- Christie proposal to slash Medicaid by $540 million puts NJ at center of national debate, By Josh Lederman (AP), June 11, 2011, Washington Post: “As states across the country look for ways to trim billions off their spending on Medicaid, New Jersey is garnering particular attention for a proposal that opponents characterize as an unprecedented and draconian attempt to balance the state’s precarious budget on the backs of society’s most vulnerable populations. The debates taking place in statehouses, clinics and living rooms crystalize the unfortunate truth about economic recessions: Citizens rely most on public services just when the government has the least money to spend on those services. In New Jersey’s case, changes would mean a parent of two earning more than $103 per week would be ineligible…”
- Human Services officials release details on N.J. Medicaid program cuts, changes, By Susan K. Livio, June 10, 2011, Star-Ledger: “The Christie administration released a long-anticipated outline today of how the state proposes to drastically restructure New Jersey’s Medicaid program and cut more than $300 million to help close a deficit. In the most controversial element of the proposal, the Department of Human Services expects to save as much as $32.5 million by sharply limiting who is eligible for coverage. It was the first time that the state disclosed estimates of what each change would save. For instance, parents in a family of three earning more than $422 a month, or $5,000 a year, would be disqualified for earning too much money, according to a document summarizing the proposal. Currently the income cut-off is $24,600 for a family of three…”
- Advocates: ‘glitches’ keep Mass. kids uninsured, By Johanna Kaiser (AP), June 11, 2011, Boston Globe: “Forgotten paperwork, returned mail, and a lack of information are keeping thousands of Massachusetts children from receiving stable health care coverage in a state known for its far-reaching health care initiative. Although Massachusetts has the highest rate of insured children in the county — more than 99 percent — health care advocates and lawmakers say thousands of eligible children still go on and off the state’s Medicaid program, known as MassHealth, during the year because of administrative issues and other paperwork problems…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty