No Images? Click here Greetings, friends! Welcome to Your Life, Better for June 30, 2017. Here are five things you need to know this week to make your life better at work and at home: ACA Repeal: A Step Backward for Women, Children, and FamiliesWe’ve been following the journey of the “Better Care Reconciliation Act,” the Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, with concern for the future of family well being. According to latest estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, the Senate’s version would increase the number of uninsured Americans by 22 million by 2026, preventing families and communities across America from living their best lives at work and home. The Senate proposes slashing $772 billion from Medicaid funding over the next decade, which would reduce the number of people on Medicaid by 15 million by 2026. Proposed tax cuts, benefiting 400 wealthy families, are equivalent to government funding for every Medicaid recipient in Alaska, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Nevada losing coverage. In contrast, a recent report from the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that coverage expansion, which leads to more preventative care, improves health outcomes. Atul Gawande wrote for the New Yorker that "Compared with private coverage, Medicaid produces at least as much improvement in access to care, measures of health, and mortality reduction." Dismantling Medicaid poses a particular threat to women and children’s health. According to the latest Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 95% of U.S. children now have health insurance. However, should this bill pass, we could see that number significantly decrease. Kaiser Family Foundation reminds us that Medicaid and CHIP cover 44% of children with special healthcare needs. Additionally, fewer people will have access to birth control, preventative cancer screenings, and pre and post natal care. Considering the fact that Medicaid covers half of all U.S. births, and the fact that the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world, this bill is extremely concerning for maternal and infant wellbeing. To make matters worse, the bill would defund Planned Parenthood, whose range of services benefit approximately 2.5 million people of all genders. Three-quarters of public dollars spent on family planning in the U.S. are Medicaid dollars, and The Washington Post reports that defunding these services will undoubtedly increase the number of unintended pregnancies. Outcomes for women and children are better when pregnancy is planned and parents are emotionally and economically prepared to raise a child. As Vox calls out, negative outcomes are to be expected when healthcare bills are written without an equitable representation of our diverse population present in the room. If you’re concerned about losing access to care or have any questions about the repeal then call your Senators today! Don’t know who represents you? Find out here. The Gender Gap and Journalism: A Male Dominated FieldThe gender gap in journalism rears its head again. The Wall Street Journal union highlights pay gaps amongst writers, especially median salaries amongst reporters, special writers, and senior special writers at Dow Jones: women senior special writers make on average $10,199 less than their male counterparts. A study by Poynter finds the journalism business to be unfair to journalists with children, explaining how caregiving responsibilities still fall unequally to women. And amidst sexual harassment scandals, Fox created a group called Women@Fox to expand resources like mentorship and training for women to help them rise through the ranks. Medium reports that while the gender disparities in journalism are known, we lack shared wisdom about how to close the gender gap. Our very own director Brigid Schulte recommends newsrooms implement new ways of assigning work to give all employees -- not just parents -- the chance to have a fulfilling life off the job. Ann-Friedman, journalist and co-host of podcast “Call Your Girlfriend”, gives advice to women journalists about having confidence in writing the way they speak and not letting their voices be shamed due to the fear overshadowing the substance of what is being said. To help close the information gap around gender discrimination in journalism, take this survey by Medium and Stanford's JSK Journalism Fellow. Building Tomorrow’s Workforce Through Early Care Better Life Lab has been busy in the news. In How much Paid Leave is Enough? Brigid Schulte uses scientific research, gathered from our recent brief and timeline, to discuss the optimal length of paid family leave and explore the experiences of of individuals who’ve struggled with the lack of supportive paid parental leave policies. Brigid recently told CNN, “When you put it all out on a time line, you really start seeing connections about the larger cost of not doing some kind of paid family leave.” In order to support parents who choose to return-to-work following leave, families also need access to affordable, high-quality childcare. The DC Chamber of Commerce makes the business case for high-quality childcare, arguing that it provides a two-generation approach to strengthening business and building tomorrow’s workforce. Investments in early childcare and education pay off hugely for children from disadvantaged families. Brigid moderated one of the panels on building support for high-quality care, and why it’s so critical for the future. So why is it so hard to find a high quality, affordable childcare option? Listen to Brigid's recent interview on KCUR Radio in Kansas City to learn more about the New America Care Report and the difficulty of finding affordable, high quality child care in Kansas and across the U.S. Redesigning the Model for ParenthoodFamilies come in many forms, though our policies and practices don't recognize and support all families equally. A place to start redesigning is increasing support for fathers. A article by Esquire shared stories of 22 fathers’ experiences with “paternity leave”, which was largely limited to cobbled together sick and vacation days. In a recent interview in the New America Weekly, Nancy Polikoff, author of Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage: Valuing All Families Under the Law, expressed that one of the greatest barriers facing the LGBTQ community lies in legally defining the term “parent” and the benefits conferred to legal parents or guardians. Polikoff states that “...when a gay man or lesbian decides they want to become a parent, that is something they have to think through—it won’t just happen by accident. That can lead people into creative arrangements where they make decisions with someone very close to them that they will raise a child together and that may not be a romantic partner.” The LGBTQ community are not the only one’s being left out of the legal definition of parent. Refinery 29 ran a story featuring Chaedria Bouvier, the sister of Clinton Allen, an unarmed black man fatally shot by police seven times in 2013. Upon Allen’s death, Bouiver began co-parenting Allen’s twins with his wife. The decision didn’t come without personal and professional challenges, as Bouiver is not considered a “parent” by her employer or the government. It is time for the scope of parenthood to expand and encompass all people responsible for caregiving. In Case You Missed It
Better Together - Let’s Talk We’ve been talking a lot about healthcare reform and we’d love to hear from you: How would a repeal of the Affordable Care Act affect you and your family? Email us your thoughts, concerns, and stories at betterlifelab@newamerica.org That's a wrap! We'll look forward to seeing your inbox again soon. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook — and suggest your best reads on living a better life! Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here! About New AmericaNew America is dedicated to the renewal of American politics, prosperity, and purpose in the Digital Age. Our hallmarks are big ideas, pragmatic policy solutions, technological innovation, and creative engagement with broad audiences. Read the rest of our story, or see what we've been doing recently in our latest Annual Report. About the Better Life LabThe Better Life Lab is here to transform policy and culture so that people and families have the opportunity to live their best lives at work and at home. As a “lab,” we are dedicated to disruptive experiments, collaborative work, and innovative thinking. “Your Life, Better: News From the Better Life Lab” is our way to keep you in the know, featuring the best of what we’re reading and writing about gender equity, the evolution of work, and social policies that support 21st-century families. We provide a clear signal amid the noise to share what’s fresh and crucial to an inclusive vision of work-life, gender, and income equity issues. Better Life Lab Real choices. Real parity. All people.
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