For the 4th year in a row, the Right Care Alliance held a retreat on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. What began in 2015 a brainstorm for a brand new network has grown into a strategy retreat focused on our political vision, goals and ways to develop a sustainable funding model. This year’s retreat focused on the RCA’s political platform and state political initiatives, followed by a tabling activity in the local community fair.
Political Education Salons
The Right Care Alliance is starting to formulate a policy agenda through intensive, small-group discussions called “Political Education Salons.” RCA members will take turns hosting monthly conversations that link tenets of the RCA Vision to actionable policy goals.
There will be a kickoff event on January 30th to introduce the Salon project, that will be broadcast on Facebook Live. The salons will start in Boston and then expand to all RCA chapters. Then the Steering Committee will turn the policy goals articulated in the meetings into a full political agenda, to prepare for the 2020 election cycle.
If you would like to host a Political Education Salon, contact organize@rightcarealliance.org!
Ballot initiative
The Boston chapter is also doing state-wide advocacy, by starting to organize a ballot initiative for a state-run pharmacy benefit manager in 2020 (to learn more about pharmacy benefit managers, see this video and this skit about PBMs!)
The first step is to create compelling language around the idea of a state-run PBMs. The communications working group is currently discussing how best to talk about this issue and frame it within the language of the referendum. The chapter is planning for the ballot initiative to be on the ballot in 2020.
Connecting to the Community
The MLK Day of Action ended with some members hosting a table at INSPO, a Brookline community event. This exhibition features about 100 community groups, so people can explore what activities are happening in their community. RCA members chatted with participants about the RCA, sold T-shirts, and handed out flyers and postcards.