Medicaid and the Uninsured: June 30, 2022
States Extend Medicaid for New Mothers — Even as They Reject Broader Expansion
By Sam Whitehead
Most of the dozen states that haven’t fully expanded eligibility for Medicaid have extended or plan to extend the postpartum coverage window for new mothers. That could mean improved maternal health, but it’s only part of the puzzle when it comes to reducing the number of preventable maternal deaths in the U.S.
Medicaid Weighs Attaching Strings to Nursing Home Payments to Improve Patient Care
By Susan Jaffe
The Biden administration is considering whether Medicaid, which pays the bills for 62% of nursing home residents, should require that most of that funding be used to provide care, rather than for maintenance, capital improvements, or profits.
Medi-Cal Will Cover Doulas at More Than Twice California’s Initial Proposed Rate
By Rachel Bluth
Under a budget passed by California lawmakers, the state will pay nonmedical workers who assist in pregnancy and labor up to $1,154 per birth through Medi-Cal, which is up significantly from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s initial offer of $450. Though it’s more than what most other states pay, many doulas say it falls short of the $3,600 they sought.
Medical Bills Can Shatter Lives. North Carolina May Act to ‘De-Weaponize’ That Debt.
By Aneri Pattani
Medical debt is most prevalent in the Southeast, where states have not expanded Medicaid and have few consumer protection laws. Now, North Carolina is considering two bills that could change that, making the state a leader in protecting patients from high medical bills.
Buy and Bust: When Private Equity Comes for Rural Hospitals
By Sarah Jane Tribble
Noble Health swept into two small Missouri towns promising to save their hospitals. Instead, workers and vendors say it stopped paying bills and government inspectors found it put patients at risk. Within two years — after taking millions in federal covid relief and big administrative fees — it locked the doors.
A Deep Dive Into the Widening Mortality Gap Across the Political Aisle
By Colleen DeGuzman
Research out this week examines how an area’s political environment can affect its mortality rate.
Computer Glitches and Human Error Still Causing Insurance Headaches for Californians
By Bernard J. Wolfson
Covered California and Medi-Cal share a computer system for eligibility and enrollment. Nearly a decade since the Affordable Care Act expanded coverage options in the state, enrollees can be diverted to the wrong program — or dropped altogether — if erroneous information gets into the system.
Children’s Vision Problems Often Go Undetected, Despite Calls for Regular Screening
By Colleen DeGuzman
Eye exams for children are required under federal law to be covered by most private health plans and Medicaid, and many states mandate school vision screenings. But a federal survey finds that a quarter of children and teens are still not getting the recommended tests.
Trump’s Legacy Looms Large as Colorado Aims to Close the Hispanic Insurance Gap
By Rae Ellen Bichell and Markian Hawryluk
Hispanic residents have long been among the least likely to have health insurance — in Colorado and across the country — in part because of unauthorized immigrants. The state is expanding coverage to some of them, although the change runs up against lingering fears about the use of public benefits.
Pesa el legado de Trump, mientras Colorado busca zanjar la brecha del seguro de salud hispano
By Rae Ellen Bichell and Markian Hawryluk
A nivel nacional y en Colorado, la proporción de personas sin seguro médico ha sido durante mucho tiempo significativamente más alta entre los hispanos que entre los residentes blancos, negros o asiáticos no hispanos.
Miles de niños tienen problemas de vista que no se detectan a tiempo
By Colleen DeGuzman
Los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) estiman que más de 600,000 niños y adolescentes son ciegos o tienen un trastorno de la vista. Muchos no reciben tratamiento a tiempo.
