New Hampshire Voices For Health

THROUGH COORDINATION OF CONSUMER VOICES, NH VOICES FOR HEALTH (VOICES) ADVANCES PUBLIC POLICY AND HEALTH SYSTEMS CHANGE TO ACHIEVE THE SHARED GOAL OF QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL. IN EVERYTHING WE DO, WE BELIEVE QUALITY, AFFORDABLE, HEALTH CARE NEEDS TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL PEOPLE, AND THE CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE NEEDS TO BE INTEGRATED INTO NH HEALTH CARE POLICIES.

POLICY - POLICY WORK CENTERS ON GATHERING, ANALYZING AND PRESENTING CREDIBLE/ACCURATE INFORMATION (STRONGLY GROUNDED IN THE CONSUMER'S PERSPECTIVE) TO OUR NETWORK AND DECISION-MAKERS. WE PROVIDE CRITICAL INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (SUCH AS EDUCATION ABOUT HEALTH POLICY CHANGES, THEIR PROJECTED IMPACT, AND MODEL POLICY LANGUAGE) TO STATE POLICYMAKERS TO ENSURE RESIDENTS WILL GET THE BENEFITS OF IMPORTANT PROTECTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES UNDER THE LAW. VOICES' EXPERIENCE AND STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR POLICY WORK ARE TRUSTED, RESPECTED AND VALUED. OUR POLICY PRIORITIES FOR 2015 CONTINUED TO FOCUS ON ACCESS TO QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE THROUGH PRIVATE COVERAGE (MARKETPLACE) AND PUBLIC COVERAGE (MEDICAID, MEDICAID EXPANSION (REAUTHORIZATION), AND CHIP). NH'S UNIQUE MEDICAID EXPANSION PROGRAM, THE NH HEALTH PROTECTION PROGRAM (NHHPP) THAT WAS PASSED IN THE 2014 LEGISLATIVE SESSION WAS SCHEDULED TO SUNSET IN DECEMBER 2016. VOICES' POLICY ADVOCACY WORK IN 2015 WAS FOCUSED ON PASSAGE OF NHHPPP REAUTHORIZATION AND FUNDING IN THE 2015 SESSION. WHEN NHHPP REAUTHORIZATION AND FUNDING LEGISLATION FAILED TO BE ENACTED BY THE END OF THE 2015 LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN JUNE, OUR FOCUS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR WAS TO SET IT UP TO BE A PRIORITY AT THE START OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN JANUARY 2016 ADVOCATING FOR 50,000 GRANITE STATERS TO NOT LOSE THEIR HEALTH COVERAGE. VOICES POLICY ADVOCACY EFFORTS INCREASED GRASSROOTS ACTION AND ELECTED OFFICIAL SUPPORT FOR NHHPP REAUTHORIZATION IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2016 LEGISLATIVE SESSION. VOICES CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR MARKETPLACE CONSUMERS. IN 2015, VOICES LED THE EFFORT TO EXPAND COVERAGE FOR GRANITE STATE LATINOS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS BY INCREASING THEIR AWARENESS OF THE BENEFITS AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT ALONG WITH INCREASING THEIR ENROLLMENT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE'S HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE, THE NH HEALTH PROTECTION PROGRAM AND MEDICAID/CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM.

