Budget cuts dilute children’s health coverage, By Richard Wolf, May 24, 2010, USA Today: “A federal law that President Obama signed early last year to expand health insurance to 4 million more low-income children has gotten off to a slow start because of budget problems in the states. The law makes more than $10 billion in federal aid available each year through 2013 but requires state funds as well. Faced with budget shortfalls, less than half the states have used it to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, studies by the Kaiser Family Foundation, National Academy for State Health Policy and Georgetown University Center for Children and Families show. About 15 states scaled back coverage by increasing waiting periods, raising premiums or making signup more complicated, Kaiser’s study found. As a result, many states will leave federal money unspent, and the increase of 4 million children may not be reached, state officials and children’s health advocates say…”
Day: May 25, 2010
Medicaid and Managed Care – Hawaii
Hawaii’s Medicaid switch produces mixed results, By Mary Vorsino, May 24, 2010, Honolulu Advertiser: “Fifteen months after the state switched its Medicaid insurance program for more than 42,000 low-income seniors and disabled residents from a fee-for-service model to a managed care one, advocates say two firms hired to administer the program have improved services and beefed up provider networks. But some point to cases involving patients who have seen cuts in care or who have struggled to navigate the Mainland-based plans because of language barriers or other reasons as continued areas of concern. New statistics on the Quest Expanded Access program illustrate that mixed bag. The numbers show both insurance companies – ‘Ohana Health Plan and Evercare – have decreased the average processing time for claims, from a high of 22 days to about 10, and increased the number of participating specialists…”
Children on Medicaid and Regular Checkups
Millions of Medicaid kids don’t get medical exams, By Kelli Kennedy (AP), May 24, 2010, Miami Herald: “Almost three-quarters of children on Medicaid in nine states are not getting all of their legally required medical, vision and hearing examinations, including immunizations, according to a new government study. The study, conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services inspector general, estimated that 2.7 million of the 3.8 million children in those states, or 76 percent, did not receive one or more of the medical, vision or hearing screenings during 2007, the year studied. The studied states are Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia. Doctors say regular checkups are especially important for low-income children who are at higher risk for chronic problems including obesity, depression and poor cognitive development…”