Months after complaining about the Affordable Care Act and after hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers weren’t able to get health insurance coverage; Gov. Mike Pence pleased Democrats and angered some in his deep red base by creating what Pence calls the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) 2.0.
In expanding Medicaid in Indiana, Pence seems to have crafted a plan where Indiana expands the number of Hoosiers covered by HIP (as many as 350,000), while preserving his strong view that Medicaid should be more of a system where recipients pay a little something toward obtaining medical insurance coverage.
Indiana’s hospitals are giddy about the plan because it would increase the reimbursements they’d receive from Medicaid, reduce emergency room treatments and reduce the numbers of uninsured. Even though hospitals would pay additional millions in fees to help pay for HIP 2.0, they were so excited that every Indy area hospital bigwig packed Gov. Pence’s announcement of his plan.
In his speech announcing HIP 2.0, Pence did something few prominent conservative Republicans have done: outlined a specific counter idea to the Democrats’ version of health care reform.
Most GOP ideas on health care reform have been repeal “Obamacare.” Rarely have Republicans presented alternatives.
Pence did and the reactions from Democrats were surprisingly restrained and positive.
Appearing on our WTLC-AM (1310) “Afternoons with Amos,” Democratic state Rep. Charlie Brown, who co-authored the legislation that created the original Healthy Indiana Plan, was optimistic about Pence’s plan.
A statement put out by an HHS spokeswoman Emma Sandoe said the feds were “encouraged” by Pence’s plan.
Like his pivot on Common Core, Mike Pence has taken an issue dear to conservatives, created his own solution making his proposal somewhat pleasing to moderates and liberals, but anathema to hard-core conservatives.
What more policy surprises could be in store from our conservative governor who seemingly likes to stun his friends and surprise his foes?
What I’m hearing
in the street
For 47 years, WTLC-FM has served our African-American community. Many don’t know that in 1968, WTLC was the first Black formatted FM station created in the country east of the Mississippi River. Today, WTLC is the longest continuous serving Black FM radio station in America.
Over those nearly five decades, WTLC-FM has achieved many broadcasting honors, awards and accomplishments. But one milestone eluded the station – being No. 1 in the radio ratings.
The station came close on a few occasions, reaching as high as third place, but never achieved the top spot.
Until now!
For the first time in its stellar history, WTLC-FM garned FIRST PLACE in the regular monthly “PPM” ratings from Arbitron Ratings, now run by Nielsen Audio; the same people that measure TV viewing.
Of the Central Indiana radio stations measured by Arbitron/Nielsen, WTLC-FM climbed to the top of the pyramid in the last few weeks.
A positive milestone as WTLC-FM nears a unique milestone – preparing to commemorate a half century, 50 years of entertaining, informing and serving Indianapolis’ African-American community.
Julie Slaymaker, veteran journalist and wife of the late WTLC News Director and Hall of Fame broadcast journalist Gene Slaymaker, told me of an African-American who’s the newest member of the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame.
Lillian Thomas Fox was a staffer at the Indianapolis News, Indy’s then afternoon newspaper. She joined the newspaper in 1900, becoming the first African-American journalist at that newspaper.
For 16 years, Lillian Thomas Fox wrote a column in the white dominated newspaper called “News of the Colored Folks.” Fox covered the activities of Indy’s then 16,000 strong Black community and wrote feature articles for the newspaper.
In an article written for the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Slaymaker quotes Wilma Moore, African-American history senior archivist at the Indiana Historical Society, on Fox’s contribution to Hoosier history.
“Man or woman, Black or white, Lillian Thomas Fox’s feats were extraordinary, remarkable and exceptional,” says Moore. “She (Fox) was a true leader with grit. And one of those rare souls who could write about it, talk about it, and do it.”
In her article, Slaymaker quotes Dr. Frances Toler who wrote about Fox for a Ball State master’s thesis. Said Toler of Fox, “Lillian Thomas Fox was a woman ahead of her time” and “was the only woman on the staff of the Indianapolis Freeman, a publication supported by Booker T. Washington.”
Toler, reported Slaymaker, said that “of necessity Fox’s style of advocacy changed when she joined the News,” but added Toler, “What did not change was (Fox’s) commitment to use her skills as a journalist to dispel the notion that Blacks were not willing to work for their own betterment.”
“In her own way,” said Toler, “(Fox) built a bridge between the white and Black communities of Indianapolis.” Lillian Thomas Fox died in 1917 and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery.
It’s fitting that the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame honor an African-American woman who opened the doors for African-American women at the city’s mainstream newspapers.
The current African-American female journalists at the Indianapolis Star, are there because Lillian Thomas Fox paved the way.
Thanks to Julie Slaymaker for sharing this history with me that I’ve shared now with you.
See ‘ya next week.
You can email comments to Amos Brown at acbrown@aol.com.
