130+ Child Health Advocates and Experts to Follow on Twitter
The debates related to “repeal and replace Obamacare,” efforts to cut hundreds of billions of dollars out of Medicaid, and the need for an extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are simultaneously occurring in Congress and difficult to track.
Although there have been some stories in recent weeks related to how the bill specifically impacts children, most are not. People have asked me a number of times how we at First Focus are tracking the latest developments. For those interested in children’s health policy issues, I have developed the following Twitter list of the advocacy groups, child advocates, reporters, and policy wonks that are paying all or some attention to what is happening on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. related to child health.
This is not intended to be a comprehensive list, but instead represents a strong sample of some great Twitter accounts to follow in order to keep abreast of that news. If I am missing folks (and I am sure I have), please comment at the end of the blog so others can consider adding them.
The children’s community is also using hashtags such as #KeepKidsCovered, #DoNoHarm, #ProtectOurCare, and #SaveCHIP during these two debates.
If you don’t want to follow each of these people individuals, I have created a Twitter list at https://twitter.com/BruceLesley/lists/kids-and-health-reform1 that you can follow.
Terrific Advocates for Children at the National Level
· First Focus: @First_Focus
· First Focus Campaign for Children: @Campaign4Kids
· Child Health USA: @ChildHealthUSA
· Carrie Fitzgerald, First Focus: @carriemf
· Ari Goldberg, First Focus: @nooshbucket
· American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): @AmerAcadPeds
· Tamar Haro, AAP: @tmharo
· Marielle Kress, AAP: @MarielleKress
· Mark Del Monte: @DCDelMonte
· Children’s Hospital Association: @hospitals4kids
· Speak Now for Kids: @speaknowforkids
· Children’s Defense Fund (CDF): @ChildDefender
· Alison Buist, CDF: @AlisonBuist
· Kathleen King: @kathleenek
· March of Dimes: @MarchofDimes
· Children’s Dental Health Project: @Teeth_Matter
· Colin Reusch: @ColinReusch
· Georgetown Center for Children and Families (CCF): @GeorgetownCCF
· Joan Alker, CCF: @JoanAlker1
· Cathy Hope, CCF: @gothopecathy
· Elisabeth W. Burak, CCF: @ewburak
· Family Voices Nat’l: @FamilyVoices
· AASA Children’s Programs: @AASATotalChild
· Families USA: @FamiliesUSA
· Shannon Attanasio, Families USA: @ShanAttanasio
· Claire McAndrew, Families USA: @claire_mcandrew
· Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP): @CenteronBudget
· Edwin Park: @EdwinCBPP
· Children’s Health Fund (CHF): @chfund
· Irwin Redlener, CHF: @IrwinRedlenerMD
· Dennis Walto, CHF: @denniswalto1
· CHOP Policy Lab: @PolicyLabCHOP
· CHOP Advocacy: @CHOPadvocacy
· Mary Dwight, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: @MaryDwight
· Easter Seals: @Easter_Seals
· ChildFocus: @ChildFocus
· Paul Billings, American Lung Association: @billingspg
· Partnership for Medicaid: @P4Medicaid
· American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network: @ACSCAN
· America’s Essential Hospitals: @OurHospitals
· Shawn Gremminger: @sgremminger
· Nat’l Assoc of Community Health Centers: @NACHC
· ACAP: @safetynetplans
· Meg Murray Fleming: @mamurrayflemimg
· Community Catalyst: @healthpolicyhub
· Michael Miller: @hlthcaremike
· Robert Restuccia: @RobRestuccia
Important Health Policy Wonks/Experts
· Andy Slavitt, former HHS: @ASlavitt (if you follow nobody else, follow Andy!)
