California Board Drops Plans to Freeze Healthy Families Enrollment
On Wednesday, the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board did not proceed with plans to cap enrollment in Healthy Families after the board received a $16.7 million grant from First 5 California Children and Families Commission, the Ventura County Star reports.
MRMIB administers Healthy Families, California's version of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (Wilson, Ventura County Star, 12/18).
The grant will cover 96% of the program's $17.2 million budget deficit and allow enrollment to continue through the end of the state fiscal year in June 2009.
First 5 administers proceeds of a 1998 voter-approved increase to the state tobacco tax, and its funding goes to early childhood health care and education programs.
Capping enrollment in Healthy Families would have resulted in an estimated 162,000 children being on a waiting list for coverage (Rojas, Sacramento Bee, 12/18).
Broadcast Coverage
On Wednesday, Capital Public Radio's "KXJZ News" reported on the grant (Weiss, "KXJZ News," Capital Public Radio, 12/17). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.