Arizona lawmakers may revive KidsCare program, By Mary Jo Pitzl, April 22, 2010, Arizona Republic: “Buoyed by the prospect of federal dollars, the state Legislature is poised to reinstate a health-care program for children that it axed just six weeks ago. The House Health Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to direct $9 million to the KidsCare program, which under current law is due to expire on June 15. If approved by the full Legislature, the program would continue, but its reach would be limited – an enrollment freeze that’s been in place since December would remain. The money would come from the state’s general fund. Senate Bill 1403 also restores up to 310,000 single adults to the state’s Medicaid program, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, if additional federal stimulus dollars arrive. Arizona expects about $435.5 million from the stimulus, which is tied to a jobs bill expected to get to President Obama’s desk within the next few weeks…”
Day: April 22, 2010
General Assistance Medical Care – Minnesota
- Deal on state health coverage for the poor is unraveling, By Tom Scheck, April 21, 2010, Minnesota Public Radio: “It looks like the deal to continue state-paid health care for Minnesota’s poorest residents is unraveling. The Hennepin County Board has rejected a contract with the state to have Hennepin County Medical Center take part in a new version of General Assistance Medical Care. Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin said HCMC initially applied to treat the state’s poorest residents, but that was under the assumption that 16 other hospitals would also join in. To date, only five hospitals have applied, prompting concern that more and more GAMC patients would show up at HCMC for medical treatment…”
- HCMC could undo health care plan for poor, By Warren Wolfe, April 22, 2010, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune: “A delicate compromise to continue health coverage for about 37,000 poor Minnesotans, hammered out last month between DFL leaders and Gov. Tim Pawlenty, suffered a major blow Tuesday when Hennepin County commissioners rejected the state’s terms. While they didn’t rule out participation by their hospital, Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), commissioners said they need a better deal for taking on 10,000 or so poor patients in the revamped General Assistance Medical Care program, scheduled to start June 1. Without participation by HCMC, the biggest provider for these patients, the new program might fail. At least one other hospital said Wednesday that it would back out if Hennepin County does, and several outstate hospitals said last week they will not participate…”
Poverty Measurement – Japan
Japan tries to face up to growing poverty problem, By Martin Fackler, April 21, 2010, New York Times: “Satomi Sato, a 51-year-old widow, knew she had it tough, raising a teenage daughter on the less than $17,000 a year she earned from two jobs. Still, she was surprised last autumn when the government announced for the first time an official poverty line – and she was below it. ‘I don’t want to use the word poverty, but I’m definitely poor,’ said Ms. Sato, who works mornings making boxed lunches and afternoons delivering newspapers. ‘Poverty is still a very unfamiliar word in Japan.’ After years of economic stagnation and widening income disparities, this once proudly egalitarian nation is belatedly waking up to the fact that it has a large and growing number of poor people. The Labor Ministry’s disclosure in October that almost one in six Japanese, or 20 million people, lived in poverty in 2007 stunned the nation and ignited a debate over possible remedies that has raged ever since…”