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Hundreds of thousands of younger veterans go uninsured, new report finds

Nov 10, 2023
The Urban Institute has released a new report saying that roughly 400,000 veterans under 65 go without coverage. But expanded Medicaid could help.
"A little under 5% of veterans below age 65 remain without coverage,” said Jessica Banthin at the Urban Institute’s Health Policy Center.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Higher subsidies drive record ACA enrollment

Nov 9, 2023
The government has extended pandemic-era subsidies for the Affordable Care Act marketplace until 2025 — and even higher-income families are eligible.
Just about everyone looking for an ACA plan is eligible for a higher subsidy than before, said Vivian Ho at Rice University.
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

Millions may soon lose Medicaid coverage

May 24, 2023
During the COVID public health emergency, states couldn’t kick anyone off Medicaid. Now, that continuous enrollment is coming to an end.
As of March 2023, nearly 95 million people had coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provide free or low-cost health insurance to low-income people. 
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Several states experiment with putting Medicaid funds toward food

Feb 14, 2023
A handful of states received federal waivers allowing use of Medicaid funding for medically tailored meals or nutrition counseling.
A handful of states are piloting programs to expand Medicaid to food assistance. Some experts say it could help address wider health issues faced by patients on Medicaid.
Adam Berry/Getty Images

Once pandemic emergency protections end, millions likely to lose Medicaid

Jan 2, 2023
As many as 15 million people may lose Medicaid coverage after the pandemic emergency is formally declared over. But the government’s own projections show many of them will still qualify. They’ll just get hung up in the paperwork.
Patients at a low-income clinic in Nashville wait to be seen. During the pandemic, Medicaid programs were not allowed to drop patients, but income reviews will restart once the public health emergency ends.
Blake Farmer/WPLN

Low wages and high costs clash in the home health care crisis for aging Americans

Apr 8, 2022
“We've never invested in the ability of families to afford the care that they need,” says Ai-jen Poo of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
Baby boomers are retiring at a rate of 10,000 people per day, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Daniel Leal-Olivas-Pool/Getty Images

Expanding Medicaid dental coverage means finding more dentists to handle the work

Feb 28, 2022
Dental schools may need to train more students to keep up with demand in Tennessee.
At a free dental clinic day put on by Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Dr. Ratrice Jackson drills out a cavity. Hundreds lined up to get treatment at this event in 2018 since Tennessee does not provide dental coverage to most adult Medicaid patients.
Blake Farmer/WPLN News

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Could paid family caregivers alleviate the home health worker shortage?

Jan 3, 2022
Medicaid sometimes pays family members to provide in-home care for relatives. But the programs vary from state to state.
Jessica Aviles performs a mock examination of a patient on her last day of class at LNA Health Careers in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Alli Fam

California is reshaping Medicaid to bring new health services to families

Dec 29, 2021
Community health workers present at doctor’s appointments can help parents navigate food, sleep, behavior and child development.
Developmental specialist Bella Lopez reads with 2-year-old Oliver Humphrey. She said the kids are often excited to see her at the doctor's office, in part because she's not the one giving shots.
Mariana Dale

Expanding Medicaid to holdout states could add jobs beyond health care

May 21, 2021
When Michigan expanded the health coverage program for low-income people, it led to 30,000 new jobs in the state.
Mario Tama/Getty Images