Calif. Latinos On Medi-Cal Face Challenges Accessing Care; Medicaid Reform Feels Chill In N.C. Senate

The Associated Press: Accessing Care Especially Difficult For Latinos On Medi-Cal
Miriam Uribe enrolled in California's low-income health insurance program last November, and she still hasn't found a primary care doctor 10 months later who could see her. "Once you have (insurance), you actually still don't have it because it's still a struggle to find someone," the 20-year-old college student from Bellflower said.Uribe isn't alone. Even though Latinos make up nearly half of California's 12.5 million Medi-Cal enrollees, a report by the independent California HealthCare Foundation found that 36 percent of the Spanish-speaking Medi-Cal population has been told that a physician won't take them, compared to 7 percent of the overall Medi-Cal population. Even those who speak both English and Spanish reported similar difficulty accessing doctors. (Lin, 8/8)

North Carolina Health News: Senate Medicaid Compromise Bill Gets Cool Reception In House
For days, rumors had been circulating among lobbyists at the General Assembly that lawmakers were on the verge of a compromise over Medicaid, the state and federally funded program that provides health care to close to 1.8 million low-income, disabled and elderly North Carolinians. Medicaid reform has been a significant sticking point for several budget cycles, with House members supporting a reform plan that’s got the backing of the medical community and the governor, while members of the Senate have pushed to allow commercial managed care companies to operate in the state. (Hoban, 8/7)

Arkansas News: Dumped From Medicaid, Private Option, Some Ask Why
Steve Simmons of Fort Smith was shocked when he learned last week that his health insurance under Arkansas’ private option had been terminated, even though he had done everything that was asked of him to show that he remains eligible for the program. ... The state Department of Human Services is seeking to verify the eligibility of about 600,000 Medicaid recipients by Oct. 1, as required by state and federal laws. The scope of the task has been expanded by the private option, which since January 2014 has used federal Medicaid money to subsidize private health insurance for more than 200,000 people earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. DHS canceled coverage at the end of July for 35,668 people, and about 13,000 more are slated for termination at the end of this month. The agency says about 97 percent of the terminations were triggered by failure to respond within 10 days to a notice requiring verification of income level. (Lyon, 8/9)

The Texas Tribune: Behind Medicaid Cuts, A Fight Over Child Therapy
Before the state finalizes a decision next week that would slash payments for a therapy program for the poor, speech and physical therapists are fighting back, saying the impending budget cuts will harm thousands of children with disabilities. But behind the publicity campaign lobbyists, advocacy groups and some lawmakers are waging against the cuts, a more private battle is taking place — this one among providers themselves. (Walters, 8/8)

Houston Chronicle: Medicaid Cuts Will Primarily Affect Children With Ongoing Therapy Needs
In her first year, it looked as if Ariel Reyes was destined to live completely dependent on others. She was born with spina bifida, an incomplete closure of the backbone and membranes around the spinal cord, and doctors didn't know whether she'd be able to walk or perform the simplest of tasks. ... But after years of physical, occupational and speech therapy, the precocious Houston 7-year-old's life has been transformed. By age 4, she no longer needed a wheelchair or a walker, and she is due to start first grade in the fall. Therapy providers are warning that such success stories are at risk because of deep cuts in Medicaid therapy payment rates due to take effect Sept. 1. Home health agencies and outpatient clinics say the reductions threaten to limit access to therapy services, leaving thousands of Texas children unable to overcome the challenges of their disabilities. (Hawryluk, 8/9)