NETWORKING AND COLLABORATION - CORE TO ALL OF VOICES' EFFORTS IS FOSTERING STRONG COLLABORATION AND CONVENING A DIVERSE RANGE OF HEALTH CARE STAKEHOLDERS. VOICES DRAWS UPON THE EXPERTISE OF AND, RELATIONSHIPS WITH, OUR NETWORK TO IDENTIFY COMMON GROUND, AGENDAS, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ADVANCE GOOD PUBLIC HEALTH CARE POLICY. IMPORTANTLY, VOICES IS A NON-PARTISAN CONVENER AND HAS EXCELLED AT PULLING PEOPLE REPRESENTING VERY DIVERSE INTERESTS TOGETHER TO FIND A SHARED VISION FOR HIGH IMPACT AND/OR PRESSING HEALTH CARE ISSUES. VOICES WAS A LEAD PARTICIPANT IN A STATEWIDE COALITION FOR EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION AND ALIGNMENT OF ACTION AND MESSAGING AROUND NHHPP. VOICES DEVELOPED A ROBUST STORY-BANK OF NHHPP ENROLLEES WHO COULD THROUGH THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES ON THE PROGRAM; TELL THE STORY OF ITS SUCCESS. VOICES COLLABORATED WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY SAFETY NET ORGANIZATIONS IN HOSTING COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING TO PROMOTE AWARENESS THAT THE NHHPP WAS IN DANGER OF ENDING AND FOR INDIVIDUALS TO LEARN HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES FOR THE REAUTHORIZATION.THIS STORYBANK WAS UTILIZED BY THE LARGER STATE COALITION WORKING TO REAUTHORIZE MEDICAID EXPANSION. ENROLLEES WERE ABLE TO BE HIGHLIGHTED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS TO MAKE THE CASE FOR REAUTHORIZATION. OUR PARTNERSHIP TO INCREASE COVERAGE IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR INCLUDED KEY INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE LATINO AND AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES OF NH. VOICES FORMED REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES OF MARKETPLACE ASSISTERS AND JOINTLY PROMOTED AND PARTICIPATED IN COMMUNITY EVENTS AND EDUCATION SESSIONS.THE CONSUMER ASSISTANCE TASK FORCE CONTINUED TO CONVENE CONSUMER ASSISTANCE ENTITIES/NETWORKS TO SUPPORT ACA-RELATED EFFORTS IN NH AND SHARE EXPERTISE AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO MEET CHALLENGES IN ENROLLMENT. THE CATF ALSO HELPED MAINSTREAM ORGANIZATIONS TO EFFECTIVELY REACH, SERVE, AND ENROLL MINORITY POPULATIONS. WITH THE NHHPP REQUIRING ENROLLEES TO TRANSITION INTO THE MARKETPLACE IN JANUARY, 2016, VOICES WORKED CLOSELY WITH ASSISTER ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE FALL OF 2015 TO HELP PREPARE FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR NHHPP ENROLLEES INTO MARKETPLACE PLANS.

COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC EDUCATION - VOICES' HIGHLY SKILLED PROFESSIONAL TEAM EXTRACTS KEY INFORMATION FROM COMPLEX POLICY TO PROVIDE ACCURATE, TIMELY, AND FACTUAL INFORMATION TO OUR DIVERSE AUDIENCES. WE USE A VARIETY OF APPROACHES TO DISSEMINATE THIS INFORMATION, INCLUDING PRESS CONFERENCES, SOCIAL MEDIA, OP-EDS, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND MORE. WE ARE DRIVEN BY A STRONG COMMITMENT TO A NON-PARTISAN APPROACH. AS SUCH, WE HAVE BECOME A TRUSTED PARTNER ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POLITICAL AISLE.VOICES' TRANSLATION, INTERPRETATION, AND ANALYSIS OF HEALTH CARE POLICY DRIVE OUR EDUCATION EFFORTS FOR CONSUMERS, POLICY-MAKERS, AND THE MEDIA. OUR NETWORK RELIES ON VOICES FOR ACCURATE/RELEVANT INFORMATION ABOUT HEALTH CARE POLICY, ITS IMPLEMENTATION AND, WHEN NECESSARY, EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY STRATEGIES. VOICES PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN KEEPING STAKEHOLDERS ABREAST OF THE CHANGING HEALTH CARE LANDSCAPE, AND CONTINUOUSLY WORKS TO ENGAGE, EDUCATE AND EMPOWER OUR NETWORK PARTNERS. OUR WEBSITE (HTTP://WWW.NHVOICESFORHEALTH.ORG) IS A COMPREHENSIVE, ACCURATE, AND NIMBLE RESOURCE FOR ALL HEALTH CARE STAKEHOLDERS. IN 2015 VOICES INCREASED ITS UTILIZATION AND PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WITH FACEBOOK AND TWITTER ACCOUNTS AND A BLOG. VOICES' STORYBANK OF NHHPP ENROLLEES WAS A KEY ADVOCACY STRATEGY IN INCREASING AWARENESS OF GRANITE STATERS, INCLUDING POLICYMAKERS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF REAUTHORIZING THE NHHPPP. FOR OUR EFFORTS TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT OF LATINOS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS, VOICES THROUGH ITS' PARTNERSHIP TO INCREASE COVERAGE IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR HAD A SPANISH LANGUAGE TV AND RADIO PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT, SPANISH SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND SPANISH FLYERS ABOUT THE MARKETPLACE AND ENROLLMENT. INFORMATION ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE AND MARKETPLACE ENROLLMENT WAS SHARED ON LIVE TV PROGRAMS THAT REACH A LARGELY AFRICAN AMERICAN AUDIENCE. VOICES ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A BI-WEEKLY ONE HOUR TV SLOT ON MANCHESTER, NH PUBLIC ACCESS TELEVISION FOR SPANISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING.