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Email September 25, 2009
Health Care Reform
If they build it, will the public understand it?
The need for an Ombudsman program
Panelists:
Cheryl Fish-Parcham
Deputy Director of Health Policy
Families USA
Cheryl Fish-Parcham is a Deputy Director of Health Policy at Families USA, the national organization for health care consumers. Her current areas of focus are private insurance and state initiatives to cover the uninsured. Previously, she helped to form a national support center for consumer health assistance programs and provided technical assistance on Medicaid issues. She is the author of numerous reports on designing consumer health assistance programs, the plight of the uninsured, and on Medicaid and private insurance. In addition to her national work, Cheryl is active in health care advocacy in the District of Columbia. She helped to draft the DC Health Care Member Bill of Rights Law and the DC Health Care Ombudsman Law, and she provides training to local groups on various health insurance issues. Earlier in her career, Ms. Fish-Parcham worked as an advocate at AARP’s Legal Counsel for the Elderly and as a social worker in various community organizations in the District of Columbia. Ms. Parcham received a Master in Social Work from Howard University.
Priya Mendon
Director of the NYC Managed Care Consumer Assistance Program
Community Service Society
Priya Mendon is the Director of the NYC Managed Care Consumer Assistance Program (NYC MCCAP of the Community Service Society), a program that helps clients obtain, navigate and keep their health coverage. Ms. Mendon manages and oversees daily operations, including internal and external communications and securing funding for MCCAP. She is currently working closely with New York City on FY10 priorities including enrolling large numbers of uninsured populations into health insurance programs. Ms. Mendon also introduced the concept of forming community partnerships by providing trainings and presentations to various advocates and consumers on health related topics including Medicaid, Medicare, Child Health Plus, and Family Health Plus. The goal of this initiative is to make New Yorkers self-empowered in their communities and to better understand their options and rights before seeking health coverage. Ms. Mendon received her master’s degree in International Relations and Human Rights from New York University.
Elisabeth Benjamin
Vice President of Health Initiatives
Community Service Society
Elisabeth Benjamin is the Vice President of Health Initiatives at the Community Service Society, where she supervises health policy, the Manage Care Consumer Assistance Program (MCCAP), and the Medicaid Choice Education Project (MCEP). MCCAP and MCEP provide consumer assistance, navigational support, health education and outreach to consumers through a network of community-based organizations throughout the five boroughs of New York City. She is also a leader of the New York State Health Care for All Campaign (HCFANY), a statewide coalition of more than 80 organizations devoted to securing affordable, quality health care for all New Yorkers. Previously, Ms. Benjamin directed the Reproductive Rights Project at the New York Civil Liberties Union and was the founder and Director of the Health Law Unit at the Legal Aid Society. Ms. Benjamin has worked in community health and hospital projects in India, the Philippines, Morocco, and Tunisia. Ms. Benjamin received a degree in Health Policy and Management from Harvard School of Public Health and a law degree from Columbia University.
The Working for Change Forum is a monthly public policy roundtable held in the U.S. Capitol and sponsored by the Community Service Society in collaboration with the Coalition on Human Needs. The forum is held with the support of Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) and is a bipartisan discussion that is open to Congressional staff and policy advocates. For information on the forum and to be placed on our mailing list, contact CSS Director of Government Relations, Janeene Freeman, at jfreeman@cssny.org.
Program - September 25, 2009