Policy Update, May 16, 2014

Thank you for your interest and support of United Way. Contact us if you have any questions.

How is my county doing in Education, Income or Health?

Community Report Cards Now Available!

The Community Report Card is a new tool that provides an overview of 35 key indicators in the areas of education, income and health for each county.

Review a quick snapshot to see how a county compares against the state average and whether it is getting better or worse on a particular indicator. Drill down to see the data presented in a variety of graphics or on a map, even looking at a neighborhood where the data source allows. Visit www.indianaimpact.org to see your county.

The Community Report Card was developed by the Polis Center at IUPUI for the Indiana Association of United Ways and was guided by a task group of local United Way leaders. Use this resource to track key indicators and to consider possible solutions for your local community.

Sample data from Tippecanoe County - Free/Reduced Lunches

(shaded county map, bar graph by school corp., line graph compared to state)

United Way leaders visit Capitol Hill

United Way volunteers and staff from Indiana met with all eleven Indiana offices on Wednesday. Twenty-one United Way leaders from Indiana were among over 700 from 46 states to discuss early education, Child Care Development Block Grant, tax reform, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and more! Your Indiana friends are at the bottom right in the photo.

Governor Pence proposes HIP 2.0

On Thursday, Governor Pence announced his plans to enhance the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). The new "HIP 2.0" is pending on the waiver that Gov. Pence will submit to the federal government in June. The new consumer-driven Medicaid alternative has three levels of health care coverage options that are meant to assist low-income working Hoosiers.

132,423 Hoosiers selected a Marketplace plan during open enrollment.

The Dept. of Health and Human Services released its Marketplace Summary report about the first open enrollment period. View the Enrollment Report for Indiana. Thousands of Hoosiers took advantage of the Marketplace open enrollment period. Over 8 million around the country selected a health insurance plan, including 132,423 Indiana residents. Below are a few highlights about Hoosiers who selected Marketplace plans.

12,293 "young and invincible" 18-25 year olds selected a plan.
56% of the newly enrolled are female; 44% are male.
67% selected the Silver Level Insurance Plan, where the consumer pays about 30% on average.

Your Money, Your Goals toolkit now available for download

Case managers through Indiana field tested Your Money, Your Goals: A Financial Empowerment Toolkit for Social Services. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is now making it available. Your Money, Your Goals is not a financial literacy curriculum. Rather, it is a set of modules that allow a case manager to help with the consumer's specific need today. Each module offers information and tools to help clients check their credit reports, manage debt, plan to save and build spending plans.

Download a preview module of toolkit.

Help overturn new rules to the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)

The Office of Personnel Management recently made changes to the rules of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). The CFC is the campaign that allows for federal employees to make donations, usually through their paycheck, to charities. Some of the new rules can make it harder for charities to receive donations and can also make it more challenging for employees to contribute. Review a summary from United Way Worldwide or the rules.

When the rules were proposed in early-2013, they were met with overwhelming opposition, including nearly 1,400 comments by charities and stakeholders that opposed the rules. Fortunately, the Congressional Review Act creates an expedited process for Congress to overturn agency regulations. To take action against these rules, email your congressional representative.

IaUW Public Policy

IaUW is a nonpartisan organization that works to advance policy principles and compromise solutions for the common good. We focus on programs and policies that help:

children prepare for and succeed in school;
individuals achieve and sustain financial stability;
individuals access quality healthcare; and
communities thrive, including a strong 2-1-1 network and charitable sector.

Our policy priorities are developed and guided by our Public Policy Committee and our IaUW members, based on their work in Hoosier communities.

Frequently Requested Links / Documents

iauw.org - Learn about the Indiana Association of United Ways, current trainings and conferences and the ways we support local United Ways/Funds, partners and communities.

IaUW Policy / Advocacy info - Review and download IaUW Policy Priorities, Third House calendar, bill lists, fact sheets, talking points and testimony.

Advocacy Action Center - Contact your member of Congress or State Legislator, provided through our partnership with United Way Worldwide.

IaUW Policy Update Archive - Read prior issues, special articles and key documents produced by IaUW related to public policy and advocacy.

IN211.org - Search for human service information available through the referral database or by calling 2-1-1. Download reports about resources, needs, gaps and trends from Indiana 211 Partnership.

NRN Calendar - Register for high-quality and affordable training for nonprofit staff and volunteers by the Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network.

Funding and Other Opportunities - Explore current requests for proposals, funding and recognition opportunities.

Indiana General Assembly - Check the hearing or floor schedule, watch a live or recorded hearing or floor session and look up your legislators.

Library of Congress - Look up bills introduced in Congress. Note that the THOMAS site will be maintained through 2014 and fully replaced by Congress.gov.