- State hopes for more Medicaid aid, By Catherine Candisky and Jonathan Riskind, April 26, 2010, Columbus Dispatch: “Ohio officials are pushing hard for federal aid that could pump $750 million more into the state’s Medicaid program next year, money that would help maintain health-care services to the poor and disabled. The call for more relief comes as Medicaid caseloads continue to climb and state officials face gaping budget shortfalls…”
- $1 billion in federal health aid – with a hitch, By Warren Wolfe, April 26, 2010, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune: “Two leading DFL legislators proposed Monday that Minnesota expand Medicaid to cover health care for 37,000 or more low-income residents within months. They want to take advantage of a special provision of the new federal health care law that could send tens of millions of dollars to the state. The hitch: Minnesota would have to put up half the money — about $1 billion over three years — an idea that Gov. Tim Pawlenty and many Republican legislators are sure to oppose because of the state’s budget squeeze…”
- Despite health care reform, uninsured Central New Yorkers turn to clinics, By James T. Mulder, April 26, 2010, Syracuse Post-Standard: “Tim Durley did not worry about being uninsured until he got sick a year ago. The 32-year-old Syracuse man was working as a cook at a DeWitt restaurant. He had lost 77 pounds, was vomiting frequently, felt tired all the time and was experiencing vision problems. ‘I knew there was something wrong with me,’ Durley said. ‘I was really scared.’ The restaurant didn’t offer health insurance benefits. Durley made too much money to qualify for government health insurance programs, but could not afford private insurance. So he went to Amaus Health Services, a free health clinic in downtown Syracuse…”
- Who will switch health coverage?, By Maureen Groppe, April 26, 2010, Indianapolis Star: “Gov. Mitch Daniels has made an eye-popping prediction about the impact of the new health-care overhaul law on Indiana’s Medicaid rolls. Daniels said the state’s actuary determined that Medicaid enrollment will increase by almost 50 percent, resulting in nearly one in four Hoosiers getting coverage through the joint state and federal health program for the poor. The state’s projections are much higher than the 27.5 percent increase that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has projected nationally for Medicaid. And Indiana’s increase should be smaller, not larger, than the national growth because a smaller share of the state’s poor population lacks coverage…”
- With expanded coverage for the poor, fears of a big headache, By Roni Caryn Rabin, April 26, 2010, New York Times: “Of all the changes wrought by the new health care law, none is more sweeping than the transformation of Medicaid – from the government’s health insurance plan for poor families into a much wider program for millions of the poorest Americans who cannot afford insurance on their own. ‘Medicaid is finally living up to its role of serving as the health care safety net for poor and lower-income individuals and families,’ said Jennifer Tolbert, principal policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured…”
- Are there enough docs for the newly insured?, By Daniel C. Vock, April 27, 2010, Stateline.org: “After Massachusetts started rolling out its 2006 law to ensure that nearly every one of its residents had health insurance, the sudden influx of newly insured patients created long waits to see primary care doctors. Now, physicians worry the entire country could see the same thing happen when the recently passed national health law takes full effect in 2014. Even before President Obama signed the health bill, there already was a shortage of primary care physicians, who usually are the first person a patient goes to for treatment. These generalists – usually family physicians and internists (who focus on adults) – are dwindling in number, as older doctors retire and younger medical students opt for more lucrative specialty fields. A surge of as many as 32 million new patients – many of whom are poor and haven’t seen a doctor in a long time – could make the scarcity even worse…”
Day: April 27, 2010
Cuts to Programs for the Poor – Minnesota
DFLers challenge Pawlenty’s proposed welfare cuts, By Madeleine Baran, April 27, 2010, Minnesota Public Radio: “DFL legislators in the House appear poised to challenge Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s proposed cuts to the state’s welfare programs. A budget proposal released Monday by Rep. Thomas Huntley, DFL-Duluth, contains few of the cuts that the governor proposed earlier this year. Huntley chairs the House Health and Human Services committee and said his budget prioritizes the needs of the poorest Minnesotans. ‘We tried to minimize the cuts, so that we would not destroy institutions that we’re going to need for the next three years when the economy gets better, but we do have some serious cuts,’ Huntley said. Earlier this year, the governor had proposed cuts to the Minnesota Family Investment Program, a welfare program for families. The cuts would mean that most families with a disabled parent or child would lose their cash grants. Huntley’s budget does not include these cuts, although it does include other changes to the program…”
Homelessness and Housing – Texas, Hawaii
- Count of Dallas County homeless finds fewer living on the streets long-term, By Kim Horner, April 26, 2010, Dallas Morning News: “Homelessness in Dallas County increased 1 percent – to 5,750 – during another year of difficult economic times, according to a new survey by the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance. But the annual count, conducted Jan. 28, showed major progress in the city’s efforts to combat long-term homelessness among those with mental illnesses and addictions. The number of people considered chronically homeless dropped 14 percent. And the number of families on the street also dropped. ‘We’re trying to end chronic homelessness, and we got that number to go down significantly this year,’ said Mike Rawlings, a businessman who serves as Dallas’ homeless czar. He attributed the success to new permanent supportive housing programs that provide apartments and services, such as mental health care…”
- Honolulu homeless move tents onto sidewalks in legal loophole, By Mary Vorsino, April 24, 2010, Honolulu Advertiser: “In the wake of a ban on tents in city parks that police started enforcing Monday, more homeless appear to be setting up camp on sidewalks – something the city says is legal as long as they don’t block pedestrian traffic. Yesterday, several advocates and urban Honolulu residents said they had noticed more people living in tents or makeshift shelters on sidewalks recently. But advocates also pointed out that the ban prompted a good number of people to move into homeless shelters or to get on waiting lists for shelters…”