DrBicuspid.com
The Children's Partnership (TCP) has released an issue brief and action plan addressing the challenges Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, faces in providing dental care to children in the state. The issue brief also stresses the impact that newly enrolled children will have on the state's strained dental care system.
Download the article here.
"It's a public health issue" according to Jenny Kattlove, Director of Strategic Health Initiatives. "A large number of California children do not have dental coverage at all. About 1.8 million of them in public coverage are not getting the dental care they need. One reason is that the reimbursement rate for dentists is very low, close to the lowest in the nation, and in California there are Medi-Cal administrative barriers providers face.
Download the full article here .
Santa Monica, CA– Today, The Children’s Partnership released an issue brief and action plan addressing the challenges Medi-Cal faces in providing dental care to children in California. The issue brief, Fix Medi-Cal Dental Coverage: Half of California Kids Depend On It, also stresses the impact that newly enrolled children will have on the state’s strained dental care system. “California’s Medi-Cal dental system is already struggling to serve children and is unprepared for what’s to come,” said Wendy Lazarus, Founder & Co-President of The Children’s Partnership. “California’s kids deserve real access to quality dental care—not a false promise of it.” The brief highlights the challenges facing Medi-Cal in providing dental care to children, examines the State’s efforts to address these problems, and provides an action plan to help the program serve its growing number of enrollees.
Download the full press statement here .
The Governor has jumpstarted the New Year well by solidifying the state’s newfound fiscal stability and opening the door to new opportunities to shore up and strengthen programs for California’s children and families. A statement from Wendy Lazarus, Founder and Co-President of The Children’s Partnership, was released today in response to the Governor’s Budget announcement.
Read the full statement here.
On January 1, 2013, federal lawmakers passed a bill that will improve social workers’ access to school records of the children and youth in foster care that they support.
"Through the Uninterrupted Scholars Act, Congress has provided an important stepping stone to improve outcomes for children and youth in foster care," said Beth Morrow, Director, Health IT Initiatives. Download her full statement here .
Read about the Uninterrrupted Scholars Act here.
The Children's Partnership joins the coalition of California health advocates and providers calling on Governor Brown and the Legislature to renew a critical revenue source -- a Managed Care Organization (MCO) assessment that could raise approximately $350 million per year --- to address the health care needs of children.
Download the full statement here.
California Healthline
A national study released today by the Pew Center on the States, part of the Pew Charitable Trusts, grades every state's level of adherence to a basic preventive dental procedure for children -- the application of dental sealant. California earned a "C."
"So now there is no state-led assessment of children's dental health needs, or even a plan to take care of the needs of California children," Kattlove said. "You need to first identify the needs, identify the solutions and then work to address those solutions. That's not happening."
Download the article here.
The Children's Partnership joins other national children’s advocacy organizations to applaud Senator Barbara A. Mikulski for her efforts to ensure children are held harmless in the ongoing budget negotiations. Chair of the HELP Committee on Children and Families, Mikulski has written a letter addressed to the House and Senate leadership co-signed by Sens. Al Franken (D-MN), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA) and Tim Johnson (D-SD).
Downoad the full press statement here.
California plans to start moving children from the Healthy Families Program into Medi-Cal on January 1. The Children's Partnership joins other advocates to highlight the importance of assuring children’s health care is not disrupted.
“The health of the 875,000 children who will move from Healthy Families to Medi-Cal, as well as the nearly 3.7 million children currently in enrolled in Medi-Cal, depends on the success of this transition. All eyes will be on the state. We and families across California are counting on state officials to track and quickly resolve any problems that arise,” said Wendy Lazarus, Founder and Co-President of The Children’s Partnership.
Download the full press release here.
California Healthline
State health officials will go on as scheduled with the first phase of the Healthy Families transition to Medi-Cal managed care, beginning January 1, 2013. Children's health advocates say they will do everything to support that effort while still keeping a careful eye on its progress.
"The signs are the Brown Administration will proceed with this, so the attention has to be on how to monitor what's happening," says Wendy Lazrus, founder and co-president of The Children's Partnership.
Download the article with her full comments here.
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