Excerpt from the Comment:

Currently, Hawai’i offers continuous eligibility for 12 months for all children ages 0-18 enrolled in Medicaid, as required by federal law as of January 1, 2024. While this is a positive step towards keeping children insured, state data shows that “churn,” which occurs when a child is unduly disenrolled and then subsequently re-enrolled within a year, impacts one in four disenrolled children in Hawai’i. Gaps in both coverage and access to care can be detrimental to a child’s development. Even a short gap in coverage can harm a child by reducing their access to necessary care. If a coverage gap is prolonged, families may face expensive medical bills or may push off their child’s care due to high out-of-pocket costs. Churn also impacts low-income families and families of color more heavily, as their incomes are more likely to fluctuate in and out of eligibility levels during the year.

Read the full comment.

The post Comments on Hawaii Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver Request appeared first on First Focus on Children.

Excerpt from the Comment:

Currently, Minnesota offers continuous eligibility for 12 months for all children ages 0-18, as required by federal law as of January 1, 2024. While this is a positive step towards keeping children insured, state data shows that “churn,” which occurs when a child is unduly disenrolled and then subsequently re-enrolled within a year, disproportionately impacts children of color in Minnesota. Gaps in both coverage and access to care can be detrimental to a child’s development. Even a short gap in coverage can harm a child by reducing their access to necessary care. If a coverage gap is prolonged, families may face expensive medical bills or may push off their child’s care due to high out-of-pocket costs. Churn also impacts low-income families and families of color more heavily, as their incomes are more likely to fluctuate in and out of eligibility levels during the year.

Read the full comment.

The post Comments on Minnesota Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver Request appeared first on First Focus on Children.

Excerpt from the Comment:

USDA’s rule codifies the strides made by the Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022 (ABFA; PL 117-129), which was passed with bipartisan support in response to the baby formula shortage in 2022. This rule will ensure that mothers and infants have access to formula during emergencies like natural disasters, public health emergencies, or supply chain disruptions. Ensuring access to formula ensures that babies across America, especially our low-income communities and communities of color, have consistent and equitable access to the nutrition they need to thrive. Enacting this rule ensures that WIC helps to prevent shortages in the future, which is a necessary and commendable step.

Read the full comment.

The post Comments on WIC Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022 appeared first on First Focus on Children.

Excerpt from the letter:

The United States needs a federal paid leave policy to ensure equitable access to paid leave and all the benefits it creates for families. The current patchwork of local, state, and private actions has proven to be inadequate. The U.S. is the only wealthy country in the world that does not offer paid parental leave at the national level. Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted paid family and medical leave laws, and eight others have voluntary systems. Though these states have acted and are seeing benefits for their residents, the need for a federal policy is clear: the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that only about 1‑in‑4 private sector employees has access to paid family leave, and Hispanic and Black workers are much less likely to have access than their white counterparts. Of the lowest-income workers, only 6 percent have access to paid family leave. These inequities harm children and demand a federal paid leave policy that includes all workers, including independent contractors, part-time and full-time workers, and both public and private sector employees, regardless of industry or employer size.

Read the full letter.

The post Letter: Keep children front & center in paid leave policies appeared first on First Focus on Children.

Excerpt from the Comment:

There is no safe blood lead level (BLL) for children, meaning that any and all lead exposure could potentially lead to severe health consequences. Children drink more water per pound of body weight than adults, making them more susceptible to smaller levels of lead. Additionally, lower blood levels of lead cause greater impacts on children than in fully-developed adults. Infants are perhaps at the most risk of consuming lead in drinking water, as those who consume formula may receive up to 60% of their lead exposure via water (as compared to 20% for the average person).

Read the full comment.

The post Comments on National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for Lead and Copper appeared first on First Focus on Children.