San Antonio Challenges of Discrimination, Poverty, Education, Health Care, Environment, and Immigration Revealed in Murals

 

                                                                                                                                                                  San Antonio challenges of discrimination, poverty, education, health care, environment, and immigration are revealed in murals in west side San Antonio.   Community members compassionately and creatively tell their stories.  San Anto Cultural Arts Center has led people to gather and to create.  The problems are not unique to San Antonio.  When the U.S. is compared to other countries through the Social Progress Index, national weaknesses are apparent. As people learn of weaknesses, they can improve. This is a time of opportunity for improvement. 

 A graduate of Incarnate Word High School, Adriana Garcia, created two of the murals shown in this 12 minute film, "Brighter Days," and "De Todos Caminos Somos Todos Uno" in English, "From All Roads We Are All One."   She was selected and recognized as part of the Americans for the Arts 2019 Public Art Network (PAN) Year in Review (50 projects were selected out of 361). The mural is part of  the San Pedro Creek improvements project.

 Arts have been an important part of education in Incarnate Word schools. Sister Maria del Socorro Lazo, CCVI, (1893-1956) from Chihuahua, Mexico, started teaching at Incarnate Word College in 1941. She was highly respected as an outstanding artist in Texas.  

Resources from CHA to Combat Human Trafficking

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, with National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Jan. 11. Catholic health care is a leader in educating its associates to identify and provide compassionate, quality care to the victims whom they encounter in clinics, emergency departments and other facilities and community outreach endeavors. 

To help bring attention to Jan. 11, the Catholic Health Association (CHA) has several new resources to offer:

• A reflection for your use. Access the reflection.
• A FREE webinar, A Medical Safe Haven for Victims — A CHA Human Trafficking Webinar, Jan. 17, 2018, from 3 to 4 p.m. ET. Register and learn more.

Feb. 8, International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking, is a continuation of this important awareness activity. Designated by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Union of Superiors General, it is an annual day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. Feb. 8 is the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, who was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery in Sudan and Italy. Once Josephine was freed, she became a Canossian nun and dedicated her life to sharing her testament of deliverance from slavery and comforting the poor and suffering. She was declared a saint in 2000.

Here is a prayer you can use Feb. 8

CHA, in support of this ministry commitment, is a partner in working to end human trafficking and identifying ways Catholic health care can advocate on behalf of and help support victims. Through our campaign, Faithfully United Against Human Trafficking, we...

• Convene members for twice annual networking conference calls
• Collect and share the ministry's wealth of resources online
• Provide prayers and reflections on this and many other topics

For additional information and resources, go to:
CHAUSA.org/humantrafficking
USCCB anti-trafficking program
Pontifical #EndSlavery resources

Prayer for World Aids Day

World AIDS Day takes place on the 1^st of December each year. It is an opportunity for people worldwide, and especially the men and women in Catholic health ministry who have served those living with HIV/AIDS, to unite in the fight against HIV, to continue to show support for people living with HIV and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day.

So that your organization can participate in this day of awareness and reflection, Catholic Health Association (CHA) is sharing a prayer for use in your meetings, online newsletters, in social media and throughout the communities you serve.

And so we pray …

God of Promise, today we are mindful of our sisters and brothers suffering with HIV and AIDS. We ask your healing presence on millions of people living with the disease today; particularly the children who are infected or who have been orphaned by the disease. Make of us a safe haven for those who are abandoned, discriminated against and rejected on account of their illness. Inspire us to speak out for a just distribution of health care and medical aid in this country and for generosity in sharing our resources with those struggling under the weight of this epidemic overseas. 

As we begin our Advent celebration of waiting in hope for the birth of your Son, let us remember those across the world who wait in hope for a cure. Amen. 

Protect Children's Healthcare Today

Many of those living in poverty today are children, and these children rely on life saving health care services provided through CHIP and Medicaid.  Congress recently failed to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), putting the healthcare of 8.9 million kids in jeopardy.

Please read this action alert from our friends at Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice and contact your senators today to save CHIP and pass the KIDS Act! 

Last week, the House passed a bill that would extend CHIP funding but also deeply cut public health funding, make risky changes to Medicaid and Medicare financing, and put in place new barriers for families to access affordable health coverage in the private marketplace. These harmful cuts would cause hundreds of thousands of people to lose coverage, and attaching them to CHIP when it desperately needs funding is irresponsible.

The good news is the Senate has a better plan—the KIDS Act, which would extend CHIP without any harmful cuts to other health programs.

CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY: 1-888-738-3058

Tell them to extend CHIP funding and pass the KIDS Act as soon as possible.

Call twice to reach both Senators.

