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CareFirst Watch Coalition
Mary Lee Stein, LICSW
After two years of legal and economic analysis, the DC Appleseed Center for Law
and Justice has issued its report entitled “Carefirst: Meeting Its Charitable
Obligation to Citizens of the National Capital Area.” GWSCSW is one of nine
current members of the Carefirst Watch Steering committee which has endorsed
this report.
The report addresses first whether or not GHMSI (Group Hospitalization and
Medical Services, Inc.), which is the District of Columbia affiliate of
Carefirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, has an obligation to pursue a charitable,
public health mission. With the pro bono assistance of the law firm of Covington
and Burling, the report concludes that indeed GHMSI is bound by its charted
purpose as a “charitable and benevolent institution.” It asserts that GHMSI’s
pursuit of a charitable mission is consistent with its charter obligation to
operate for the benefit of its “aforesaid certificate holders,” and that
District law requires GHMSI to benefit the public beyond its current policy
holders.
The second part of the report had as its “central purpose...to measure GHMSI”s
financial capacity to meet its legal obligation.” To summarize a clearly written
and very exciting and thorough analysis, the report concluded that GHMSI, in
order to meet its charitable obligation, could and should be spending
approximately $50 million currently and by 2008 “on the order of $100 million
per year on community activities….” Currently, GHMSI is spending only one
million dollars on such charitable activities. This section of the report goes
on to begin to identify areas of public health concerns. (GWSCSW responded to
the survey which helped inform that inventory).
Not surprisingly, the study showed that “mental health problems are reported to
be a leading diagnosis in hospital admissions in the District of Columbia and a
crucial issue throughout the region.” Several factors were identified as
contributors to these problems, but health leaders were unable to point to any
current, comprehensive efforts to address the region’s mental health needs.
As a member of the steering committee, GWSCSW is in a unique position to take a
leadership role in what is bound to become an exciting and significant public
conversation about what existing or newly developed services might be supported
by GHMSI’s likely increased charitable activity.
For GSCSW Legislative
Information contact:
GWSCSW
5028 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 404
Washington DC 20016
Phone 202 537 0007
Fax 202 364-0435
Email GWSCSW@gmail.com
Website http://www.gwscsw.org