More New Mexico families using food assistance, By Sandra Baltazar Martinez, November 2, 2010, The New Mexican: “More New Mexicans have turned to the federal government for food help in the past year, in part because of the weak economy and partly because of a change in eligibility. As of September, 165,000 families had received the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, up from 135,000 in September 2009. The numbers have been rising since 2008, when the economy started to sour, said Betina Gonzales McCracken, public-information officer for New Mexico Human Services Department…”
Tag: New Mexico
Child Care Subsidies – New Mexico
State officials cut $13.5M from Child Care Assistance Service program, By Elizabeth Piazza, September 21, 2010, Farmington Daily Times: “Hundreds of families in San Juan County could find themselves without child care after state officials cut $13.5 million from the Child Care Assistance Service program. Officials from the New Mexico Human Services Department announced that beginning Nov. 1, families who fall above the federal poverty level, which is based on number of people living in a household and income level, will no longer be eligible for state assistance to pay for child care, said Katherine Slater-Huff, department spokeswoman. ‘We are looking at and trying to balance the needs of all participants who receive services from the many TANF-funded programs,’ Slater-Huff said of the department’s decision to cut child care funding. The child care assistance service program is funded by TANF, an acronym for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The child care cuts come as a result of a $28 million shortfall for the TANF program, Slater-Huff said…”
States and Medicaid Coverage – Tennessee, New Mexico
- TennCare may curtail coverage to reduce costs, By Chas Sisk, November 19, 2009, The Tenneseean: “People covered by TennCare may face new limits on their coverage and reductions in their benefits next year, under a plan unveiled Wednesday to help slice state spending. TennCare officials said that they could impose a new $10,000 annual cap on hospital coverage for the 1.2 million state residents enrolled in the program…”
- NM considers scaling back Medicaid coverage, By Barry Massey (AP), November 20, 2009, Las Cruces Sun-News: “Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration is proposing to overhaul Medicaid and scale back health care services to some lower-income New Mexicans to cope with a projected budget shortfall of $300 million next year in the state’s largest health care program. Human Services Department officials told lawmakers on Thursday that Medicaid benefits and eligibility likely would be limited to minimum federal requirements, such as covering low-income pregnant woman and some children. A package of health care services would be available to other needy individuals-currently covered by Medicaid because the state has expanded eligibility-but they would need to pay premiums and copays. Those fees would vary based on income. The effort to trim Medicaid comes at a difficult financial time. The state faces a half billion budget shortfall next year…”