How Proposed Changes to Public Charge Would Impact Children in Immigrant Communities

Editor’s Note, 10/15/19: Several federal courts have issued nationwide injunctions blocking implementation of the proposed changes to the public charge rule. We will update any further developments. Introduction The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a proposed regulation that would radically change U.S. immigration policy. The changes would ripple through nearly every aspect of the […]

Health Insurance Coverage in Small Towns and Rural America: The Role of Medicaid Expansion

Introduction Medicaid has been a key factor in lowering the percentage of Americans who lack health insurance. Nationally, the uninsured rate for all Americans under the age of 65 (adults and children) fell dramatically between 2010 and 2016 from 18.2 percent to 10.4 percent, rising slightly to 10.7 percent in 2017. Expansion of Medicaid coverage […]

Summary of Mississippi’s Revised Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver Proposal

Overview: A revised version of Mississippi’s Section 1115 waiver proposal, which seeks to condition Medicaid eligibility on compliance with a work/community engagement requirement for very low-income parents/caregivers, has been re-opened by the federal government for public comment. Comments on the waiver, known as the “Mississippi Workforce Training Initiative,” are due by August 18, 2018. The […]

New Waiver Proposal for Oklahoma Medicaid Beneficiaries Would Harm Low-Income Families With Children

Introduction Oklahoma is planning to ask federal permission to impose a work requirement on very low-income parents and caregivers receiving health coverage through Medicaid. Under the proposal, these beneficiaries would have to document that they are working at least 20 hours a week or participating in job-training or volunteer activities in order to maintain their […]

Medicaid and CHIP Provide Health Coverage for Many School-Age Children, Yet Gaps Remain

Introduction Children need health coverage to help them stay healthy and ready to learn in the classroom. Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the primary public health coverage sources for children, have worked together in recent decades to bring the rate of uninsured children to historic lows. In 2016, only 4.5 percent of […]