Tag: health care

[Veterans Day News] Brown urges Senate to take action on Agent Orange bill

Washington, D.C. – On the Senate floor yesterday, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, led his colleagues in urging the President to take action on behalf of thousands of Vietnam veterans across the country living with chronic health conditions, by expanding the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ list of medical conditions associated with exposure to Agent Orange to include Parkinsonism, Bladder Cancer, Hypertension, and Hypothyroidism. Republicans rejected Brown’s measure.

Thousands of veterans – many of whom are aging and in urgent need of critical health care and other benefits – have waited far too long for a final decision that should have been made by the VA in 2016.

“Thousands of veterans – many of whom are aging and in urgent need of critical health care and other benefits – have waited far too long for a final decision that should have been made by the VA in 2016. I urge my colleagues to add Parkinsonism, Bladder Cancer, Hypertension and Hypothyroidism to the list of presumptive health outcomes for service-connected exposure to Agent Orange without further delay,” said Brown.

Currently, VA provides presumptions for seven of the fourteen health outcomes for which the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has found a suggestive association between herbicide exposure and a particular medical condition. However, the four aforementioned conditions have yet to be recognized by VA, making it difficult for veterans to receive care and benefits for these illnesses. In fact, hypertension is now recognized by NAM as having sufficient association, or an even stronger link, with herbicide exposure. A presumption of exposure means that if a veteran served in a specific area during a defined time frame, VA will presume that they were exposed to certain harmful chemicals or environmental hazards.

According to internal documents obtained by a veteran through the Freedom of Information Act, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and other White House officials objected to then VA Secretary David Shulkin’s recommendation to add three health conditions — Bladder Cancer, Parkinsonism, and Hypothyroidism — to the list of conditions eligible for Agent Orange benefits in October 2017, denying approximately 83,000 veterans faster access to disability compensation and health benefits.

Nov 14, 2019

Working for less: Most common Cincinnati jobs pay too little

Last year, six of Ohio’s 10 most common jobs paid so little that a typical worker would need food assistance to feed a family of three — generally less than $26,000 a year.

From the booming Columbus metro area to struggling Youngstown, too many jobs across Ohio don’t pay enough for families to get by.

The research by Hannah Halbert, with research assistance from Isaac Miller of Policy Matters Ohio shows that too many jobs in Cincinnati pay too little and many pay less as a share of poverty than they did nearly two decades ago. New data released by the U.S. Department of Labor show that six of the Cincinnati area’s 10 most common jobs pay the typical worker too little to feed a family of three without food assistance (earnings under 130 percent of poverty typically qualify).

At a time when state and federal policymakers are determined to erect new barriers to food assistance and health care, these new data show that the challenge is not requiring people to work, as most already do. Rather, the true challenge is getting employers—many of which are major international corporations with vast profits—to pay their workers a fair wage with benefits and set a schedule that provides some measure of job security.

Low wages were not always so ubiquitous in the Cincinnati area. In 2000, five of the 10 most common occupations paid so little that a family of three was left dependent on food assistance to get by- now it’s six. Some occupations paid less as a share of poverty in 2017 than they did a decade and a half ago. The new rules of Ohio’s labor market are so tilted in favorof corporate employers that many Cincinnatians will not be able to work their way to self-sufficiency.

The fact sheet for the Cincinnati area shows the median annual salary and hourly wage of the metro area’s 10 most common jobs in 2000 and 2017, and how far they went towards lifting a family of three out of poverty. The fact sheets also contain data showing which sectors have grown and which have declined since 2017.

“State and federal leaders are trying to create new barriers to health care, food aid and housing assistance. If they succeed, many of Ohio’s working people will slip deeper into poverty.”

“Throughout Ohio, not only are many of the most common jobs paying extremely low wages, many do less to lift working people out of poverty than they did in 2000,” Policy Matters Ohio Researcher Hannah Halbert said. “State and federal leaders are trying to create new barriers to health care, food aid and housing assistance. If they succeed, many of Ohio’s working people will slip deeper into poverty.”

Working for Less
Most common occupations in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, by employment, 2017
Top 10 occupations 2017	Total Employment	Median Hourly Wage	Median Annual Salary	Median annual earnings as a share of poverty
Food Prep & Serving Workers, including Fast Food (-)	31,720	$9.18	$19,090	93%
Retail Salespersons (+)	29,450	$10.95	$22,780	112%
Registered Nurses (+)	23,580	$30.80	$64,050	314%
Laborers & Freight, Stock & Material Movers (+)	23,190	$13.59	$28,260	138%
Cashiers (+)	21,320	$9.50	$19,760	97%
Waiters & Waitresses (-)	20,170	$9.16	$19,050	93%
Customer Service Reps (-)	20,080	$15.31	$31,840	156%
Stock Clerks & Order Fillers (+)	17,640	$11.87	$24,690	121%
Office Clerks (+)	17,440	$15.29	$31,800	156%
Janitors & Cleaners, except Maids & Housekeeping (-)	15,670	$11.42	$23,750	116%
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey, May 2017 estimates, available at https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm, accessed April 13, 2018. Largest detail occupations in Cincinnati MSA by employment. Median annual earnings shown as a share of the poverty threshold for a family of three in 2017 ($20,420). The gross monthly income threshold for food assistance is generally 130 percent of poverty. Red text highlights the occupations paying a typical wage below this threshold. (-) indicates a median wage lower than the state median for that occupation. (+) indicates a median wage higher than the state’s for that occupation. Note that Cincinnati MSA includes areas in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

“Examining statewide numbers, Ohio may look better off than it really is,” Halbert said. Although the state has recovered all the jobs lost during the recession, since 2007, 215,000 fewer Ohioans are participating in the workforce — pushing down last year’s statewide unemployment rate of 5 percent. Statewide data also masks deep regional disparities and wage stagnation.

