we envision a state where every Texan has the opportunity and resources to thrive. Today, we celebrate Marisa Bono’s first anniversary as Every Texan’s CEO. We’re proud to share this look back on Marisa’s first year at Every Texan and what we’ve accomplished together.

Every Texan spearheaded a special session win, protecting city and local governments statewide.
- Texans believe our city and local governments should be able to respond to the needs of their constituents. State interference in local employee benefits was defeated (SB 14), which prohibited all local ordinances like rest breaks, paid leave, fair scheduling, fair chance hiring, and others died on the last day of the session.
Every Texan launched Fund Our Future and defeated the Chapter 313 corporate tax giveaway program.
- Our state budget and tax policies are moral documents navigating how we prioritize people. With your support, Every Texan launched Fund Our Future, an advocacy campaign designed to educate and engage Texans in the critical tax policy issues that impact our daily lives. As a result of coordinated effort from Every Texan and key partners, the damaging and wasteful Chapter 313 corporate tax giveaway program will now expire in December 2022.
Every Texan is strategically working towards systemic change in our state’s public education system.
- In light of the recent and unexpected outcry against recapture, which is our state’s primary tool for equitable school funding, Every Texan has designed a strategy including public events and media tours to combat attempts to deepen inequities in our school funding system. Every Texan also released a joint report with the Texas AFT on teachers’ salaries in Texas, arguing that absent significant statewide investment in public school funding, Texas is facing a retention crisis for certified teachers and qualified school staff.
Every Texan leads the Sick of It Texas (SOIT) Campaign towards success in the 2023 legislative session.
- To capitalize on the opportunity to educate and enroll the three-quarters of a million Texans in the Medicaid coverage gap, the Sick of It Texas (SOIT) Campaign has conducted significant campaign planning and actions last period to mobilize and partner closely with the larger ecosystem of advocates, providers, community-based organizations, and navigators. Every Texan co-hosted a full-day coalition strategy session to discuss the necessary next steps to address the Medicaid coverage gap in Texas, both inside and outside of the 2023 legislative session.
Every Texan is proud to have honored Darren Walker as the 2021 Every Texan Legacy Award recipient for his steadfast commitment to social justice through philanthropy.
- Our annual Texas Legacy event honors a remarkable Texan for their achievements in advancing equity and opportunity for Texans of all backgrounds. In 2021, Every Texan honored Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation and native Texan, with our Texas Legacy Award. The Legacy celebration continued when CEO Marisa Bono gathered with State Representatives Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico for a robust conversation on the public policies that will most improve the lives of everyday Texans.
Every Texan is union strong.
- As a statewide organization, we lead by putting our policy ideals into practice. Every Texan has advocated for pro-worker policies at the state level for decades. Unionization at Every Texan is consistent with our support for policies like paid sick leave and higher minimum wages. Guaranteed benefits and wages at unionized workplaces have a positive knock-on effect for all workers: there’s a correlation between increased union membership and wage growth.

At Every Texan, we believe social justice requires public policy. Our state government must do a better job prioritizing people in our policy solutions–that’s why we’re here! Join us today in celebrating Marisa’s first year and all we’ve accomplished together with your donation to Every Texan. Regardless of our race, zip code, or background, Texans want and deserve well-funded public schools, affordable health care coverage, nutritious food, and dignified jobs. It will take all of us working together to make this a state where people from all backgrounds can thrive. Thank you for your support for Every Texan!