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Stopping the churn: California and other states want to guarantee Medicaid for kids

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Stopping the churn: California and other states want to guarantee Medicaid for kids


Earlier than the COVID-19 public well being emergency started in 2020, hundreds of thousands of kids churned on and off Medicaid annually — a sign that many had been shedding protection resulting from administrative issues, slightly than as a result of modifications of their household’s earnings had made them ineligible.

However California and different Western states are looking for to vary that with new continuous-enrollment insurance policies for the youngest Medicaid members.

California lawmakers have permitted a proposal for youngsters who qualify for Medicaid to be enrolled at start and keep enrolled till age 5. If the plan receives federal approval, it could go into impact in 2025.

Oregon has already secured approval for the same coverage. In 2023, when the general public well being emergency is predicted to finish, Oregon will grow to be the primary state to permit youngsters to be enrolled in Medicaid at start and hold their protection till they flip 6, no matter modifications of their family’s earnings and with out having to reapply.

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“That is actually a no brainer by way of supporting youngsters,” mentioned Jenifer Wagley, government director of Our Youngsters Oregon, an advocacy group. She mentioned that preserving youngsters insured — significantly on the youngest ages, when their our bodies and minds are nonetheless growing — will guarantee they don’t miss necessary checkups and care due to gaps in protection.

Washington state in July requested the Biden administration for permission to offer steady protection to youngsters till age 6, and a choice is probably going within the subsequent few weeks. And New Mexico has sought public touch upon a plan to maintain youngsters enrolled till age 6 and is predicted to hunt federal consent later this yr.

Nationally, Medicaid enrollment is at a file excessive after the federal authorities prohibited states from dropping members throughout the public well being emergency except they died or moved out of state. That rule has helped push the nation’s uninsured fee to a file low.

Of the practically 90 million folks on Medicaid and the Youngsters’s Well being Insurance coverage Program — a federal-state program that covers youngsters in households with incomes above Medicaid eligibility — about 41 million are youngsters. In California, practically 1.2 million youngsters youthful than 5 are lined by Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program.

The California Division of Well being Care Providers, which oversees Medi-Cal, estimates the coverage change would value $39.1 million in 2025, assuming a January implementation, and $68 million for the 2025-26 fiscal yr. The state continues to be weighing when to hunt federal approval.

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Mike Odeh, senior director of well being for the California advocacy group Youngsters Now, hopes the state strikes forward quickly.

“We might slightly see the state pay for teenagers getting care than paying for paperwork,” Odeh mentioned. Having to reenroll yearly, he added, is usually a barrier for low-income households. “We would like them wholesome and prepared for varsity,” he mentioned.

Joan Alker, government director of Georgetown College’s Heart for Youngsters and Households, referred to as states’ continuous-enrollment insurance policies for youngsters “a silver lining of the pandemic.”

She famous that from the fourth quarter of 2020 by the primary quarter of 2022, the proportion of U.S. youngsters with out medical health insurance fell from 6.7% to three.7%, largely due to the emergency rule that has blocked states from dropping Medicaid enrollees.

“States must do a number of outreach about this new coverage so that each child leaves the hospital with medical health insurance and the dad and mom don’t have to fret about protection till the kid goes to kindergarten,” she mentioned.

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Almost 5.3 million youngsters might lose Medicaid protection if the general public well being emergency ends subsequent yr, based on a federal evaluation launched in August. About 1.4 million of them can be moved off the rolls as a result of they not qualify, however practically 4 million eligible youngsters would lose protection for administrative causes, reminiscent of failing to submit paperwork on time.

As a result of Medicaid’s family earnings eligibility thresholds are sometimes larger for youngsters than adults, youngsters are much less more likely to lose protection resulting from small modifications in earnings. However youngsters can lose their eligibility if dad and mom fail to resume the protection annually or don’t reply when a state seeks info to verify {that a} household’s earnings has remained low sufficient to qualify.

Medicaid enrollees typically should report any modifications to family earnings or different standards that will have an effect on their eligibility throughout the yr, and states should act on these modifications. That’s difficult for Medicaid beneficiaries and state companies as a result of incomes typically fluctuate. Because of this, enrollees could lose protection, be compelled to change between Medicaid and sponsored market protection on the Reasonably priced Care Act insurance coverage exchanges, or expertise protection gaps if the paperwork proves troublesome to finish.

To handle that downside, about half of states give youngsters one yr of steady Medicaid eligibility no matter modifications of their family’s earnings. That group consists of each Republican- and Democrat-controlled states, together with some states — reminiscent of Alabama and Mississippi — that haven’t expanded Medicaid beneath the ACA.

Nationally, KFF estimates that about 11% of kids enrolled in Medicaid misplaced their protection for at the least at some point in 2019 earlier than having it restored.

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In California, Medicaid officers estimate that about 64,000 — or 6% — of the enrollees beneath 5 had been dropped from the rolls after which reenrolled in the identical yr. Odeh believes the state’s churning estimate is simply too low and that 89,000 youngsters are affected annually.

The California Legislature included the continual eligibility provision within the funds permitted in June. California would cowl youngsters in Medicaid from start till age 5 beginning in 2025 so long as the state can afford it.

Dianne Hasselman, interim government director of the Nationwide Assn. of Medicaid Administrators, predicts that some states could also be cautious about following Oregon’s lead. Lawmakers may very well be leery of extending protection to folks with different insurance coverage choices, reminiscent of from a dad or mum’s office, she mentioned.

“State legislators may additionally be involved about rising Medicaid program enrollment, significantly throughout a time when enrollment has already grown considerably,” she mentioned.