Wrong Direction
Cincinnati MSA occupations, employment and median annual wage: 2000 and 2017
Top 10 occupations 2000	Earnings as share of poverty	Top 10 occupations 2017	Earnings as share of poverty
Retail Salespersons	119%	Food Prep & Serving Workers, including Fast Food-	93%
Cashiers	102%	Retail Salesperson-	112%
Laborers & Freight, Stock & Material Movers	141%	Registered Nurses+	314%
Food Prep & Serving Workers, including Fast Food	97%	Laborers & Freight, Stock & Material Movers-	138%
General & Operations Managers	402%	Cashiers-	97%
Office Clerks	152%	Waiters & Waitresses	93%
Customer Service Reps	177%	Customer Service Reps-	156%
Registered Nurses	295%	Stock Clerks & Order Fillers-	121%
Waiters & Waitresses	93%	Office Clerks+	156%
Packers and Packagers	120%	Janitors & Cleaners, except Maids & Housekeeping-	116%
Source: BLS, OES Survey, 2000 Cincinnati MSA estimates and May 2017 estimates, accessed 4/13/18 at https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm. Largest detail occupations in Cincinnati MSA by employment. Median annual earnings shown as share of poverty threshold for a family of three in 2000 ($14,150) and 2017 ($20,420). The gross monthly income threshold for food assistance is generally 130 percent of poverty. Red font notes occupations that have median annual earnings under 130% of poverty for a family of three. (+) indicates earnings increased since 2000, (-) indicates the earnings decreased since 2000, as a share of poverty. Note that Cincinnati MSA includes areas in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

“Ohio needs leaders who will make a renewed public commitment to working people,” Halbert said. “Both the nation and state have productive economies with abundant wealth. We can use policy to shape the economy to benefit working people. Only the lack of political will keeps leaders from passing policies to improve job quality, make education and training affordable and fund basic services like transit and childcare that help people work.”

The Cincinnati region on average had 1,093,600 jobs last year. That’s 49,800 more jobs than in 2007, when the last recession began. The Cincinnati region has been a driver of the Ohio recovery. One of the top jobs, registered nurse, provides better earnings. This job relies in part on maintaining expanded health coverage. Yet, many of the jobs that have grown over recent years do not offer the same income or stability as those lost. Manufacturing took the biggest hit. Growing sectors, like leisure and hospitality, often pay poorly and lack benefits.

Job quality has been eroded. Ohio tax policy has sent big cuts to the wealthiest, shrinking funding for education, infrastructure, and healthcare—investments that help working people and their kids get ahead.

Job quality has been eroded. Ohio tax policy has sent big cuts to the wealthiest, shrinking funding for education, infrastructure, and healthcare—investments that help working people and their kids get ahead.

Policy Matters Ohio has set out 10 policy priorities that help working people by raising wages, extending overtime protections, providing paid leave, preserving public jobs and more. These new data show that such policies are essential in the Cincinnati region where jobs still make it hard to get by.

May 12, 2018

Tax bill may threaten disability services

A Republican proposal to overhaul the tax code could endanger everything from employment services to health care for people with disabilities, advocates say.

More than a dozen disability advocacy groups are working furiously to block the U.S. Senate from passing a bill that may bring up to $1.5 trillion in tax cuts, warning that slashing such a huge chunk of federal revenue would spell trouble for programs that Americans with disabilities rely on. Read on at Disability Scoop…

513-683-1052
215 Loveland-Madeira Rd
Loveland, Ohio 45140

Nov 28, 2017

Tag: health care

[Veterans Day News] Brown urges Senate to take action on Agent Orange bill

Working for less: Most common Cincinnati jobs pay too little

Last year, six of Ohio’s 10 most common jobs paid so little that a typical worker would need food assistance to feed a family of three — generally less than $26,000 a year.

“State and federal leaders are trying to create new barriers to health care, food aid and housing assistance. If they succeed, many of Ohio’s working people will slip deeper into poverty.”

Working for Less

Top 10 occupations 2017

Food Prep & Serving Workers, including Fast Food (-)

Retail Salespersons (+)

Registered Nurses (+)

Laborers & Freight, Stock & Material Movers (+)

Cashiers (+)

Waiters & Waitresses (-)

Customer Service Reps (-)

Stock Clerks & Order Fillers (+)

Office Clerks (+)

Janitors & Cleaners, except Maids & Housekeeping (-)

Wrong Direction

Top 10 occupations 2000

Retail Salespersons

Cashiers

Laborers & Freight, Stock & Material Movers

Food Prep & Serving Workers, including Fast Food

General & Operations Managers

Office Clerks

Customer Service Reps

Registered Nurses

Waiters & Waitresses

Packers and Packagers

Job quality has been eroded. Ohio tax policy has sent big cuts to the wealthiest, shrinking funding for education, infrastructure, and healthcare—investments that help working people and their kids get ahead.

Tax bill may threaten disability services