Fed warning threatens CA kids’ health program
A grim prognosis for a highly touted program that provides health insurance for poor children in California: A federal review says a plan to save California Healthy Families Program may violate tax laws. The bipartisan agreement was touted as a crucial piece of legislation that helped save the California Healthy Families Program from devastating budget cuts. Just before young patients were kicked off the program, health insurers agreed to be taxed 2 percent. Because of that, combined with higher co-pays from families, the state was able to keep the program afloat for 700,000 poor children in California. “We have found a solution. It is one of shared responsibility between read more
Read MoreExtending health care to more kids
OneWorld Community Health Center is looking for 6,000 kids. The agency that generally provides health care to the underserved has received $706,264 from the federal government to create a program to enroll thousands of children in either of two government insurance programs for low-income children. Many metro-area children are eligible but aren’t enrolled because their families don’t know the programs exist or don’t know their kids could qualify, said Andrea Skolkin, chief executive officer of OneWorld. That means some of those children are going without health care or are getting far less than they could. OneWorld’s goal is to enroll at least 6,000 children. The read more
Read MoreHealth-Care Reform to Dump Poor Kids?
Oleta Fitzgerald, director of the Children’s Defense Fund’s Southern Regional Office, says she is concerned over the welfare of Mississippi children if either of the two health-care reform packages considered by the U. S. House and Senate ever make it into law. The House passed H. R. 3962 earlier this month, and Senate Democrats managed to beat back the threat of a Republican filibuster a few weeks ago, allowing the Senate to move forward with debate on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H. R. 3590. Both bills promise big reforms in the health-care and health-insurance industries. The Association for American Medical Colleges states that nearly 15 million read more
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