Vulnerable Populations
-
A Tune-Up on Eligibility Rules and Application Process for Families with Immigrants
With the third open enrollment period firmly underway, assisters are racing to get eligible people covered, including many families with one or more immigrant member whom are often among the most complicated cases assisters see. Since nearly half of all uninsured children in America live in families with at least one immigrant member, enrolling families with…
-
Nondiscrimination and the Affordable Care Act
The Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services released a proposed rule on Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act on September 8, 2015. Section 1557 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin (including immigration status and English language proficiency), sex, age, or disability in any program…
-
Child Uninsured Rate Hits Historic Low – Thanks Goes Mainly to ACA, Medicaid & CHIP
Like many of you I was super excited to see the first round of data from the Census Bureau looking at health insurance rates in 2014 when it came out in late September. Needless to say, 2014 was a big year for health policy changes! Today we are releasing our annual report focused specifically on…
-
Half of the Uninsured are Eligible for ACA Coverage
by Jordan Messner, Graduate Research Intern The Kaiser Family Foundation published a report on October 13 examining the uninsured population in the United States and their options for coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The report found that although 32.3 million nonelderly people were uninsured at the beginning of 2015, 49% of these individuals (15.7…
-
Taking it to the streets: New ways to get uninsured kids enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP
by Sheila Hoag, Senior Researcher, and Debra Lipson, Senior Fellow, Mathematica Policy Research Traditionally, state and local Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) staff have conducted outreach to uninsured children eligible to help enroll them into these public coverage options. Advocates have also organized public education campaigns and enrollment events. Despite dramatic progress in…
-
More than 400,000 Lose Marketplace Coverage: Let’s Fix This and Keep People Covered
Along with the headline yesterday that nearly 10 million consumers paid their premiums and had an active marketplace health insurance policy as of the end of June 2015, there was very disappointing news. The federally facilitated marketplace (FFM) already terminated overage for about 423,000 people with 2015 coverage who had immigration or citizenship status data matching…
-
CMS Gives States Permanent Option to Use SNAP Data to Enroll and Renew Medicaid and CHIP
It started out as a targeted enrollment strategy – a fast and efficient way to get eligible people enrolled in the ACA’s expanded coverage options by using SNAP enrollment to identify low-income beneficiaries who were income eligible but not enrolled in Medicaid. After all, gross income eligibility for SNAP (aka food stamps) at 130% FPL…
-
Coverage for Immigrant Children and Families in California
Now Playing: Coverage for more than 400,000 children and youth Coming Soon: Coverage for more than 800,000 additional immigrant children, youth and parents This week, Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families and The Children’s Partnership released a new paper outlining how to get ready for big coverage opportunities in California. It highlights opportunities that will…
-
Immigration Relief for Parents and Youth = Whole Family Health Coverage in California
On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced immigration executive actions that include a new program and an expansion of an existing program. The new program, “Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents”(DAPA), provides temporary work authorization and protection from deportation for certain undocumented parents with U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR)…
-
Proposed Legislation Will Fix Medicaid Glitch for Former Foster Youth Who Move
I’ve written before about an unintended flaw in the Affordable Care Act that relates to Medicaid eligibility for former foster youth. The simple use of the words “the” versus “a” state has led to an interpretation of the law that allows states to deny coverage to young adults who were in foster care in a…
-
Even Though it is Turning 50, Medicaid is Still a Children’s Program
Today marks 50 years since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicaid program into law in 1965. The program has continued to evolve since then – playing a key role in our health care system serving low-income families, people with disabilities, HIV, and those receiving long term care. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid eligibility for…
-
Time to Celebrate! California Will Provide Health Coverage for All Kids, Regardless of Immigration Status
It is now time to uncork the champagne and celebrate! California’s Governor, Jerry Brown, signed a budget that includes health coverage for all low-income children, regardless of immigration status today. Under the signed budget, California will provide coverage for allow-income children regardless of immigration status. Coverage would begin in May 2016. The expansion is projected…
-
California Moving Toward Health Coverage for All Kids, Regardless of Immigration Status
While I was in Oakland, California meeting with child health advocates on Tuesday, we received great news about a big step forward for kids (no, it was not that the Oakland Warriors won the NBA playoffs!). State legislative leaders and the Governor announced a budget agreement that included a commitment to expand health coverage to…
-
California Moves to Cover All Children Regardless of Immigration Status Lessons From County Programs Paved the Way
By Gene Lewit On Tuesday in California, legislative leaders and the Governor agreed on a 2015-16 budget bill that would allow all otherwise-eligible children to enroll in the state’s Medicaid program, regardless of their immigration status. The agreement includes $40 million in funding for children’s coverage that would begin in May 2016. An estimated 170,000…
-
New Study Confirms Importance of Medicaid/CHIP Maintenance of Effort
During the debate on CHIP, conversations focused a lot on what would happen to kids’ coverage without the program. Now that Congress has extended CHIP funding through 2017, we look to the future. In the near-term, if no new funds are available after 2017, states may eliminate their separate CHIP programs. Further, many Say Ahhh!…
-
Confused About What Happens at Tax Time (Part Two)? People in Immigrant Families
Now that we are knee-deep in tax season, we have heard reports of confusion about new tax filing rules related to health coverage for people in immigrant families. Here are some of the common questions we’ve heard so far and our answers. Q: Are noncitizens subject to the tax penalty (or the individual shared responsibility…
-
Critiquing the Performance as the Curtain Closes on OE2
A big round of applause as the curtain drops at the end of the second open enrollment period for the health insurance marketplaces with more than 11 million people signing up at the box office. OE2, as it’s affectionately called, was part sequel, part new production. Throughout its run, which was just over half the…
-
OE2: A Round Up of Questions from Consumer Assisters During the Second Year of the Affordable Care Act
As part of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded project providing technical assistance to navigators and assisters in five states with federally run marketplaces, a joint team of experts from Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms and the Center for Children and Families have received a broad range of questions since open enrollment began…
-
Need Help Learning Eligibility Rules and Application Process for Families with Immigrants?
With less than two weeks left until the end of Open Enrollment two, assisters are racing to get everyone covered, including families with immigrants, often among the most difficult cases. I recently had a chance to help train more than 800 consumer assisters about how to overcome barriers to eligibility and enrollment for health coverage programs…
-
CMS Clarifies Health Coverage Options for Low-Income Pregnant Women
It’s critical that expectant mothers have access to comprehensive, affordable coverage and continuity of care during this critical time of life. The Affordable Care Act expanded coverage options for pregnant women but the intersection of these changes to the law with other state and federal policies is a bit confusing to untangle. Recent federal guidance…
