alerts
ALERT March 8, 2010
BUDGET UPDATE & ACTION NEEDED
UPDATE
The House and Senate budget subcommittees will begin making budget decisions this week. If you have not already contacted legislators regarding proposed cuts to mental health services, now is the time to do so.
It is expected that the budget subcommittees will support proposed budget language put forward by children’s advocates requiring a RICA summer study in place of the recommended action (which we opposed) to close beds at RICA-Baltimore and RICA-Gildner.
Remaining issues of concern are the following proposed cuts to the FY 2011 budget (July 2010 – June 2011):
- Reduce grant funding to Core Service Agencies by $1.5 million
- Eliminate the ability of Core Service Agencies to retain and repurpose rollover funds
ACTION NEEDED
Please call or email members of the budget subcommittees to share your concern by Monday, March 15.
Contact information for all members of both subcommittees is included below. If you send an email please be sure to include “No Mental Health Cuts” in the subject line to ensure your message is appropriately counted.
Senate Health and Human Resources Subcommittee
Name District Phone Email & Fax
EDWARD J. KASEMEYER, Chair 12: Baltimore, Howard 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3653 edward.kasemeyer@senate.state.md.us
Miller Senate Office Bldg, 3 West Wing 410-841-3653 410-841-3850
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-841-3653 301-858-3850
RICHARD S. MADALENO, Vice Chair 18: Montgomery 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3137 richard.madaleno@senate.state.md.us
203 James Senate Office Building 410-841-3137 410-841-3676
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3137 410-858-3676
DAVID R. BRINKLEY 4: Carroll, Frederick 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3704 david.brinkley@senate.state.md.us
403 James Senate Office Building 410-841-3704 410-841-3713
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3704 301-858-3713
NANCY J. KING 39: Montgomery 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3686 nancy.king@senate.state.md.us
222 James Senate Office Building 410-841-3686 410-841-3670
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3686 301-858-3670
NATHANIEL J. McFADDEN 45: Baltimore City 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3165 nathaniel.mcfadden@senate.state.md.us
422 James Senate Office Building 410-841-3165 410-841-3138
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3165 301-858-3138
DOUGLAS J. J. PETERS 23: Prince George’s 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3631 douglas.peters@senate.state.md.us
121 James Senate Office Building 410-841-3631 410-841-3174
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3631 301-858-3174
J. LOWELL STOLTZFUS 38: Somerset, Wicomico 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3645 lowell.stoltzfus@senate.state.md.us
323 James Senate Office Building Worcester 4100-841-3645 410-841-3006
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3645 301-858-3006
House Health, Education, and Human Resources Subcommittee
MARY-DULANY JAMES. Chair 34A: Cecil, Harford 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3331 mary.dulany.james@house.state.md.us
404 House Office Building 410-841-3331 410-841-3002
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3331 301-858-3002
KEITH E. HAYNES, Vice Chair 44: Baltimore City 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3801 keith.haynes@house.state.md.us
424 House Office Building 410-841-3801 410-841-3530
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3801 301-858-3530
ADELAIDE C. (ADDIE) ECKARDT 37B: Caroline, Dorchester 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3343 adelaide.eckardt@house.state.md.us
213 House Office Building Talbot, Wicomico 410-841-3343 410-841-3299
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3343 301-858-3299
ANA SOL GUTIERREZ 18: Montgomery 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3181 ana.gutierrez@house.state.md.us
220 House Office Building 410-841-3181 410-841-3232
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3181 301-858-3232
HEATHER R. MIZEUR 20: Montgomery 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3493 heather.mizeur@house.state.md.us
219 House Office Building 410-841-3493 410-841-3445
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3493 301-858-3445
STEVEN R. SCHUH 31: Anne Arundel 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3206 steve.schuh@house.state.md.us
145 House Office Building 410-841-3206 410-841-3764
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401 301-858-3206 301-858-3764
ALERT
March 5, 2010
SUPPORT THE LORRAINE SHEEHAN ACT TO FUND COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BY INCREASING THE ALCOHOL TAX
THE PROBLEM
Barriers to accessing mental health care have increased with the declining economy. The Mental Hygiene Administration’s (MHA) budget has already absorbed $56.9 million in cuts over the past two years, while the number of people using the system has increased by 15%. Medicaid enrollment continues to climb as more people are in need and entitled to receive public mental health services. At the same time that we fight proposed reductions in mental health funding, we must also be proactive in seeking new sources of revenue to ensure that people get the care they need.
The Lorraine Sheehan Health and Community Services Act of 2010 (HB 832 & SB 717) will raise $214 million in new revenues through a dime a drink increase in the state alcohol tax. These revenues will fund health care coverage for low income childless adults and developmental disability, substance abuse and mental health treatment. About $30 million of the total would be allocated for community mental health services.
ACTION NEEDED
It will be an uphill battle to pass the Alcohol Tax this year. Broad public support is critical. Here is what you can do to help:
1) Contact your legislators - Call, email or write your legislators. If they are cosponsors of the bill (see list at end of this alert), thank them for their support. If they are not cosponsors, urge them to support increasing the alcohol tax and let them know why this is important to you.
