Missouri Health Care for All

04/26/2023

Missouri Senators are debating the initiative petition process RIGHT NOW! HJR 43 would make it harder to pass ballot measures that allow us to implement meaningful change to our state law and constitution. Listen to the Senate debate here: https://chamber.senate.mo.gov/chamber

Call your Senator now and urge them to oppose HJR 43 and defend our right to direct democracy: 1-833-491-0334

04/26/2023

Join current MHCFA staff for one last Virtual Town Hall before we temporarily cease paid operations. Join us for final legislative and Medicaid updates, to reflect on all we've accomplished together, and to hear about what's next for the organization.

Sign up here: https://bit.ly/3Hg6l5U

04/20/2023

Dear Friends of Missouri Health Care for All,

We, the Board of Directors for Missouri Health Care for All (MHCFA), are reaching out to share important news with you regarding the future work of our organization. Due to multiple circumstances, including currently pursuing a merger with Missouri Jobs With Justice, we have voted to conclude our relationship with the staff of Missouri Health Care for All by providing them a 30-day notice beginning on Friday, April 7, 2023. The last working day for MHCFA staff members will be Thursday, May 4, 2023. While this decision has been made and shared with the staff, we felt a responsibility to share this information directly with our partners and our supporters. Great care has been taken to ensure that staff is provided for during this time of transition and we are beyond grateful for the dedication and leadership staff have shown throughout their tenure. We wish them nothing but the best in all future endeavors.

If you are a donor to MHCFA, we want you to know how much your support has positively impacted our work and thank you for standing by us. If you donate monthly, please note that these donations will no longer be withdrawn.

Lastly, as we work toward the potential transfer of our work to Missouri Jobs with Justice, we want you to know we remain committed to the mission of MHCFA – to bring together a community of passionate activists in our state to advocate for equitable health policies in Missouri and to advance the broader movement for universal, single-payer health care in the United States. Thank you for being by our side in this fight and we commit to continued updates soon.

Respectfully,

Missouri Health Care for All Board of Directors

Cheryl Unterschutz, President | Karen Bradshaw, Vice President | Julia López, Vice President | Emma Crocker, Secretary| Sarah Willey, Treasurer

Members at large: Lexi Amos | Rhonda Beene | Patricia Clinton | Rebecca Goldstein | Shannel Reed

04/18/2023

Missouri Health Care for All condemns Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey's new emergency rule proposed April 13, 2023, which greatly restricts access to gender-affirming health care for both children and adults. We stand with transgender Missourians and sustain that health care decisions should remain between patients and their doctors and families.

You can read the St. Louis County Health Department's response and guidance for transgender Missourians seeking gender-affirming care here: https://bit.ly/40iao8C

04/13/2023

Repost from National Birth Equity Collaborative

“Black women experience worse reproductive, prenatal, and postpartum health outcomes than any other racial or ethnic group.

Providing patient-centered care that is responsive to the needs of Black women and birthing people is essential.

Obstacles tied to how health systems and providers conceptualize and provide care have resulted in many people feeling silenced or disrespected in their birthing experience. We are in a crucial time where we can rethink our systems and provide Respectful Maternity Care (RMC).”

Learn more about at Black Mamas Matter Alliance

04/10/2023

On Friday, two federal judges released conflicting rulings regarding the Federal Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone, otherwise known as the "abortion pill."

A Texas judge blocked FDA approval of the drug in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA. Meanwhile, a Washington state judge issued a ruling in Washington et all v. FDA, affirming that the FDA must keep mifepristone available to patients in the 17 states plus District of Columbia who were involved in the lawsuit.

Here are the facts:
•As it stands, abortion, including medication abortion, is still illegal in Missouri. It remains legal in our neighboring states of Illinois and Kansas.

•If you have an appointment for an abortion in another state, keep that appointment. No changes will be made until Friday, April 14th at the earliest.

•Abortion medications are safe and effective and can be used to manage abortions at home. You can find more information at sites like www.plancpills.org

•Please turn to our trusted partners at Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri and Pro-Choice Missouri for more information.

Abortion is health care.

03/29/2023

ACTION ALERT

RIGHT NOW, the Missouri Senate is debating HJR 43 (Henderson, R – Bonne Terre), which if passed, would raise the vote threshold for passing citizen-led ballot measures. This change would restrict everyday Missourians from proposing and passing important, life-saving policies, like we did with Medicaid Expansion.

Some lawmakers are determined to grab power from Missouri citizens and limit lawmaking to the select few in Jefferson City – many of whom do NOT represent our best interests. We must stop them!

