1. Gov. Blagojevich Recognized by Families USA for Outstanding Commitment to Health Care
"Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up healthy," said Gov. Blagojevich. "Starting in July, Illinois parents who are working hard to make ends meet but still can't afford private health insurance for their children will finally have an affordable option in the All Kids program. There are close to a quarter-of-a-million of those kids in Illinois, and millions more across the country, that we cannot allow to fall through the cracks in the healthcare system."
Families USA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to securing high-quality, affordable health care. The award the Governor received today was named after Philippe Villers, the founder of Families USA. "The All Kids plan is an enormous breakthrough that may become a model for other states and the federal government, encouraging them to extend help to children all across the country," said Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA.
Of the 250,000 children in Illinois without health insurance, half come from working and middle class families who earn too much to qualify for programs like KidCare, but not enough to afford private health insurance. The Governor's program would make comprehensive health insurance available to children, including doctor's visits, hospital stays, prescription drugs, vision care, dental care, and medical devices like eyeglasses and asthma inhalers. Parents will pay monthly premiums and co-payments for doctors’ visits and prescription drugs at affordable rates.
2. Beyond Coverage: CHIP Makes Strides Toward Providing a Usual Source of Care to Low-Income Children
The state Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) faced cuts in the fiscal year 2006 federal budget that, unless changes are made in the 2007 budget, may lead to gaps in states’ ability to provide current levels of service. The program has shown success--this December 2005 Mathematica report examined CHIP and found that it not only offered health insurance to uninsured low-income children, but also connected them with a stable source of preventative care. Click here for a copy of the report in PDF format: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
3. Akaka Renews Call for Repeal of Additional Medicaid Documentation Requirements
U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka today urged colleagues to repeal provisions within the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 which requires individuals applying or reapplying for Medicaid to verify their citizenship through additional documentation requirements. Senator Akaka recently introduced S. 2305 to repeal the documentation requirements. Senator Akaka says the provisions, which go into effect on July 1, 2006, will create barriers to health care, is unnecessary, and will be an administrative nightmare to implement. "The real purpose of the additional documentation requirements is to reduce the number of people on Medicaid in a short-sighted attempt to save money," says Senator Akaka.
"All we have done is make it more difficult for citizens to get Medicaid. Denying access to Medicaid unfairly will cost more money than it will save," says Senator Akaka. "Denying access to primary care will increase uncompensated care provided by our health care providers. Denying access to primary care will result in more pain and suffering of individuals. For example, people without Medicaid will have to seek treatment for renal failure instead of having access to the care needed to properly manage their diabetes." Senator Akaka's comments came before a Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security hearing on Medicaid fraud. Senator Akaka says he looks forward to working with Subcommittee Chairman Tom Coburn (R-OK) to address the issue before the documentation requirements are implemented in July 2006.
4. New Jersey to insure 'kids' to age 30
In New Jersey, you can be a kid until you're 30--or at least you can be a dependent on a parent's health insurance plan. The "age of dependency"--when young adults can no longer be covered under parents' insurance--is becoming a moving target as states aim to reduce the number of residents who have no insurance. A new law in New Jersey, which takes effect in May, raises the age to 30, the oldest in the nation. But six other states--Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas and Utah--also have expanded coverage in the past couple of years to 24, 25 or 26.
The New Jersey law allows a parent to cover the insurance premiums for an unmarried adult child under age 30 who lives in-state and doesn't have children. Unlike most states that raised the dependency age or are considering it, New Jersey doesn't require the child to be in school or live with the parent. Colorado's law, which took effect in January, also doesn't require full-time school enrollment to qualify. Several other states, including Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts and New York, are considering similar measures, says the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Most employer-related medical coverage cuts off kids at 19, unless they're in school, in which case coverage may end at graduation or a specified age, often 23. More than one-third (32%) of people ages 19 to 29 in the USA are uninsured. Young people don't buy insurance because they don't think they'll get sick, says New Jersey state legislator Neil Cohen, sponsor of the "18 to 30" bill. He estimates that it could extend coverage to as many as 200,000 young people. It would not apply to those insured by the federal government or in large companies with self-financed insurance. Standards, such as premium costs for parents, are still being developed. Cohen has estimated the additional premium for an adult dependent at $1,200 to $2,000 annually, but Donald Bryan, director of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, says that's "overly optimistic. "Private individual coverage in New Jersey could cost anywhere from $2,400 to $6,000 a year, the department says.
Millie DeSantis of Ridgefield, N.J., has three sons, ages 25, 22 and 17, at home. The oldest is an architecture student and works part-time. At 23, he was too old for parental coverage and had to find his own. "We've been helping him," she says. "You can't be without health insurance. That's just not smart." Her middle son now won't have to find his own coverage.
"We think the New Jersey law is too broad and may have unintended consequences, making coverage for those who are part of employer groups more expensive," says Susan Pisano of America's Health Insurance Plans, which represents 1,300 firms that provide benefits. But Neil Vance, an actuary with New Jersey's Department of Banking and Insurance, says "there aren't any facts" suggesting the plan would raise employer costs. The agency's assistant commissioner, Gale Simon, predicts parents will cover their kids for their own peace of mind. "If a child gets sick, they're going to have to pay the cost," she says. "They want to know there's some security." [Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY]
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