- U.S. approves managed care for Kentucky Medicaid, By Tom Loftus, October 31, 2011, Lousiville Courier-Journal: “Federal authorities have given final approval to the state’s new Medicaid managed care plans, allowing the program to be launched on Tuesday. The Beshear administration announced Monday that the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services notified Kentucky Friday that it was satisfied that Kentucky is prepared for the transition…”
- Walker adjusts plan to close $554 million gap in Medicaid programs, By Jason Stein, October 31, 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Gov. Scott Walker’s administration tweaked its proposals Monday to close a half billion-dollar budget hole in the state’s health plans for the poor as a deadline approaches for deciding whether the state will drop the health coverage of tens of thousands of state residents. The state Department of Health Services made the changes in a 238-page plan being sent for review to the Legislature’s budget committee, which is expected to take up the proposal next week. But a Democratic lawmaker said Monday he was concerned that there still wouldn’t be enough time for lawmakers and President Barack Obama’s administration to review the plan – action that is required to keep more than 50,000 state residents from losing their state coverage altogether at the end of the year…”
Day: November 1, 2011
Welfare Cuts – Michigan
Genesee County judge halts cash assistance cutoff; State attorney general files appeal, By Kristin Longley, November 1, 2011, Flint Journal: “A Genesee County judge Monday halted the state from cutting some cash assistance benefits, a move that could affect an estimated 1,500 families here and 11,000 families statewide. Circuit Court Judge Geoffrey L. Neithercut granted a temporary injunction that would prevent the Michigan Department of Human Services from using a five-year time limit based on federal regulations to end benefits for some welfare recipients. Benefits would have ended this month for those who received termination notices. The Michigan League for Human Services has said that Genesee County would feel the effects of the assistance cutoff more than almost any other part of the state, since an estimated 13 percent of all families that lost benefits live in the area…”
Achievement Gap – Illinois
Ill. elementary school achievement gap narrowing, Associated Press, October 31, 2011, Chicago Tribune: “Illinois’ latest standardized test results show that the achievement gap among elementary school students is narrowing, largely because of gains among black, special education and low-income students, the Illinois State Board of Education announced Monday. The board also said that nine schools flagged for improvement under the decade-old federal No Child Left Behind Act were taken off that status because they made adequate yearly progress for two years in a row. The improvement came even as the state’s proficiency benchmarks rose 7.5 percent over the past two years…”