Right now, there is a quiet healthcare emergency happening. Nearly four million people have lost their Medicaid coverage, a third of whom are children! [1] Over the years, countless moms like Erin from Florida, have shared how critical Medicaid is for their families:

Earlier this winter, I had a frightening experience: my baby had both the flu and an ear infection. Normally, I would get the antibiotics he needed to remedy the situation. Instead, the medications his pediatrician prescribed were out of stock at our local pharmacy. I called multiple pharmacies nearby only to hear the dreaded news that they too were facing a shortage and had nothing in stock. My baby was running a high fever and crying in pain. Fortunately, we were able to go to the next town over, only to get the last bottle the pharmacy had. This plight of facing medication shortages wasn’t...

This article originally appeared on the Center for Child and Families website and is shared here with the express consent of the organization. Written by: Maggie Clark The pandemic’s continuous coverage protection had a profound effect on health coverage for pregnant women and new mothers, who for the first time experienced pregnancy-related coverage that did not end just 60 days after the end of pregnancy. Before the pandemic, about half of all people covered by Medicaid for pregnancy lost coverage after the 60 days postpartum period. Data show that about one-third of pregnancy related...

This article originally appeared on the Center for Child and Families website and is shared here with the express consent of the organization. Written by: Joan Alker State-by-State Report Shows Medicaid Now Covers More Than Half of U.S. Children This week we teamed up with our colleagues at the American Academy of Pediatrics to release a report and discuss the high stakes for children when the Medicaid continuous coverage protection expires. Medicaid and CHIP now cover 54% of children in the United States. Lisa Costello, MD, MPH, FAAP, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee...

In August, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, which placed a $35 cap on insulin for people 65 and over and on Medicare. [1] This is a great start! But thanks to Republican politicians doing the bidding of Big Pharma, millions of people with diabetes on private insurance will still have to pay substantially more for insulin—in many cases, more than they can afford.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a proposed rule to make it easier for people who are eligible for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to get and stay enrolled in coverage. The newly proposed rule is critical because as of 2021, of about 28.9 million uninsured people in this country, 7.3 million were eligible for but not enrolled in Medicaid. CMS is accepting public comment on this rule through November 7th. Read more here .

With passage of the Inflation Reduction Act , there has been an historic breakthrough to begin to lower prescription drug prices for Americans! The provisions of the new law help ensure patients will get the innovative new drugs they need at affordable prices. For the first time, Medicare will be authorized to negotiate prices directly for some of the costliest prescription medicines; institute a cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries; and limit annual price increases in Medicare to stop price gouging by drug corporations. CBO estimates savings of almost $300 billion to...

Studies have shown that academic performance and health insurance go hand in hand. Children who have health coverage miss fewer classes and perform better in school than those who are uninsured. But health coverage doesn’t just benefit students. Fewer missed days of school also mean fewer missed days of work for parents. With health coverage, children can get the routine and emergency care, immunizations, check-ups, eye exams, dental visits and mental health services they may need to fully participate in school and extracurricular activities. Nationwide, millions of school-aged children and...

“I am 72 with 3 chronic genetic diseases. My Rx costs are beyond what I can afford and I have postponed getting refills and doing without due to lack of funds. There are millions of us out here. Parents of handicapped children, diabetics, others with chronic illnesses. We need your help. Please work with pharma businesses to stop gouging the sick and the poor.” - Mary in Kentucky No matter our race, place, or politics, most of us want similar things: to make a good living, to care for our families, and to have the best chance possible to be healthy. But for far too many people, having...