Now, the Senate is our best chance to extend CHIP funding and take care of our nation’s children without harming others. Senators Hatch (R-UT) and Wyden (D-OR) are negotiating a strong, bipartisan bill called the Keep Kids’ Insurance Dependable and Secure (KIDS) Act of 2017.

Senators need to hear from us to make the KIDS Act an urgent priority and to keep it bipartisan and free from harmful offsets. Tell them to work together and get something done for our children, not fall back on partisan gridlock that hurts our nation. With healthcare for 8.9 million children in the balance, we need your help to pass the KIDS Act. Call 1-888-738-3058 today!

When you call, here’s what you might say:

“Hi, my name is [NAME] and I am a constituent from [CITY/TOWN]. As a person of faith, I’m calling to urge you to pass S.1827, the KIDS Act, and extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program as soon as possible. It is unacceptable to leave this program unfunded while 8.9 million kids and families wonder if their healthcare will be terminated. Please keep this bill bipartisan and do not include harmful cuts to health programs like the House did. Where does the Senator stand on this issue?” *Add your personal story!

If there is one thing we learned from the attempted repeal of the Affordable Care Act, it’s that phone calls make a big difference. So please, call your Senators at 1-888-738-3058 today!

URGENT: Oppose the Graham-Cassidy Healthcare Bill TODAY!

We need you NOW. Please call today and every day until Graham-Cassidy is defeated.

 

All calls are important but we must especially call those Senators who are on the fence or persuadable. We especially encourage members in West Virginia—Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Maine— Senator Susan Collins, Ohio—Senator Rob Portman, and Alaska—Senator Lisa Murkowski to call their Senators.

 

Please join LCWR and NETWORK and make the calls.

 

Call 1-888-738-3058 (twice to be connected to both Senators) to tell your Senators that they must not take away healthcare from millions of Americans. If your Senators have already pledged to oppose the bill, please call and say “THANK YOU!”

 

The new legislation, referred to as the Graham-Cassidy proposal, is even more devastating than past repeal attempts. Your phone calls stopped ACA repeal in July, and we need them now more than ever. The Senate is reportedly one vote away from passing this bill and fundamentally altering our healthcare system. It would, among other things:

      --Cause 15 million people to become uninsured next year

      --Leave approximately 32 million people uninsured by 2027

      --Eliminate ACA’s expansion of Medicaid for low-income people

      --Eliminate ACA’s subsidies that help people afford premiums

      --Decimate Medicaid through “per capita caps” leading to funding limits and billions of dollars in cuts

      --Allow states to gut consumer protections – including protections for people with pre-existing conditions

 

Here is a sample script you may want to use:

 

"Hello, My name is [NAME] and I am a constituent from [CITY/TOWN]. As a person of faith, I believe access to healthcare is a basic human right. I'm calling to urge the senator to oppose the Graham-Cassidy bill. This bill would take millions of dollars out of [YOUR STATE]. We need bipartisan fixes to expand coverage, not take it away. I oppose any efforts to cut or cap Medicaid. Please protect the human dignity of 32 million Americans who would lose coverage and state your opposition to the Graham-Cassidy proposal. Can I count on the Senator to vote NO on Graham-Cassidy?”

 

Please call 1-888-738-3058 (twice to be connected to both Senators) to tell your Senators that they must not take away healthcare from millions of Americans.

 

Please share this action alert with as many people as possible.

 

Together, with many people of faith we were able to save healthcare in July. We need to do it again!

Stop the Better Care Reconciliation Action and Protect Medicaid

As we continue to live out our call to welcome the stranger and extend compassion to refugees fleeing violence and persecution, we also need to ensure we have the right programs in place to help them integrate and thrive. The United States protects the world’s most vulnerable refugees. Medical and health care coverage are critical to meeting their basic needs. Medicaid provides many refugees the access to life-saving, affordable health care and coverage to address their medical and mental health needs during their initial resettlement period. A recent report illuminated the lifeline Medicaid extends to refugees and other vulnerable Americans.

We are at a dire time in our struggle to keep quality, affordable health coverage for the most vulnerable men, women, and children in our country. The “Better Care Reconciliation Act” would cause massive harm to our communities, including refugees, and must be rejected. This bill endangers more than 70 million children, disabled people, seniors in nursing homes, and hardworking individuals and families who rely on Medicaid for health care. This means more people could die because they will not have a right to coverage. It is a moral tragedy in the making. Senate leadership is rushing the bill to a vote by June 30th. Today, and the next few days, are our last best chance to stop this immoral bill.

TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT MEDICAID
Call 1-888-738-3058 Now!
Please call twice to reach both of your Senators.

