Florida 'callously' strips healthcare from thousands of children despite new law

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Mon 29 Apr 2024 07.00 EDT


Florida is continuing to “callously” strip healthcare coverage from thousands of children in lower-income households in defiance of a new federal law intended to protect them.

Since 1 January, more than 22,500 children have been disenrolled from Florida KidCare, its version of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Chip) that is jointly subsidized by states and the US government for families with earnings just above the threshold for Medicaid.

Florida healthcare officials admit at least some were removed for non-payment of premiums, an action prohibited by the “continuous eligibility” clause of the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act that took effect at the beginning of this year. The clause secures 12 months of cover if at least one premium payment is made.

Last week, the administration of Republican governor Ron DeSantis challenged the rule in federal court Tampa, arguing it makes Chip an entitlement program that illegally overrides a state law requiring monthly payment of premiums. But it has chosen not to wait for a ruling before continuing to separate children from coverage. Figures from the Florida Health Justice Project show there were 5,552 removals in the month to 1 April, following 5,097 in March, 5,147 in February, and 6,780 in January.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/29/florida-childrens-health-insurance-program-ron-desantis

[Lovie777]

1. Florida is becoming a hell hole..........................

[Ligyron]

7. The natural beauty and lovely Winter climate (plus no income tax) has, in a way, become a curse.

It has attracted too many affluent Fascists and tipped the scales just barely in favor of those opposed to the principles of democracy.

[ananda]

9. ... along with Texas.

I wonder if it's a race to the bottom, except
there doesn't appear to be a bottom.

[OMGWTF]

15. For decades I've been saying that the bottom of the barrel for the Rethuglicans

is through the molten Earth and out the other side.

[BonnieJW]

10. It's been one for years

Nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Cons: Punish children for parents sins. . . . . . nt

[lark]

3. Death Sentence moves to sicken and potentially kill more FL children!

This is totally in keeping with repug dogma.

[Chainfire]

4. Poor children just don't matter to Republicans.

[RainCaster]

5. Children don't matter to the GOP, once they are born

As soon as they are born, Republicans start trying to kill them.

[Girard442]

6. Is it just me or have "pro-lifers" just totally given up even pretending to be pro, y'know', actual life?

[mac56]

8. Toot your whistle and honk your horn!

We love the babies UNTIL they're born!

[RainCaster]

11. They never were

[Mr. Evil]

12. Once again,

cruelty is the point. You can't be a republican unless you're sadistic.

[Old Crank]

13. Why do I dislike self proclaimed christians?

Here is just another example of cruelty and mean spiritness.

[NanaCat]

16. Are there any Christians who aren't self-proclaimed?

Seems like all of them are. I mean, none of them are born that way; ergo, I hope you're not saying the religion forces people to belong, whether they want to or not. You know, like before the modern era.

[people]

14. Stripping healthcare from children

May DeSantis and all of his ilk rot in hell.

[SARose]

17. Texas too

Proposed changes to state Medicaid plans could shake up health coverage for 1.8 million low-income Texans

The move, which has not been finalized, would drop three large health plans run for two decades by nonprofit children’s hospitals.

BY KAREN BROOKS HARPER
APRIL 18, 2024

Texas health officials are poised to drop the state’s three largest nonprofit children’s health plans from multibillion-dollar Medicaid and children’s health insurance contracts — threatening the future of plans run by legacy children’s hospitals in Fort Worth and South Texas and shaking up health care coverage for low-income families throughout the state.

Some 1.8 million Texans who receive Medicaid coverage from six managed care organizations across the state would lose their current health plans and be shifted to new insurers next year if Texas Health and Human Services stands by a recent decision to redistribute the contracts after a competitive bidding process.

The change would mean a reduction in the number of managed care organizations that administer the state’s Medicaid STAR and Children’s Health Insurance Program, a shift toward for-profit companies in most areas of the state, a smaller number of top-rated plans administering care, and the introduction of new national plans to regions historically served by local MCOs.

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How do these folks sleep at night?