Foster care bill would give kids more freedom, By Rochelle Koff, March 27, 2013, Tampa Bay Times: “Martin Gordon, 19, came to the Capitol to tell legislators his experiences in the foster care system hoping that his voice — and the voices of 26 other current and former foster care children — would make a difference. On Wednesday, they got their answer. The Florida Senate passed a bill 38-0 eliminating many of the restrictions that keep foster children from participating in normal activities, like a field trip, sleepover, sporting event, vacation or even a trip to the beach. The bill, SB 164, passed the House earlier this month and now heads to Gov. Rick Scott’ desk. Scott is expected to sign the measure…”
New program to provide jobs for foster-care youths in Orlando, By Kate Santich, March 26, 2013, Orlando Sentinel: “For scores of Central Florida foster teens who turn 18 each year, aging out of the state’s custody means no place to live, no job, no drivers license and no transportation. Although teen unemployment is at historically high levels, for foster youths the rate has been reported as high as 85 percent, and many end up homeless, in jail or on public assistance. That’s why local nonprofit agencies are teaming with foster-care officials to get them the internships and job-mentoring programs that are typically a rite of passage for other kids…”
Haslam rejects Medicaid expansion, calls for ‘third’ option, By Tom Humphrey, March 27, 2013, Knoxville News-Sentinel: “Gov. Bill Haslam told the General Assembly today that he is rejecting an expansion of Medicaid for now because the federal government has not agreed to some aspects of a ‘Tennessee plan’ that involves using federal money to buy private insurance. ‘A pure expansion of medicaid, expanding a broken system, doesn’t work,’ said Haslam, contending he wants to use federal money to buy private insurance akin to the approach being tried in Arkansas. That would mean more people with health insurance without expanding the number on TennCare, the state’s system for Medicaid, he said. But the federal Department of Health and Human Services has insisted on conditions for implementing the proposal that are unacceptable, Haslam said, and for now he will not recommend expansion in Tennessee…”
Tenn. gov won’t expand Medicaid to cover uninsured, By Chas Sisk and Tom Wilemon, March 27, 2013, The Tennessean: “Gov. Bill Haslam rejected an estimated $1 billion a year from the federal government to expand TennCare to 180,000 Tennesseans, saying he wanted to bargain for a better deal that would ensure the state won’t have to shoulder that cost later down the road. Haslam said in a speech this morning to the state legislature that he wants to pursue a ‘Tennessee plan’ for expanding health care coverage to more of the uninsured. But the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has not signed off on it. As a result, Haslam announced that he will not expand the rolls of TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program, this year under the Affordable Care Act. But he said the state could expand TennCare later if federal officials will give it the freedom to buy private coverage, an idea being pursued by Arkansas and Ohio…”
