Staking our Claim in the Health Care Debate

In early December 2009, while determining my topic for this column, I have to admit that I was quite certain health care reform legislation would have become law by now. But, as of Jan. 19 and the election of Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate, the column rewrites began.

 

Attempting to make the best of the current situation, rather than tout the items in the bill that impact members of the Alliance for Children and Families and United Neighborhood Centers of America (UNCA) both positively and negatively, I turn my attention to the roller-coaster process that was—and still is—the health care reform debate.

For nonprofit human service providers, many who may well be counted on to implement some of the reforms that come with health care and other future legislation, we are also able to meaningfully participate in this type of debate through some traditional means and civic engagement.

 

Based on negative stereotypes and previous experiences, it may seem to some that, in the case of health care reform, key decisions were brokered behind the scenes in Washington by the most powerful institutions, such as hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and the insurance industry.

 

I am happy to report that nonprofits have not been completely excluded from the health care reform debate. For example, Families USA is playing a major role. To a great extent they are representing our community while we at the Alliance and UNCA support those efforts.

 

And be assured that the Alliance and UNCA, as well as a wide range of other national nonprofit organizations, are also working to directly provide influential perspective on the legislation. Without these efforts, some line items, such as providing a solid funding stream for therapeutic foster care and a new home visitation entitlement, would not have been included.

 

Many may be worried that when it comes to the biggest of big issues, such as health care, the power of money and the influence of politics are still many times trumping the power of ideas and citizen engagement. But there have been numerous examples, including informational discussions organized by Alliance member agencies, where civic engagement played a part in the debate.

 

The most significant examples of civic engagement in health care reform were the town hall meetings held around the country last year. To a certain degree, our elected representatives went through an exercise of soliciting citizen viewpoints and engagement while also trying to inform the citizenry of what was included in the health care reform bill. While well-informed civic engagement was the intent, it was sometimes overshadowed by raw emotion and organized protest, which also gained the most media attention.

 

I think some of these elected officials could have learned a lot about establishing productive debate from Alliance and UNCA members involved in civic engagement. The health care reform debate emphasizes and magnifies the need for much more inspired, deliberate, and successful efforts all around the country to promote positive, strategic, and responsible civic engagement on the great issues of today.

 

To reinforce my point, I suspect an informed citizenry will have something to say about the U.S. Supreme Court striking down several longstanding prohibitions on corporate political contributions. If the court’s decision opens up new avenues for using money to create influence, then the best antidote to that will be, as it has always been, the continued invigoration of civic engagement.

 

Of course, when it comes to civic engagement efforts surrounding any significant issue that affects our constituencies, we are the ones who own the opportunity, and we own the responsibility.

 

Whether health care reform takes place or not, or whether the Supreme Court decision plays a part in the next election, I know the Alliance and UNCA will be there to inform the citizenry and influence lawmakers. I commend the efforts of the Alliance and UNCA public policy office not only to keep our membership informed, but also to be involved in the discussion about matters that pertain to nonprofit human service organizations and the people they serve.