· Jocelyn Guyer, Manatt: @JocelynGuyer
· Daniel E. Dawes: @DanielEDawes
· Oliver Kim: @mousetrapdc
· Joshua Sharfstein: @drJoshS
· Child Trends: @ChildTrends
· Aaron E. Carroll, Incidental Economist: @aaronecarroll
· Bill Gardner, Incidental Economist: @Bill_Gardner
· Harold Pollack, Incidental Economist: @haroldpollack
· Austin Frakt, Incidental Economist: @afrakt
· Genevieve Kenney, Urban Institute: @kenneygm
· Kaiser Family Foundation: @KaiserFamFound
· Diane Rowland, Kaiser Family Foundation: @dr_dianerowland
· Larry Levitt, Kaiser Family Foundation: @larry_levitt
· Brent Thompson, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: @BrentThompson33
· Jennifer Ng’andu, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: @CanDoNgandu
· Rachel Nuzum, Commonwealth Fund: @raenuzum
· Len M. Nichols: @LenMNichols
· Stuart M. Butler, Brookings Institution: @stuartmbutler
· Katherine Jett Hayes, Bipartisan Policy Center: @jetthayes
Great Health Care Reporters
· Ezra Klein, Vox: @ezraklein
· Sarah Kliff, Vox: @sarahkliff
· Dylan Scott, Vox: @dylanlscott
· Dan Diamond, POLITICO: @ddiamond
· Sarah Ferris, POLITICO: @sarahnferris
· Joanne Kenen, POLITICO: @JoanneKenen
· Jennifer Haberkorn, POLITICO: @jenhab
· Jonathan Cohn, HuffPost: @CitizenCohn
· Jeffrey Young, HuffPost: @JeffYoung
· Matt Fuller: @MEPFuller
· David Nather, Axios: @DavidNather
· Sam Baker, Axios: @sam_baker
· Caitlin Owens, Axios: @caitlinnowens
· Margo Sanger-Katz, NY Times: @sangerkatz
· Noam Levey, LA Times: NoamLevey
· Michael Hiltzik, LA Times: @hiltzikm
· Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill: @NateWeixel
· Peter Sullivan, The Hill: @PeterSullivan4
· Mary Agnes Carey, Kaiser Health News: @maryagnescarey
· Julie Rovner, Kaiser Health News: @jrovner
· Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News: @LizSzabo
· Cynthia Cox, Kaiser Health News: @cynthiaccox
· Susannah Luthi, Inside Health Policy: @SusannahLuthi
· Sahil Kapur, Bloomberg: @sahilkapur
· Virgil Dickson, ModernHealthcare: @MHvdickson
· Rebecca Adams, CQ Roll Call: @RebeccaAdamsDC
· Mary Ellen McIntire, CQ RollCall: @MelMcIntire
· Tony Pugh, McClatchy: @TonyPughDC
· Drew Armstrong, Bloomberg: @ArmstrongDrew
· Erin Mershon, STAT: @eemershon
· Lev Facher, STAT: @levfacher
Tweetatricians (Pediatricians Who Are Also Great Advocates on Twitter)
· Colleen Kraft: @ColleenKraft
· Janice L. Pelletier: @DrJanPeds
· James Perrin: @AAPPerrin
· Benard Dreyer: BenardDreyer
· Kim Mukerjee: @KimMukerjee
· Sanjeev Sriram: @DrSriram
· Mary Beth Miotto: @MAhealthforkids
· ColoradoAAP: @Colorado_AAP
· Mary L. Brandt: @drmlb
· Stuart Cohen: @scohenmdmph
· Norm Christopher: @NormChristopher
· Ralph Martello: @gatorpedsmd
· Sadie LaPonsie: @DoctorSadieL
· Lottie Sharp: @Sharp8Lottie
· Deanna B: @dmarie208
· Anne Talbot: @annetalbot_MD
· Joannie Yeh: @BetaMomma
· Scott Krugman: @Dr_ScottK
· Stephen Cook: @DrSteveCook
· Dianna Abney: @BabyDok123
· Richard Chung: @TeenHealthMD
· R. Allen Coffman: @allencoffman
· Dipesh Navsaria: @navsaria
· Jaime Friedman: @DrJaimeFriedman
· Heidi M. Feldman: @heidifeldman
Voices for Their Children Who Are Closely Following the Debate
· Natalie Weaver: @Nataliew1020
· Elaine Nell: @NCTwinmom
· AdvocForFragileKids NC: @fragilekidsNC
· Protect TX Fragile Kids: @fragilechildTX
· Laura PL: @LauraLpelg
· Rebecca Schroeder: @luckycfmom
· J.B. McGee: @j_b_mcgee
· Rebecca Wood: @woodra
· Alabama Children First: @IAmMedicaid
I also started adding to this group all the child advocates following the national debate in states across the country. However, when I started to add these important voices, this list was going to triple in size. So instead of tripling this list size, I have a different Twitter list of the best state-based child advocates in the country at https://twitter.com/BruceLesley/lists/state-child-advocates.
In addition, you could also follow me at @BruceLesley. But be warned, I also slip in tweets about the full array of children’s issues under assault at the federal level and they all are. For example, the Trump budget would be a disaster for children in a number of different ways.
The fact is that children need all of our voices now, more than ever. For example, the House passed and the Senate is considering $834 billion in Medicaid cuts that would do immense harm to children, even though the cuts to kids have nothing whatsoever to do with Obamacare.
Please call or write your member of Congress, use social media, go to a townhall meeting, schedule an appointment to meet with your representative and senators, or write a letter-to-the-editor to make your voice heard — for our future, our children.
It can make a difference.
