The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released enrollment data for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). According to a recent study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, one third of children in the United States lacked adequate health insurance coverage in the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Health and child advocates are in favor of the Build Back Better Act because of the provisions in the bill relating to children's health insurance coverage. Researchers from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's State Health and Value Strategies program prepared a new issue brief addressing considerations for policymakers contemplating extending health insurance coverage through the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to pregnant immigrants and immigrant children regardless of immigration status. The Biden-Harris Administration announced requirements that insurance companies and group health plans as well as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests beginning January 15. Stakeholders expressed concern to the Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program Payment and Access Commission that Medicaid redeterminations set to resume after the COVID-19 public health emergency is over will lead to coverage interruptions for vulnerable populations. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it was committing $49.4 million to fund organizations aimed at enrolling eligible children, parents and pregnant people in health insurance coverage through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Nebraska Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony recently regarding a bill that would streamline the enrollment process for children applying for health insurance coverage under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed changes to the definition of public charge for purposes of immigration that would allow immigrants receiving Children's Health Insurance Benefits (CHIP) and other benefits to apply for lawful permanent residence from within the United States. Patient advocates in Connecticut favor the extension of Medicaid coverage for postpartum care for one year that will take effect April 1. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is seeking feedback on topics related to health care access. Legislators in Connecticut are continuing their support of the proposal for the expansion of Medicaid to cover older undocumented children despite the defeat of the bill in committee. A program that serves babies and young people facing inequitable stressors received a grant to expand its services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the creation of a new program aimed at improving maternal health outcomes. In a recent study, researchers found that children gaining health insurance coverage through Medicaid and CHIP benefits their families in other ways as well. When the COVID-19 public health emergency lifts, children covered under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will be at high risk for losing coverage when disenrollment resumes. The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra recently released a statement commending Tennessee and South Carolina for working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage to 12 months postpartum to an estimated 22,000 and 16,000 parents. Jennifer L. Gerstorff, FSA MAAA, has been appointed to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Government agencies across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a joint letter urging states, tribes, and jurisdictions to prioritize and maximize efforts to address children's mental health and well-being. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved California, Florida, Kentucky, and Oregon plans to expand Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage to 12 months postpartum. The Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program in California, Medi-Cal, recently agreed to the extension of postpartum coverage for 12 months. The state is focused on addressing maternal health disparities, particularly for Black maternal health. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that 253,000 parents have gained access to 12 months of health insurance coverage postpartum under recent extensions to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Mental health advocates in Texas asked legislators to improve mental health care support for children and in schools. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the release of a suite of new resources to improve CMS and state oversight of Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) managed care programs. A nonprofit in West Virginia announced that it received a three-year grant to fund insurance coverage for children. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the award of $49 million to a program that will fund organizations aimed at reducing uninsured rates among children, parents, and families. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced the approval of the extension of Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage for 12 months after pregnancy in Hawaii, Maryland, and Ohio. The latest data from the national Kids Count rankings showed recent improvements in the health insurance coverage of children living in Michigan. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), approved the extension of Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage for 12 months after pregnancy in Indiana and West Virginia. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlined the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to support child and maternal health through expansion of affordable high-quality health care and continuous postpartum coverage through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for a year after birth. Legislation was introduced in the United States Senate aimed at improving mental health care for children covered by Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the approval of Medicaid section 1115 initiatives in Massachusetts and Oregon aimed at helping people, particularly children, keep Medicaid coverage. Federal officials indicated that an estimated 15 million people will be disenrolled from Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) during the eligibility redetermination process when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends in the coming year. Alabama celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the state. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced that over half of all states expanded access of Medicaid and CHIP coverage to 12 months after pregnancy. In Colorado, hundreds of thousands of people, many of them children, are at risk of losing government-subsidized health insurance coverage next year with the ending of the federal public health emergency.
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