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Webinar Series: Health Policy Insights

Health Policy Insights is a webinar series bringing together advocates, policymakers, researchers, and other leaders to explore important timely issues and debates, such as the links between housing and health, the disparities exacerbated by the pandemic, and its impact on Black, Latinx, and Asian American communities. These critical conversations will provide insight from community members all over the state.

Past Healthy Policy Insights events

No one chooses to have medical debt. Too often, the resulting debt from necessary, life-saving medical care leads to longstanding financial harms for low-income families, especially families of color. While Maryland hospitals have agreements to provide low-cost and free care to eligible households, there is also a long history of them suing patients for even very modest amounts of money. Marylanders should know their rights as patients and be able to get adequate care whenever they need it.

Our broken health care system affects not just Marylanders, but Americans across the country too. Statistically, medical debt is more likely to impact Black and Hispanic adults, those without insurance, low-income families, and adults aged 30-49 (and so many more). Fear of debt can also lead people to delay or avoid medical care. No one should ever have to choose between spending money on basics like food and rent or using almost all of their savings because they needed to get medical care.

Panelists:

Moderator: MDCEP President and CEO, Benjamin Orr.

Equitable Access to Care

A good quality of life and a strong economy both require a healthy, thriving population. No matter where you live, what language you speak, or how old you are, Marylanders should have access to affordable, quality treatment and support from our health care system. And, we know there are policy solutions that can help remove the barriers to living a healthy life.

Join this engaging conversation with health experts and advocates as we discuss what they have learned working alongside Marylanders in communities across the state.

Panelists:

  • Kony S. Portillo, Research and Policy Analyst, CASA
  • Vincent DeMarco, President, Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative
  • Katherine Rodgers, Director of Community Health Initiatives, TidalHealth
  • Isabel Antreasian, Community School Coordinator, Child First Authority

Moderator:

Dr. Shivonne Laird, Director of Community Commitment and Social Investments for Bon Secours Health System and Board Member of the Maryland Center on Economic Policy

Advancing Health Equity

The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the ways disparities in access to health care can lead to worse health outcome for Black and Brown Marylanders. However, too many Marylanders faced barriers before the pandemic too, like low-paying jobs and unaffordable health care costs, and lack of access to good doctors and healthy food. And, we know there are policy solutions that can help address the growing disparity among communities.

This engaging conversation with public health experts and advocates focused what we have learned during the pandemic, and how different policy choices can ensure that all Marylanders – no matter what they look like or where they live – have a chance at a healthy life and access to the social resources to not just live, but thrive.


Panelists:

  • Maryland Sen. Clarence Lam (District 12 – Baltimore and Howard counties). Senator Lam is also a physician at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
  • Stacey Jefferson, Director of Policy and Stakeholder Engagement, Behavioral Health System Baltimore and Co-Chair of Marylanders Against Poverty
  • Dr. Marisela Gomez, Community Health consultant for Social Health Concepts and Practices Inc., co-founder of Village of Love and Resistance, and author of Race, Class, Power, and Organizing in East Baltimore
  • Christopher Meyer, Research Analyst at the Maryland Center on Economic Policy

Moderator: Dr. Shivonne Laird, Director of Community Commitment and Social Investments for Bon Secours Health System and Board Member of the Maryland Center on Economic Policy

Healthy Housing, Healthy Maryland

More than a year into the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of Marylanders are at risk of losing their homes. This is a housing emergency, and its possible housing instability and homelessness could reach historic levels if we do not take responsible and compassionate actions.

This panel discussion featured housing advocates who will shed light on the challenges vulnerable communities face today and from policy analysts who can show the path forward.

Featured speakers:

The panel was moderated by Dr. Shivonne Laird, a MDCEP Board Member and Director of Community Commitment and Social Investments for Bon Secours Health System.