1. Announcements *Welcome to the new Hawaii Covering Kids Maui Local Project Outreach Worker--Amy Rosenberg! *Our State Coalition meeting on 26 February features two presenters: Dee Helber (Coordinated School Health Programs) and Kathy Suzuki (Children's Dental Health Issues). Go to http://www.coveringkids.com/calendar/ for details. Hope to see you then! 2. New FPL Numbers Released The annual update of federal poverty guidelines appeared today in Federal Register 66(33) pp. 10695-10697[01-4036]. It's available on the internet in text and pdf formats. Go to the table of contents for that issue at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a010216c.html and look for Health and Human Services in the alphabetical list. 3. Immigrant Workers Silent in Sickness and In Health by Pati Poblete "There are few things more sacred to immigrants than the stories told within their communities. Together, these stories are an unwritten survival guide for living in the United States of America. In it are the names of those who have helped others find jobs or a place to live. But more important are the lessons learned from those who have been deported or exploited. Their words carry more weight than any social worker's or official's because they are told by people just like them. These are people they trust and understand. These are stories that won't easily be forgotten. Tales still circulate of friends who, under the Port of Entry Detection program, have been denied entry upon returning to California because they can't repay the cost of their health care benefits. Stories are often told of relatives unable to obtain citizenship because of their past need for health care services. Hospitals, they've heard, are branches of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and will deport them if they come in for care." This story appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. For more, go to http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/01/28/SC7392.DTL. 4. HHS Approves First State CHIP Waivers The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the approval of three state waivers for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), allowing these states to offer health insurance coverage to parents of children eligible under either CHIP or Medicaid. The three states are New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. Last summer, HHS issued guidance regarding CHIP waivers, stating that the department will consider demonstration proposals to extend health coverage to low-income parents, as long as the proposal is within the parameters of the CHIP law and available funds. "Enrolling parents improves the chance of enrolling children," said Timothy M. Westmoreland, director of HCFA's Center for Medicaid and State Operations. "These three states have done a good job of enrolling children. We hope that these waivers will help them do even better." Details are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2001pres/20010118d.html. 5. Two New Reports from The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured *State CHIP Program Enrollment: June 2000 The report reveals that the total number of children enrolled in State CHIP had grown to 2.3 million by June 2000, showing a steady increase in enrollment. The report is part of a larger project to track Medicaid and State CHIP enrollment in all 50 states. http://www.kff.org/medicaid/2224-index.cfm *Why Did the Number of Uninsured Fall in 1999? This policy brief analyzes the factors contributing to the first decline in the uninsured population in a decade. Findings include the large role stabilized Medicaid enrollment and CHIP expansion played in the decline. http://www.kff.org/uninsured/2229-index.cfm 6. Charting New Courses for Children's Health Insurance Based on the experience of 18 states, this Urban Institute analysis finds distinct trade-offs between states' adopting Medicaid or a separate program for their CHIP. Medicaid expansions, while easier to administer, appear burdened by political, family, and provider resistance. Despite the greater start-up and ongoing coordination challenges, states that created separate programs appear to be more attractive working poor families, providers and policymakers. Download the PDF file at http://www.urban.org/pdfs/child-health-insurance.pdf