New Medicaid computer system plagued with glitches, By Sean Collins Walsh, December 4, 2010, Seattle Times: “Washington’s new computer system for processing Medicaid payments is failing to pay so many valid claims that several doctors and clinics have stopped taking new Medicaid patients until they get paid for the ones they’ve already treated. Others say they may need to do the same, or even stop treating Medicaid patients altogether. The Web-based program, ProviderOne, was $54 million more expensive and three years later than planned when it launched in May, replacing a mainframe system for processing claims submitted by health-care providers on behalf of the state’s poorest patients…”
Day: December 8, 2010
Child Care Costs
- Why is child care so costly in Minnesota?, By Jeremy Olson, December 6, 2010, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune: “Minnesota child care leaders are meeting this winter to address a lingering dilemma: the high cost that produces quality child care in licensed centers — but prices some families out of the market. While officials have long known that Minnesota’s child care costs are among the highest in the nation, they have been reluctant to propose cuts that might sacrifice quality. The urgency to address cost has grown, though, as the economy has eroded family incomes and child care has eaten up more of the average family budget. Minnesota now ranks No. 3 nationally by one measure of child care expenses. The average cost of full-time care for one infant in a licensed center reached $13,650 in 2009, exceeding 15 percent of household income for a two-parent family. Only New York and Massachusetts were higher, as a share of income…”
- Child-care subsidy spotty for federal employees, By Joe Davidson, December 7, 2010, Washington Post: “Uncle Sam strives to be a model employer, as least for now. That goal could take a hit with plans for pay freezes and workforce reductions, but he remains a cut above many private employers, particularly when it comes to benefits. One benefit he provides, at least on paper and to some workers, is child-care subsidies. It’s certainly a good investment to support day care for the children of low- and moderate-income federal workers…”
School Readiness – Hawaii
Fewer tots deemed set for school, By Mary Vorsino, December 6, 2010, Honolulu Star-Advertiser: “This school year, more Hawaii kindergarten students started school without key skills, fewer had attended preschool and more than half came from low-income families, according to a new state Department of Education readiness report. The figures, all indicators of future academic outcomes for kids, put new urgency to long-term plans for a state-funded preschool program, say advocates and educators. Research has shown that low-income children, those who do not attend preschool and kids who fall behind in kindergarten are more likely to struggle through school than their peers. Educators say the kindergarten readiness report confirms what they have seen on their campuses: The economic downturn has meant many families cannot afford to send their children to preschool…”