Email and call your Senator TODAY and urge them to OPPOSE HJR 43 and any attempts to restrict the initiative petition process.

Click here to email your Senator: http://bit.ly/3KhHzUV

03/22/2023

Missouri Health Care for All stands with the trans community and condemns the Attorney General's recent attack on access to gender-affirming health care for trans children. Please support organizations like PROMO in this fight to protect the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Missourians.

03/16/2023

Due to , renewals were paused, but they’re coming back! Don’t wait - update and stay covered! Be sure Missouri's Department of Social Services has your current mailing address. Click here to update your information: https://mydss.mo.gov/renew

02/22/2023

Year after year, court case after court case, Missouri politicians keep trying to "defund" Planned Parenthood. A Senate committee has a hearing on two "defund" bills this week.

“Defunding” is political shorthand for blocking patients who rely on Medicaid from accessing preventive care — including birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment — at Planned Parenthood health centers.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have the power to enforce federal law that protects the right of every Medicaid patient to pick their own health care provider. Urge them to act now and protect Missouri patients!
https://www.weareplannedparenthoodaction.org/a/tell-biden-harris-protect-mo-patients

01/02/2023

✨“The ones that love us never truly leave us…” – Sirius Black ✨

It is with a heavy heart and an immense sadness that MHCFA announces that our beloved Executive Director, Janée Johnson, died on the evening of December 29, 2022 after a sudden and unexpected medical emergency.

Janée was an integral part of this team. We will miss her immeasurably but take comfort in the fact that even in her final hours, her love for helping others continued as she saved the life of a 21 year old man and a 48 year old man (both in Missouri) by being an organ donor. Her light will live on in them, in her family and friends, and in us. Please join us in keeping her family in your thoughts during this immensely difficult time.

Janée truly led an amazing life of advocacy, love, and determination. She was one in a million and we will miss her dearly. Please read more about her incredible life in her obituary. The link is below.

https://www.shepardfuneralchapel.com/obituary/janee-johnson?lud=408571348FC33A48AD8525EB6F13535F&fbclid=IwAR0ObrtnPZmrK0yriedzZPjAkFMbsXak5Jz1ZI-yiQEobfkxpYF8aOgiwVA

Thank you for your patience in the coming weeks, with all of us at Missouri Health Care for All, as we continue to grieve, celebrate, and remember the remarkable woman that was Janée Nicole Johnson. 💕

12/06/2022

There is still plenty of time to sign up for our virtual End of Year Town Hall on Wednesday, December 14th, 6pm. We’ll recap the work we did this year and discuss upcoming opportunities to fight for health care access in 2023.

Be sure to check out our Shopify page to purchase tickets for raffle baskets featuring goodies from all across the state. Click the link below to enter. Winners will be drawn and announced during the town hall. We hope to see you there!

https://bit.ly/3gZpDlZ

12/02/2022

Mark your calendars for our virtual End of Year Town Hall on Wednesday, December 14th from 6-8 PM.

We'll recap the year, celebrate our wins, and talk about opportunities to fight for quality, affordable health care in 2023.

Be sure to check out our Shopify page to purchase raffle tickets for awesome giveaway baskets with goodies from across the state: https://bit.ly/3gZpDlZ

Sign up here to get the Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3ulYsFi

11/16/2022

Oregon voters have agreed on a constitutional amendment which requires the state to ensure all residents have access to affordable health care.

This is just one of many possible avenues to affordable health care for all at the state level. We're excited to see how this is implemented!

Measure 111 makes Oregon the first state in the nation with a constitutional obligation to provide access to affordable health care to all its residents, similar to the constitutional guarantee of a public K-12 education.

11/10/2022

It's that time of year again. ACA open enrollment has started! Visit www.healthcare.gov to find a plan that works for you. You have the right to affordable, accessible healthcare!

Enroll by Dec. 15 for coverage beginning Jan 1, 2023.

11/06/2022

Did you know the Missouri state motto is 'the welfare of the people shall be the supreme law', from the Latin phrase 'salus populi suprema lex esto'. Your vote matters so be sure to this Tuesday, Nov 8 and vote like your healthcare depends on it, because it does!!

Make sure you have a plan in place by checking your registration, finding your polling place, reading what's on your ballot and more important information in advance at Vote.org.

11/03/2022

The entire state of Missouri will vote on Amendment 4 which, if passed, would require Kansas City to increase its police budget to 25% of its entire budget. This is government overreach at its worst – why should the entire state have a say in one city's police budget? If this amendment passes, it could open the door to similar overreach in other Missouri cities.

Vote NO on Amendment 4 to keep local budget decisions local!