When you call, here’s what you might say: “Hi, my name is [NAME] and I am a constituent from [CITY/TOWN]. As a person of faith, I’m calling to oppose the “Better Care Reconciliation Act”. I oppose any efforts to cut or cap Medicaid, and no one should lose coverage as a result of a healthcare replacement bill. Please protect the human dignity of the millions of Americans who would lose coverage. Please oppose the “Better Care Reconciliation Act”.”

Please add your personal story! You can also tweet your Senators and share your story on Facebook and Twitter. Use the hashtags #Faith4Medicaid #ProtectOurCare #SaveMedicaid.

Lives are on the line, and your calls can make the difference. We need to let all Senators know that people of faith support health care and are against this bill. We need you to call your Senators at 1-888-738-3058 NOW to protect Medicaid and oppose this health plan. By taking action, we pray we can stop this bill and maintain a 50 year old commitment to quality care for our community members. Millions of lives are on the line. Please call your Senators at 1-888-738-3058 to stop this bill. Call twice to reach both Senators, and keep calling until we stop this bill!

Please spread the word and share with your networks! Thank you for all your work and support!

STOP THE AHCA IN THE SENATE

Call 1-888-738-3058 Now!

The Senate would rather keep it quiet, but we need to make some more noise about healthcare. Call your Senators at 1-888-738-3058 now to oppose the American Health Care Act (AHCA).

The Senate is where this bill will live or die -- and we just heard from Senate offices that numbers of phone calls have dropped to pre-election levels. We need to keep the pressure up (in Republican and Democratic offices!) because people’s lives are on the line.

If the AHCA becomes law, 23 million people will lose health coverage, Medicaid will be cut by $834 billion, and the very wealthiest will be $660 billion richer through the Trojan horse tax breaks in this legislation. This is cruel, irresponsible, and deadly. The Senate is restricted in what changes it can make to this terrible bill -- and your calls can save the lives of millions of Americans by stopping the AHCA once and for all.

Call your Senators at 1-888-738-3058
Call twice to reach both Senators.

When you call, here’s what you might say:

“Hi, my name is [NAME] and I am a constituent from [CITY/TOWN]. As a person of faith, I’m calling to oppose the American Health Care Act. I oppose any efforts to cut or cap Medicaid, and no one should lose coverage as a result of any healthcare replacement. Please protect the human dignity of 23 million Americans who would lose coverage and oppose the American Health Care Act.”

Take Action to Defend Health Care for the Most Vulnerable

The House has introduced the Affordable Care Act (ACA) "repeal and replace" legislation, called the American Health Care Act. The legislation proposes not only to make major changes to the insurance coverage provisions of the ACA — eliminating the individual and employer mandate, premium tax credits, and cost-sharing subsidies — but also to fundamentally restructure the Medicaid program. The legislation has now been approved by the House Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees and is expected to be taken up in the House and Senate in the coming weeks.

CHA (Catholic Health Association) strongly opposes the American Health Care Act, which asks the low-income and most vulnerable in our country to bear the brunt of the cuts to our health care system.

Specifically, we oppose the proposal to cap federal Medicaid financing beginning in FY 2019, thereby eliminating the federal-state shared financing partnership for the Medicaid program. Medicaid is already a lean program, with spending per beneficiary considerably lower than private insurance and growth in spending per beneficiary slower than private insurance. 

Capping the federal financing for the Medicaid program, whether through per capita caps or block grants, fundamentally undermines the health care safety net and will lead to major reductions in benefits and coverage for vulnerable individuals and families.

We urge you to contact your Representatives and Senators and urge them to oppose this legislation as currently drafted. Specifically, urge them to:

1. Reject the proposal to cap federal Medicaid financing with a "per capita cap."
   • Capping Federal Medicaid dollars will:
     • Cause major reductions in benefits and coverage for vulnerable individuals and families.
     • Sharply reduce federal payments and shift costs onto states, health providers and beneficiaries
     • Shift the risk of all costs above the cap to the states, including:
       • public health crisis like the opioid epidemic;
       • increased mental and behavioral health services;
       • new drugs or medical advances; and
       • natural or man-made disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes or lead poisoning
     • Lock in federal funding levels based on earlier state benefit choices, constraining new investments
   • For those in Medicaid expansion states, capping Federal funds will:
     • End the state's enhanced Federal matching rate for new enrollees as of Jan. 1, 2020
2. Ensure health care coverage is available and affordable for all
   • Adjust the proposed tax credits to ensure affordability, especially for low-income individuals and families, by basing them on income in addition to age
   • Eliminate the 30% increase in monthly premiums for those who are unable to maintain "continuous" health insurance coverage, including individuals with pre-existing conditions

For more information about the legislation, see the House Ways & Means Committee notice and Energy & Commerce Committee notice.

You can reach congressional offices through the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

In addition, a sample letter is available on e-Advocacy.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter, and for all that you do to support Catholic health care.