Oregon becomes one of 12 states to cover all kids with health insurance, By Bill Graves, August 3, 2009, The Oregonian: “The state turned away Stacey Babcock when she tried to sign up her daughter for health insurance five years ago. But Babcock, 27, filled out a new application last week with a promise that this time the Oregon Health Plan will find a way to cover her 8-year-old daughter, Keeley Lingley. The assurance comes from Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who is scheduled to sign a bill at 10:30 a.m. today at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland extending health coverage to about 80,000 uninsured children in Oregon…”
Governor signs bill assuring kids health insurance, By David Steves, August 5, 2009, Eugene Register-Guard: “Thousands of Oregon children without insurance can now get coverage for their medical care – and by January the same will be true for all youngsters in the state, following Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s Tuesday signing of ‘Healthy Kids’ legislation. The Democratic governor’s signing of House Bill 2116 into law, along with his earlier approval of a companion bill, clears the way for one of Kulongoski’s longest-sought goals: bringing all Oregon children into the ranks of the insured, especially those whose parents don’t have access to private coverage and have not met low-income standards to qualify for the state-run Oregon Health Plan…”
State welfare contract ballooning, By Ken Kusmer (AP), August 4, 2009, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: “Indiana will spend nearly $180 million more than it initially planned to privatize and automate many of its welfare functions just two years into a closely watched 10-year deal that is one of the most lucrative contracts in state history. The cost of the $1.16 billion contract Gov. Mitch Daniels signed in late 2006 has risen 15 percent, to $1.34 billion, under changes made to the agreement with a group led by Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM Corp…”
Welfare woes, Editorial, August 4, 2009, Evansville Courier and Press: “Call us naive, but we thought the cost of adjustments to Indiana’s privatized welfare application system would be on the backs of the contractors – not the taxpayers – given that the businesses had agreed in late 2006 to give the state a modern, automated operation for $1.16 billion. But now we learn that the privatized system is costing Indiana an additional $180 million, some of it to fix the basic program, which has come under harsh criticism from advocates for welfare clients…”
State cuts to health, welfare programs inflict pain, By Barbara Anderson and E.J. Schultz, August 3, 2009, Fresno Bee: “What will $3.3 billion in cuts to state health and welfare programs mean for the Valley? Children will lose health insurance. Fragile mental health programs will take another hit. Counties will have less money to investigate child abuse and pay foster homes. The list goes on. In the Valley — where poverty rates hover near 20% — the cuts will take a serious toll, said one economist. ‘The ripple effect is enormous,’ said Joseph Penbera, who teaches at California State University, Fresno…”
Welfare-to-work program takes hit, By Brian Charles, August 3, 2009, The Signal: “California’s program to get people off the welfare rolls and into the work place has been largely gutted by the recently passed state budget, officials said Monday. ‘CalWorks’ – short for California Work Opportunities and Responsibility to Kids program – was launched in California in the mid-1990s in response to federal welfare reform legislation…”