If you send an email please be sure to include “I support increasing the Alcohol Tax” in the subject line to ensure your message is appropriately counted.
Use our sample letter or write your own using information from the attached fact sheets and any personal information you wish to share on how this issue impacts you.
Elected officials are rarely thanked, so contacting cosponsors is as important as contacting legislators who have not yet taken a position on this legislation.
To email your legislators, visit www.mlis.state.md.us and go to “Contact or find a Legislator”. This menu choice enables you to send an email to your elected officials, or “find” your legislators if you don’t know their names (and links you to complete contact information for letters, calls and emails).
2) Attend the Annapolis hearings – A packed hearing room has an impact. Be there if you can:
SB 717: Senate Budget & Taxation Committee, Wednesday, March 10, 1 pm, 3 West Miller Senate Building, 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
HB 832: House Ways & Means Committee and Health & Government Operations Committee, Thursday, March 11, 1 pm, Room 130, House Office Building, Annapolis, MD 21401
We will be distributing our “Dime a Drink Saves Lives” buttons outside the hearing rooms on both days, so please stop by to get one to wear.
3) Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper – Many legislative offices monitor letters in local papers as an important gauge of public opinion. You can adapt the sample letter to legislators as a template to get you started in writing to your newspaper. However, your personal voice, story or message will increase the likelihood that your letter is printed.
4) Call in on radio shows to share your views. If you are an avid radio fan and frequently tune in to talk radio, now is the time to get the message out about the alcohol tax and why it is important, especially when elected officials are guests on the shows you listen to.
House Lead Sponsors: Delegates Bronrott and Hubbard
House Cosponsors: Delegates Ali, Anderson, Barnes, Benson, Bobo, Burns, Carr, Carter, Dumais, Feldman, Frick, Frush, Gaines, Gilchrist, Gutierrez, Guzzone, Hucker, Ivey, Kramer, Kullen, Lee, Levi, Manno, McIntosh, Mizeur, Montgomery, Nathan-Pulliam, Pena-Melnyk, Ramirez, Reznik, Robinson, Rosenberg, Ross, Simmons, Stukes, Tarrant, Taylor, Valderrama, and Waldstreicher
Senate Lead Sponsors: Senators Jones and Madaleno
Senate Cosponsors: Senators Exum, Forehand, Frosh, Lenett, Pinsky, and Raskin
Sample Letter to Legislators who are not cosponsors
Dear Delegate/Senator:
People in need of mental health treatment in our community are unable to get the treatment they need. Although inadequate funding for mental health services is a longstanding problem, the economic downturn and state budget cuts have made it even more difficult for people to get care, as evidenced by the nation’s rising suicide rate.
I urge you to support HB 832 (or SB 717 if writing to a Senator), the Lorraine Sheehan Health and Community Services Act of 2010. This bill would raise the alcohol tax a dime a drink to provide funding for community mental health care and other critically needed health and disability services. Our state has the highest per capita income in the nation, yet our tax on distilled spirits is one of the lowest in the country (#47) and has not been raised in more than half a century.
Vulnerable citizens are counting on you to ensure they are able to get the care they need.
Sincerely,
Sample letter to cosponsors
Dear Delegate/Senator:
Thank you for your courageous support of HB 832 (or SB 717 if writing to a Senator), the Lorraine Sheehan Health and Community Services Act of 2010.
I am very concerned about the rising number of people in need of mental health care in our community who are unable to get the treatment they need due to the chronic underfunding of mental health services. This bill will begin to address the longstanding inadequacy of state funding for mental health and other important health and human service needs.
I applaud you for your leadership in addressing the needs of vulnerable citizens.
Sincerely,
Federal Health Care Reform
The House of Representatives passed a sweeping health care reform plan on November 7, 2009. By a vote of 220 to 215, lawmakers approved a bill that would extend coverage to 36 million people who are now without insurance. The plan would also end insurance company practices such as excluding coverage for pre-existing conditions or terminating coverage when individuals become ill. The approval cleared the way for the Senate to begin debate on its reform plan.
The bill approved by the House significantly improves access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. It also applies mental health and substance use parity requirements to all qualified health benefit plans regardless of whether they are offered in the individual or group market. In addition, the bill includes provisions to improve care coordination and increase the number of behavioral health service providers. Many programs to improve access to prevention services would be supported through the legislation including home visitation programs, school-based health clinics, and employee wellness programs.
The Senate passed a health care reform bill in December 2009, although the bill passed by only one vote. Since the House and Senate bills differ, both houses must work on a compromise. The most contentious issue is how to pay for the healthcare expansion, as many legislators object to raising taxes.
Both bills include provisions to allow individuals without employer sponsored insurance and small businesses to purchase insurance through an exchange. However, the House and Senate disagree about whether states or the federal government should operate exchanges to help people shop for insurance. President Obama supports keeping a single, national health-insurance exchange run by the federal government. Democrats in the House agree and are refusing to give in on that issue. The Senate’s reform bill allows states to run their own exchanges using state laws.