by Suzanne Potter
Medi-Cal has dropped several hundred thousand low-income children from the health insurance rolls since April 2023, according to a new report from Georgetown University.
The data show a net drop in children’s Medi-Cal enrollment of 200,000 kids between April and December of last year, as the state started redetermining participants’ annual eligibility – which had been paused to ensure continuous coverage during the pandemic.
Mayra Álvarez, president of the Children’s Partnership, said another 100,000 have been dropped this year.
“Some 80 percent of the people that lose coverage in California are losing it for procedural reasons,” said Álvarez, “not because they’re not eligible but because their paperwork didn’t make it to the county, or they waited too long on the line and got frustrated and had to hang up, or they moved and the letter never even reached them.”
The state of California has made a massive outreach effort to keep those who are eligible covered.
More than half a million children, half of California’s kids, depend on Medi-Cal. And three quarters of them are children of color.
It is unclear how many kids who lost Medi-Cal were later enrolled in private coverage.
Joan Alker is a co-author of the report, and executive director of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. She said gaps in coverage can lead to long-term negative impacts.
“Kids are going to miss out on those well-child visits, they’re going to miss out on getting the medications they need,” said Alker, “be it an inhaler for their asthma or an ADHD medication. And that really sets them back, both in their health and their success in school.”
A few years ago, California lawmakers passed a requirement for continuous coverage in Medi-Cal for children ages zero to five.
Álvarez said she is urging them to follow through and allocate $10 million in the next state budget to fulfill this mission.
In other California News:
Can a comic coloring book help you avoid used car scams?
Consumer advocates find a new way to educate car buyers
Buying a used car can be a risky proposition but a new consumer guide can help people avoid common pitfalls.
The nonprofit Oregon Consumer Justice just released the first edition of its free resource called the Consumer Confidence Comics. The unique guide doubles as an interactive comic book with coloring pages.
Michelle Luedtke, communications director for Oregon Consumer Justice, said it is a fun way to learn how to ask the right questions.
“When you get promises from a dealer, where do you capture those to make sure that they’ll be part of your final contract?” Luedtke asked. “We have a checklist of different questions to ask at a dealer about purchasing a used car, you can also download as a resource on our website.”
The guide is available in English and Spanish. Used car prices shot up during the pandemic but have come down a bit in the last year, with the average used car selling for about $31,000, according to iseecars.com.
Luedtke also recommended taking the time to read the fine print on any contracts. The guide goes through the process from start to finish.
“Whether or not you should be looking for financing beforehand, or what dealer financing looks like? What are scams that are common around purchasing a vehicle,” Luedtke outlined. “And then also what to do if things go wrong.”
In 2022, Americans purchased about 39 million used vehicles. The website Statista projects used car dealers in California will pull in about $11.7 billion in revenue this year.
