Blog Archive

Vicki Shabo, Director of Work and Family Programs

From the desk of ... Vicki Shabo

New Study Shows It's Time to Invest in Paid Leave for U.S. Workers and Families

May 4, 2012 | Work and Family

It is no secret that millions of women are both breadwinners and caregivers for their families, the country is rebuilding its economy, and - at the same time - many federal and state lawmakers are trying to figure out how to reduce spending.

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Christine Monahan, Health Policy Advisor

From the desk of ... Christine Monahan

Eliminating Disparities in Maternal Health

Co-author(s): Kalahn Taylor-Clark

April 26, 2012 | Health Care

How does race and ethnicity intersect with other identities (including sex, gender identity, etc.) in ways that compound barriers to health care and lead to health disparities?

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From the desk of ... Kirsten Sloan

Medicare Matters to Older Women

April 24, 2012 | Health Care

The Medicare Trustees announced this week that the program will remain solvent until 2024 - the same projection as last year.

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From the desk of ... Debra L. Ness

Women's Work: A Political Flashpoint and an Urgent Policy Imperative

April 16, 2012 | Workplace Fairness

Women's work. Last week, when Hilary Rosen used words she quickly admitted were poorly chosen, we were all reminded that it remains a huge flashpoint in our society.

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From the desk of ... Debra L. Ness

Older Women's Stake in Health Reform

April 3, 2012 | Health Care

This week, all the talk in Washington has been about handicapping the outcome of the Supreme Court health reform cases, and identifying winners and losers.

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Sarah Crawford, Director of Workplace Fairness

From the desk of ... Sarah Crawford

Supreme Court Erodes State Workers' FMLA Rights

March 21, 2012 | Judges and Supreme Court | Work and Family

By a narrow majority, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Coleman v. Maryland Court of Appeals has eroded the right of millions of state workers to take job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) when faced with a serious illness, injury, or pregnancy.

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From the desk of ... Debra L. Ness

10 Things to LOVE About the Affordable Care Act

March 21, 2012 | Health Care | Reproductive Health

This week, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) turns two. Let's not mince words: This law is the greatest advance for women's health in a generation.

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From the desk of ... Sarah Crawford

Home Care Workers Deserve Minimum Wage and Overtime Protections

March 1, 2012 | Workplace Fairness

Every day, nearly three million home care workers in the United States help the elderly and people with disabilities get the daily assistance they need.

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From the desk of ... Eva Powell, Health IT

How do Consumers View Health IT?

February 17, 2012 | Health Care > Health Information Technology (IT)

We are so excited to be able to share with you the results of an unprecedented study, commissioned to examine consumer views on health IT!

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From the desk of ... Judith L. Lichtman

Time for Concrete Action to Stop Discrimination Against Pregnant Women and Caregivers

February 15, 2012 | Workplace Fairness

Today, I was honored to join a distinguished group of scholars, advocates, government officials, and legal and policy experts to discuss an issue of critical importance to working women and families in this country: discrimination based on pregnancy and caregiving.

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From the desk of ... Debra L. Ness

Widespread Inequality in the Restaurant Industry Means Hardship for Women Workers

February 13, 2012 | Work and Family | Workplace Fairness

There are more than 10 million restaurant workers in the United States. The majority are women. These are the hosts and hostesses who greet us, the waiters and waitresses who serve us, the bartenders who fill our drink orders, the attendants and dishwashers who clean up after us, set up our tables, and more.

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From the desk of ... Debra L. Ness, Repro Health Watch

Through the Looking Glass on Contraceptive Coverage

February 6, 2012 | Reproductive Health

We've said it before and we'll say it again: Birth control is basic health care for women.

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From the desk of ... Vicki Shabo

19 Years

February 5, 2012 | Work and Family

That's how long it's been since the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was signed into law.

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From the desk of ... Eva Powell, Health IT

Consumer Advocates Connect on Inaugural Webinar

February 3, 2012 | Health Care > Health Information Technology (IT)

We had a fabulous inaugural conversation for state-based consumer advocates working on health IT implementation this week!

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From the desk of ... Vicki Shabo

Legislation America Needs

February 3, 2012 | Work and Family

On Wednesday morning, at an event sponsored by the Center for American Progress, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) described for the first time sweeping new legislation that he plans to introduce this spring: the Rebuild America Act.

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From the desk of ... Alice Leiter, Health IT

Calling All State Advocates

January 30, 2012 | Health Care > Health Information Technology (IT)

Welcome. We are pleased to introduce this new blog — the first step in the process of creating an online community for state-level consumer advocates.

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From the desk of ... Vicki Shabo

New Study Documents Troubling Trends in Retail Industry

January 24, 2012 | Work and Family

Retail is the nation's second-largest sector and one of the fastest-growing industries in the country.

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From the desk of ... Debra L. Ness, Repro Health Watch

After 39 Years, Let's End the War on Women

January 22, 2012 | Reproductive Health

It's been 39 years since the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade - but the battles over access to the full range of reproductive health care services still rage on.

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From the desk of ... Vicki Shabo

New Study Makes a Strong Case for a National Paid Leave Policy

January 19, 2012 | Work and Family

At a time when working families are struggling, the economy is in trouble, and the need for family friendly workplace policies is high, a groundbreaking new study demonstrates that paid leave is good for working families, businesses and our economy.

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