The Monthly Check-Up
April 2012
New England Children's Health News
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
Connecticut
- APRIL 20, 2012 | from HARTFORD BUSINESS ConnectiCare, CT Children's ink new deal, While Connecticut Children's Medical Center continues its drawn-out contract dispute with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the hospital reached an agreement on a new provider contract with Farmington health insurer ConnectiCare.
- APRIL 17, 2012 | from THE CT MIRROR School-Based Mental Health and the Achievement Gap, A recent report finds that school based health centers are boosting attendance and helping children overcome barriers to receiving mental health services. The article emphasis the importance of such mental health services for children in CT.
- APRIL 15, 2012 | from HARTFORD COURANT CCMC To Allow Anthem Contract To Expire Monday, Connecticut Children's Medical Center has discontinued its contract with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield over the health insurance company's "failure to provide adequate rate increases," the hospital said in a press release on Friday.
- APRIL 11, 2012 | from VOICES FOR VERMONT'S CHILDREN Pregnant Women on Dr. Dynasaur to get comprehensive dental coverage, The FY13 House budget included the Vermont Oral Health Care for All Coalition’s request to expand the dental benefit for pregnant women on Dr. Dynasaur. This important provision was also adopted by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
- APRIL 9, 2012 | from STATELINE Connecticut revisits old-school Medicaid financing, While most states are banking on managed care to hold down Medicaid costs, Connecticut has a different plan. The state has returned to directly reimbursing health care providers.
- APRIL 8, 2012 | from CONNECTICUT PLUS State receives $27 M federal grant to support health of children and families, The Department of Public Health will receive $27 million over three years in Affordable Care Act funds to improve the health and development of at-risk pregnant women, parents, caregivers and children by expanding the capacity of home visiting programs.
Maine
- APRIL 11, 2012 | from JOURNAL TRIBUNE Saving services for special needs youth was good decision, Maine lawmakers veto Gov. Paul LePage’s decision to cut MaineCare services to special-needs children in the state’s schools. As a result, schools will continue to be able to pay for essential services such as speech therapists and psychologists.
- APRIL 4, 2012 | from NECN Lawmakers override LePage veto of MaineCare bill, The Maine Legislature has voted to override Gov. Paul LePage's veto of a bill that seeks to resume MaineCare services to special needs children in schools.
Massachusetts
- APRIL 27, 2012 | from UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL Sagor expanding role in keeping foster kids healthy, Dr. Linda Sagor has been named DCF's senior consultant on health care system issues for children in foster care, where she will be responsible for developing and implementing a plan to improve the health of all Massachusetts children in foster care.
- APRIL 23, 2012 | from BOSTON GLOBE Obesity rates down for infants, toddlers, After three decades of increases, a new study shows a declining rate of obesity in infants and children of some communities in MA. However, experts also discuss the disparities between obesity rates in low-income vs. high income communities.
- APRIL 17, 2012 | from SOUTH COAST TODAY Health care reform not busting the state's budget, state taxpayers foundation says, The Massachusetts Tax Payers foundation released a report analyzing the costs associated with Massachusetts' expansion to near universal health coverage. The report concluded that Massachusetts health reform has had little impact on the state's budget.
- APRIL 16, 2012 | from BOSTON GLOBE Massachusetts leads nation with lowest rate of accidental deaths in children, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new statistics on the rate of accidental child deaths in the country, showing that the rates had significantly decreased in the past decade. Massachusetts had the lowest rate in the country.
- APRIL 13, 2012 | from WORCESTER TELEGRAM & GAZETTE New Fitchburg program targets obesity in kids, With only 38 out of every 100 people considered at a healthy weight in the city, the state and federal governments are hoping a new program geared toward kids will slim down waistlines and get people on track with healthier dietary habits into adulthood.
New Hampshire
- APRIL 27, 2012 | from UNION LEADER NH hospitals request federal intervention on Medicaid, In a letter making the unprecedented request for federal intervention, 160 trustees said the state's $130 million reduction in Medicaid payments to their hospitals was done with no analysis on impacts to the poor and needy.
- APRIL 25, 2012 | from CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE New Hampshire legislature praised for passage of Senate Bill 284, A statement released by the Children's Alliance of New Hampshire highlights the meaningful step forward that the passage of SB-284 represents for children's oral health in New Hampshire.
- APRIL 25, 2012 | from CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE Mapping Food Insecurity in New Hampshire, New research commissioned by the Children's Alliance of New Hampshire in collaboration with the Carsey Institute seeks to improve children’s nutrition and end childhood hunger by identifying areas of food insecurity throughout the Granite State.
- APRIL 25, 2012 | from NASHUA TELEGRAPH Health care reform key issue in New Hampshire governor race, Whether to let New Hampshire opt out of participation in both the Medicaid and Medicare programs through a health care compact becomes a major issue the Gubernatorial race.
- New Hampshire Voices for Health, NH Healthy Kids Silver (CHIP) Transition Update The NH Department of Health & Human Services held an external stakeholder briefing on the NH Healthy Kids (CHIP) transition to Medicaid last week. At the briefing, Medicaid Deputy Director Lisabritt Solsky indicated that the CHIP transition is on schedule for July 1st despite the delay in the Medicaid Managed Care transition. This issue was discussed at the legislature's Joint Fiscal Committee meeting on April 13th because of the expectation in House Bill 2 that the CHIP transition would happen simultaneously with the Medicaid Managed Care transition. The Committee tabled this item on the 13th and is expected to re-address it at the Committee's special meeting regarding currently tabled items.
Rhode Island
- APRIL 8, 2012 | from CBS NEWS In R.I., a childhood obesity program that works, A program at the Greater Providence YMCA called "Join For Me" has seen success addressing childhood obesity in the area, emphasizing nutritional education and parent involvement.
- APRIL 6, 2012 | from CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES Wall Street Journal’s Endorsement of Rhode Island Medicaid Full of Holes, The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Off the Charts blog disputes claims made by the Wall Street Journal and others that Rhode Island's global Medicaid waiver is a model for block granting Medicaid.
- April 2, 2012 | from RHODE ISLAND KIDS COUNT Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Releases Annual Report on the Well-Being of Rhode Island’s Children, Rhode Island KIDS COUNT released its 18th annual report on the well-being of Rhode Island’s children at a breakfast attended by over 500.The Factbook charts the well-being of children across the state covering 67 different aspects of children’s lives.
Vermont
- APRIL 22, 2012 | from WASHINGTON POST Vermont lawmakers, parents at loggerheads over philosophical exemption for kids’ vaccines, Vermont is currently debating whether or not to abolish the philosophical objection opt out for the state's vaccination requirements. The House has voted to keep the exemption while the Senate has voted to abolish.
- APRIL 5, 2012 | from WAMC VT House Panel Nixes Senate Vaccination Change, A Vermont House Committee has adopted a modified version of a bill related to vaccination, which, unlike the Senate version of the bill maintains the philosophical objection language allowing parents to opt out on general philosophical grounds.
