Access to Washington state s long-term care program will increase because of action during this year s legislative session. But the program also faces a challenge on this year s ballot. Starting in 2026, Washingtonians will have access to up to $36,500 in benefits from the WA Cares Fund. .
Of its 4.9 million Medicaid enrollees, Florida purged about 300,000 from its Medicaid rolls when the federal government removed protections put in place to keep everyone covered during the pandemic. Health-care advocates are voicing concerns over those being kicked off the rolls for procedural issues, such as failing to respond or sending in documents as requested. Lynn Hearn, a Florida Health Justice Project staff attorney, said she s also concerned about a change of plans at the Florida Department of Children and Families. .
Alabama has the third-highest maternal mortality rate in the country, and some new research reinforces the view that expanding Medicaid could be the answer to improving women s health care. More than 36 women and more than seven babies die for every 1,000 births in Alabama, according to the report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. It found that expanding Medicaid would vastly improve women s health and access to maternal health care in the state. .
The existence of health care inequities in the United States based on race or ethnicity has been widely covered, especially since the COVID pandemic. A Kansas City group is actively working to identify and change systems contributing to such disparities. The Kansas City Health Equity Learning and Action Network is a coalition of 15 interdisciplinary teams who have committed to 18 months of learning and action, both as a group and independently. .