KHN (Kaiser Well being Information) is a nationwide newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about well being points. Along with Coverage Evaluation and Polling, KHN is without doubt one of the three main working applications at KFF (Kaiser Household Basis). KFF is an endowed nonprofit group offering info on well being points to the nation.

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California

Dickies to say goodbye to Texas, hello to Southern California

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Dickies to say goodbye to Texas, hello to Southern California


FORT WORTH, Texas — Dickies is leaving Cowtown for the California coast, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

The 102-year-old Texas workwear brand, which is owned by VF Corp., is making the move from Fort Worth to Costa Mesa in order to be closer to its sister brand, Vans.


What You Need To Know

  • Dickies headquarters will be relocated from Texas to California, according to a Los Angeles Times report 
  • The workwear brand has operated in Fort Worth since 1922
  • The report says the movie will occur in May 2025 and affect about 120 employees 
  • Dickies headquarters is being moved by owner VF Corp. so that it can be closer to its sister brand, Vans

Dickies was founded in Fort Worth in 1922 by E.E. “Colonel” Dickie. Today, Dickies Arena is the entertainment hub of the city and home of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

The company is expected to make the move by May. Approximately 120 employees will be affected, the report said.

By moving one of its offices closer to the other, VF Corp. says it can “consolidate its real estate portfolio,” as well as “create an even more vibrant campus,” Ashley McCormack, director of external communications at VF Corp. said in the report.

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Dickies isn’t the only rugged brand owned by VF Corp. The company also has ownership of Timberland, The North Face and JanSport.

VF Corp. acquired Dickies in 2017 for $820 million. 

“Their contributions to our city’s culture, economy and identity are immeasurable,” District 9 City Council member Elizabeth Beck, who represents the area of downtown Fort Worth where Dickies headquarters is currently located, said in a statement to the Fort Worth Report. “While we understand their business decision, it is bittersweet to see a company that started right here in Fort Worth take this next step. We are committed to supporting the employees who remain here and will work to honor the lasting imprint Dickies has left on our community.”



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Caitlyn Jenner says she'd 'destroy' Kamala Harris in hypothetical race to be CA gov

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Caitlyn Jenner says she'd 'destroy' Kamala Harris in hypothetical race to be CA gov


Caitlyn Jenner, the gold-medal Olympian-turned reality TV personality, is considering another run for Governor of California. This time, she says, if she were to go up against Vice President Kamala Harris, she would “destroy her.” 

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Jenner, who publicly came out as transgender nearly 10 years ago, made a foray into politics when she ran as a Republican during the recall election that attempted to unseat Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021. Jenner only received one percent of the vote and was not considered a serious candidate. 

Jenner posted this week on social media that she’s having conversations with “many people” and hopes to have an announcement soon about whether she will run. 

Caitlyn Jenner speaks at the 4th annual Womens March LA: Women Rising at Pershing Square on January 18, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images)

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She has also posted in Trumpian-style all caps: “MAKE CA GREAT AGAIN!”

As for VP Harris, she has not indicated any future plans for when she leaves office. However, a recent poll suggests Harris would have a sizable advantage should she decide to run in 2026. At that point, Newsom cannot run again because of term limits. 

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If Jenner decides to run and wins, it would mark the nation and state’s first transgender governor.  



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Northern California 6-year-old, parents hailed as heroes for saving woman who crashed into canal

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Northern California 6-year-old, parents hailed as heroes for saving woman who crashed into canal


LIVE OAK — A six-year-old and her parents are being called heroes by a Northern California community for jumping into a canal to save a 75-year-old woman who drove off the road. 

It happened on Larkin Road near Paseo Avenue in the Sutter County community of Live Oak on Monday. 

“I just about lost her, but I didn’t,” said Terry Carpenter, husband of the woman who was rescued. “We got more chances.” 

Terry said his wife of 33 years, Robin Carpenter, is the love of his life and soulmate. He is grateful he has been granted more time to spend with her after she survived her car crashing off a two-lane road and overturning into a canal. 

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“She’s doing really well,” Terry said. “No broken bones, praise the Lord.” 

It is what some call a miracle that could have had a much different outcome without a family of good Samaritans. 

“Her lips were purple,” said Ashley Martin, who helped rescue the woman. “There wasn’t a breath at all. I was scared.” 

Martin and her husband, Cyle Johnson, are being hailed heroes by the Live Oak community for jumping into the canal, cutting Robin out of her seat belt and pulling her head above water until first responders arrived. 

“She was literally submerged underwater,” Martin said. “She had a back brace on. Apparently, she just had back surgery. So, I grabbed her brace from down below and I flipped her upward just in a quick motion to get her out of that water.” 

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The couple said the real hero was their six-year-old daughter, Cayleigh Johnson. 

“It was scary,” Cayleigh said. “So the car was going like this, and it just went boom, right into the ditch.” 

Cayleigh was playing outside and screamed for her parents who were inside the house near the canal.

I spoke with Robin from her hospital bed over the phone who told us she is in a lot of pain but grateful.

“The thing I can remember is I started falling asleep and then I was going over the bump and I went into the ditch and that’s all I remember,” Robin said. 

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It was a split-second decision for a family who firefighters said helped save a stranger’s life. 

“It’s pretty unique that someone would jump in and help somebody that they don’t even know,” said Battalion Chief for Sutter County Fire Richard Epperson. 

Robin is hopeful that she will be released from the hospital on Wednesday in time to be home for Thanksgiving. 

“She gets Thanksgiving and Christmas now with her family and grandkids,” Martin said. 

Terry and Robin are looking forward to eventually meeting the family who helped save Robin’s life. The family expressed the same feelings about meeting the woman they helped when she is out of the hospital. 

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“I can’t wait for my baby to get home,” Terry said. 



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