2017
-
Kimmel, not Cassidy, is Right on Health Care, Analysts Say
Politico By: Dan Diamond In the war of words between Jimmy Kimmel and Sen. Bill Cassidy, the late-night host has the better grasp of health policy, health care analysts say. Kimmel — who had allied himself with Cassidy after the senator famously proposed a “Jimmy Kimmel test” for health reform — blasted the Louisiana Republican’s…
-
Census: Uninsured Rate Falls Under Affordable Care Act
Wisconsin Gazette By: Lisa Neff The number of Wisconsinites who do not have health insurance fell sharply during the first three years of the Affordable Care Act, according to survey data released in September by the U.S. Census Bureau. About 218,000 fewer Wisconsin residents were uninsured in 2016 than in 2013 — a decline of…
-
Health Care Symposium Emphasizes Need for Education
The Monitor By: Berenice Garcia Much of the national debate in recent months has focused on the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, by Republican legislators. However, prominent Democratic legislators have recently come out in support of a single-payer healthcare plan. This was among the topics panelists covered at Tuesday’s symposium.…
-
O’Halleran Calls on Congress to Continue Funding for Child Health Care
Casa Grande Dispatch By: Bethany Blundell As a father and grandfather, U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran, R-Sedona, said it breaks his heart to see children not receiving the care they need. Because of that, he has partnered with health care providers in the state to call upon Congress to continue funding for the Children’s Health Insurance…
-
Hatch-Wyden Draft Bill to Extend CHIP Released
Although the renewed focus on Graham-Cassidy threatens to derail timely action on CHIP, a draft of bipartisan legislative language from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to extend CHIP has been released. In keeping with the positive signals that we’ve been hearing about, the draft bill known as…
-
New Urban Institute Interactive Analysis Shows Rising Cost for Families Using Employer-Sponsored Insurance
It’s no secret that private health insurance is expensive and that, over time, employers have passed more and more of the cost onto workers and their families. Still, when federal policy changes are being contemplated, there is often the sense that families have access to employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) to fall back on. This is especially…
-
Congress, Stand by Your Commitment to Kids | Op-ed
Deseret News By: Jessie Mandle and Charles Pruitt As kids head back to school, it is a crucial time to engage parents and help them learn about different health insurance options for their families. CHIP is one of the first programs low-income parents learn about for their children. Parents pay premiums and their kids get…
-
Progress on CHIP Extension Threatened by Graham-Cassidy Repeal Effort
Though we were optimistic about the chances of swift, bipartisan action on CHIP last week, that optimism has waned as the partisan rhetoric around repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act has heated up again. The simple fact of the matter is that you cannot have movement on these two initiatives at once. Unfortunately, the…
-
If Congress Doesn’t Act Fast on Children’s Health Insurance, Millions Could Be at Risk
The Village Voice By: Nina Pearlman Last Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee announced it had reached a bipartisan agreement to extend funding for the national Children’s Health Insurance Program for five more years. The announcement, coming after months of pressure from children’s advocacy organizations, marked the first step toward renewing funding for the program, which…
-
Cassidy-Graham Obamacare Repeal Effort
US News By: Pat Garofolo The latest iteration of the repeal effort is spearheaded by Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Republicans reportedly intend to make a push for their legislation this week; the White House may pile in, and there’s even been a perfunctory committee hearing scheduled. … The article links to…
-
Uninsured Rate Drops in Half Across Washington County
The Spectrum By: David DeMille A stronger job market, participation in government health plans and a surge of last-minute enrollments on the Affordable Care Act marketplace appear to have contributed to a massive improvement in Washington County’s health insurance rates. The county saw its rate of uninsured cut nearly in half last year, from 16.6…
-
Graham-Cassidy: The Wrong Prescription for Children and Families
Many of us thought that the effort to “repeal and replace” the ACA died on the Senate floor in July. Maybe not. This past Wednesday, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), joined by two other Republican Senators, released yet another “repeal and replace” proposal. The Senators hope to take their proposal to the…
-
Child Advocates Cautiously Optimistic About Health Insurance Program
Public News Service By: Kevin Patrick Allen A federal program that funds health coverage for more than 83,000 Iowa children will run out of money at the end of the month, but there’s reason to be hopeful. Earlier this week, the Senate Finance Committee reached agreement on a plan to protect the Children’s Health Insurance…
-
2017’s State Uninsured Rates
WalletHub By: John Kiernan For insight on the future of the ACA, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions: To what extent will President Donald Trump’s decision to reduce spending on advertising and other efforts to inform people about deadlines to sign up for ACA coverage have…
-
Texas Children’s Health Insurance Program Faces Uncertain Funding After Harvey
Dallas News By: Caroline Kelly Middle-class Texas families, especially those struggling to recover from Hurricane Harvey, may soon face another obstacle — an uncertain future for their children’s medical coverage. The Children’s Health Insurance Program — a federal program that matches state health care funds for kids whose families make too much to qualify for…
-
One Little Medicaid Waiver Could Spell Big Changes
MedPage Today By: Shannon Firth Medicaid may have escaped deep cuts this summer, after several repeal and replace bills foundered in the Senate, but the administration has another vehicle for implementing conservative-friendly changes on a state-by-state basis through the waiver process. … Waivers are intended to pursue the objective of the Medicaid program, observed Joan…
-
Medicaid’s “Welcome Mat” Effect Means Medicaid Expansion Helps Children Get Health Coverage
New research in the journal Health Affairs this month gives even more evidence for a parental “welcome mat” effect that increases health coverage among children already eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program when their parents become eligible as well. Simply put, moving to “whole family coverage” through a state Medicaid expansion or…
-
State CHIP Snapshots
The Role of CHIP in Children’s Coverage In 2016 the children’s health insurance coverage rate in the United States dropped to just above 95 percent, an impressive achievement. Key to this success is the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides coverage to children who do not qualify for Medicaid but whose families cannot otherwise afford…
-
Advocates Applaud Children’s Health Deal Despite Changes
CQ News By: Sandhya Raman Children’s advocacy groups are pleased with the multi-year extension to the Children’s Health Insurance Program proposed by Sens. Orrin G. Hatch of Utah and Ron Wyden of Oregon even though it would scale back some state funding and consumer protections in the health care law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152). The…
-
McCain and Ducey Know Cassidy-Graham Health Plan Another Danger to Arizonans
Arizona Capitol Times By: Dana Naimark Health care has been one of the most hotly contested issues behind closed doors in Washington, D.C., and in communities all across the country this year. Here in Arizona, thousands of residents have voiced their concerns about the devastating effect the House and Senate proposals would have to individuals,…
