Audit finds progress at Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare, By Crocker Stephenson, March 13, 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Some good news: The number of children neglected or abused while in out-of-home care in Milwaukee’s child welfare system is at a historic low. Some more: The raw number of children in out-of-home care has declined. Staff turnover has begun to stabilize. Caseloads are down. And more: Monthly face-to-face contacts between caseworkers and foster children are up. Health care services have improved. Following public outrage ignited by the murder of a small boy two years ago, officials vowed to revamp Milwaukee’s child welfare system. In particular, they promised to make it a safer place for the city’s abused and neglected children. While significant challenges remain – most significantly, too many children still spend too long churning through too many homes while in state care – many of the promises made then have been kept…”
Day: March 14, 2011
SeniorCare Drug Plan – Wisconsin
Low-income elderly could lose drug plan, By Guy Boulton, March 13, 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed two-year budget would effectively end the state’s SeniorCare prescription drug program in its current form, forcing tens of thousands of people to enroll in more-expensive private plans available through Medicare Part D. The SeniorCare program, introduced in 2001, provides low-cost prescription drug coverage to low-income people over 65. About 91,000 people are in the program, and for most of them, switching to private coverage could cost hundreds of dollars more per year. ‘Most people now in SeniorCare will not be better off in Medicare Part D,’ said John Hendrick, governmental affairs director for the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups. The least expensive prescription drug plan through Medicare Part D in Wisconsin this year costs $177.60 and has a $310 annual deductible as well as co-pays. Most cost more: The average plan costs $43.96 a month, or $527 a year, based on estimated enrollment, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. In contrast, almost 40,000 of the people in the SeniorCare program – those with household incomes below $17,424 for one person and $23,536 for two people – pay only a $5 co-pay for generic drugs and $15 for branded drugs, plus a $30 annual enrollment fee…”
Medicaid Expansion – Minnesota
Expanded Medicaid a lifesaver for rural poor in Minn., By Tom Robertson, March 14, 2011, Minnesota Public Radio: “Sweeping changes to the Medicaid program in Minnesota this month have expanded health coverage for tens of thousands of low-income adults. For many of those people in Greater Minnesota, the expansion of Medicaid means they’ll be able to access health care closer to home. That’s good news to Jacque Morrow, 43, a homeless woman who sometimes seeks shelter at the People’s Church in Bemidji. Morrow and other rural clients who were covered under General Assistance Medical Care – adults without children with incomes at or below 75 percent of the federal poverty guideline – struggled to access health care. That’s because under the old program, they could only be treated at one of four hospitals – all in the Twin Cities…”