DC Appleseed News http://www.dcappleseed.org 09/10/2010 EST en-us Washington Journal's Article - Still no decision on CareFirst's D.C. premium-funded reserve http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-journals-article---still-no-decision-on-carefirsts-d-c--premium-funded-reserve http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-journals-article---still-no-decision-on-carefirsts-d-c--premium-funded-reserve 07/30/2010 Washington Business Journal - Still no decision on CareFirst’s excess surplus.

To read the article click here.

]]> Washington Post Op Ed Highlights Voting Rights Struggle http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-post-op-ed-highlights-voting-rights-struggle http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-post-op-ed-highlights-voting-rights-struggle 07/04/2010 Washington Post Op Ed Highlights Voting Rights Struggle.


To read the letter click here.

]]> DC Appleseed calls on candidates to address poverty in DC in Washington Post Op-Ed http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/dc-appleseed-calls-on-candidate-to-defeat-poverty-in-washington-post-op-ed http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/dc-appleseed-calls-on-candidate-to-defeat-poverty-in-washington-post-op-ed 06/13/2010 DC Appleseed Board of Directors Member Ted Trabue and Walter Smith highlight the need for DC candidates to develop positions on alleviating poverty in the District.

 

Click here to view DC Appleseed Op-Ed

]]> Washington Post highlights referendum on elected DC Attorney General http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-post-highlights-referendum-on-elected-dc-attorney-general http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-post-highlights-referendum-on-elected-dc-attorney-general 06/02/2010 To view Washington Post artice, please click here.

]]> Washington Post highlights kick off of Defeat Poverty DC campaign http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-post-highlights-kick-of-defeat-poverty-dc-campaign http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-post-highlights-kick-of-defeat-poverty-dc-campaign 03/24/2010 Click here to view article on Washingtonpost.com

]]> DC Appleseed praises City Efforts on Female Condoms in Front Page Washington Post story http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/walter-smith-praises-dc-efforts-on-femal-condom-in-front-page-washington-post-story http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/walter-smith-praises-dc-efforts-on-femal-condom-in-front-page-washington-post-story 03/06/2010 Click here to read the full article on WashingtonPost.com

]]> Walter Smith WAMU Commentary on HIV/AIDS http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/walter-smith-wamu-commentary-on-hiv-aids http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/walter-smith-wamu-commentary-on-hiv-aids 01/22/2010 Click here to listen to commentary

The Washington Post recently highlighted what are characterized as serious deficiencies in the way the District of Columbia spends taxpayer money for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS. But commentator Walter Smith says it's important to note that the city's efforts against HIV/AIDS are not in complete disarray. Smith is the Executive Director of DC Appleseed.

SCRIPT:

It's no secret that the district's efforts addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic have been subject to serious deficiencies. D.C. Appleseed has also repeatedly pointed out such problems.

In fact, in 2005, D.C. Appleseed published a major report documenting a number of those deficiencies and making specific recommendations for overcoming them.

We found no coordination of HIV prevention efforts across the government, an absence of city leadership making the epidemic a top health priority, insufficient services for the most vulnerable populations: youth, drug users, and the incarcerated, and a complete failure to gather data that would track the epidemic and permit the effective targeting of resources to address it.

Today, as D.C. Appleseed's periodic report cards have shown, important progress has been made on a number of these fronts.

First, the city's HIV/AIDS strategy is now driven by data. The district and George Washington University's School of Public Health have joined forces to create a top-notch HIV/AIDS data collection program. Those data show that the city's HIV/AIDS cases are staggeringly high, but at least we now know what we face and where our efforts need to be focused.

Second, the district has dramatically improved its testing for HIV/AIDS. In fact, the number of tests conducted in the district is exceeded only by two huge jurisdictions: Florida and New York City.

Third, the needs of some of the most at-risk populations are being better addressed. The D.C. jail is routinely cited as a national leader in HIV testing and support for those who test positive.

The D.C. Public Schools have instituted a health curriculum instituted that includes age-appropriate lessons on HIV/AIDS. And the overturning of the needle exchange ban on the Hill has allowed the city to significantly increase its efforts at reducing HIV/AIDS among drug users.

Finally, general condom distribution in the district has dramatically expanded, from a little over 100,000 in 2006 to nearly 3 million in 2009.

It will take many years for these and other efforts to produce a turn-around in our HIV/AIDS epidemic. And there is no question that there will be other failures along the way. But it would be unfair to the district and to the many individuals and non-profits working in the community to let those failures suggest to the public that the district's response to the epidemic is in complete chaos.

It is not.

Progress is being made.

But much, much more remains to be done.

I'm Walter Smith.

]]> DC Appleseed Testimony Before the Maryland Insurance Commission on CareFirst Surplus http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/walter-smith-testimony-before-the-maryland-insurance-commission-on-carefirst-surplus http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/walter-smith-testimony-before-the-maryland-insurance-commission-on-carefirst-surplus 11/20/2009 Many insurance companies are using their influence on Capitol Hill to oppose the health-care reform proposals before Congress. However that congressional battle plays out, here in the District we have an opportunity right now to compel our largest health insurer to reduce premiums across the region.

To read the story, click here

]]> DC Appleseed Releases JBL Report on DC Community College http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/dc-appleseed-releases-jbl-report-on-dc-community-college http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/dc-appleseed-releases-jbl-report-on-dc-community-college 11/20/2009 A major new report initiated by a broad range of DC leaders underscores the need for a strong community college in the District of Columbia.  The reports recommends that a successful community college in the District needs to move to independence as quickly as possible and should create partnerships with one or more of the area's existing community colleges. The report was commissioned by DC Appleseed and Greater Washington Research at Brookings both of whom endorse the recommendations. 

Click here to view the report.

]]> DC Insurance Commissioner Delays Excess Surplus Decision, September 25, 2009. http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/dc-insurance-commissioner-delays-excess-surplus-decision-september-25-2009- http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/dc-insurance-commissioner-delays-excess-surplus-decision-september-25-2009- 09/25/2009 A little less than a week before it was to decide whether the reserves of a CareFirst subsidiary is 'unreasonably large,' Washington, D.C., insurance regulators are delaying their final verdict until the end of December.

To view story, click here

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