- Christie says he’ll take U.S. money to expand Medicaid, By Kate Zernike, February 26, 2013, New York Times: “Gov. Chris Christie, one of the most strident Republican critics of President Obama’s health care overhaul, announced on Tuesday that he would accept federal money to expand the Medicaid program in New Jersey. The expansion, which the governor described in his annual budget address to the Legislature, would provide health insurance to 104,000 of the poorest 1.3 million residents currently living without it, though some groups say the number could be higher…”
- Gov. Chris Christie agrees to expand Medicaid in NJ, still ‘no fan of affordable care act’, Associated Press, February 26, 2013, Washington Post: “Gov. Chris Christie announced Tuesday that he would expand Medicaid health insurance coverage to more low-income New Jersey adults as part of President Barack Obama’s health insurance overhaul — all while making it clear he’s ‘no fan of’ the president’s program…”
- Medicaid expansion could save Iowa counties up to $60 million on mental health, state experts say, By Tony Leys, February 28, 2013, Des Moines Register: “Iowa counties could save up to $60 million per year in mental-health costs if the state agrees to expand its Medicaid program, state experts estimate. The estimate, which comes from within Gov. Terry Branstad’s administration, could increase pressure on the governor to accept the Medicaid expansion. Branstad, a Republican, has steadfastly resisted the idea, saying he doubts the federal government’s promise to pay nearly all the cost…”
- W.Va. Medicaid expansion would create 6,000 jobs, activists say, By Lori Kersey, February 26, 2013, Charleston Gazette: “Expanding Medicaid in West Virginia would create about 6,200 new jobs across the state in 2016, according to a study released today by the West Virginians for Affordable Health Care and Families USA…”
- Medicaid expansion a short-term money maker for Utah, By Kirsten Stewart, February 28, 2013, Salt Lake Tribune: “As Gov. Gary Herbert awaits the results of a study predicting what it would cost Utah to expand Medicaid, lawmakers have produced their own estimate. Not only would the expansion cost Utah nothing the first three years, it would save the state $222,000 in general and education funds in 2014 and $444,000 in 2015…”
Month: February 2013
Racial Wealth Gap
- Study ties black-white wealth gap to stubborn disparities in real estate, By Michael Fletcher, February 26, 2013, Washington Post: “The large and growing wealth gap separating white and black families is the product of stubborn barriers that disproportionately consign African Americans to less-valuable real estate and lower-paying jobs, according to a new study. A long-term examination of the financial lives of black and white Americans revealed that African Americans typically face a subtle but persistent opportunity gap that has served to widen financial disparities remaining from a long history of overt discrimination, according to a report to be released Wednesday by Brandeis University’s Institute on Assets and Social Policy…”
- Study shows racial wealth gap continues to widen, By Christine Dugas, February 27, 2013, USA Today: “Years after the civil rights movement, racial inequality continues to deepen. The wealth gap between white and African-American families has nearly tripled over 25 years, according to a study released today by the Institute on Assets and Social Policy at Brandeis University. Although African-American family income has increased over time, white families have accumulated much more wealth. By tracking families, the study found that the gap between white and African-American family wealth increased from $85,070 in 1984 to $236,500 in 2009…”
Minimum Wage Jobs
Minimum wage jobs on the decline, By Tami Luhby, February 27, 2013, CNNMoney: “The number of people working jobs that paid the federal minimum wage dropped last year, according to new labor statistics published Wednesday. An estimated 3.6 million people were paid hourly rates at or below the federal minimum in 2012, down from 3.8 million a year earlier. Just under 60% of all U.S. workers are paid hourly, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An estimated 4.7% of those hourly workers make minimum wage or less, down from 5.2%, a year earlier. That share is the lowest since 2008…”