MRMIB To End Waitlist, Reopen Enrollment for Healthy Families
On Thursday, the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board is scheduled to reopen enrollment for Healthy Families, California's Children's Health Insurance Program, the Sacramento Bee reports.
MRMIB plans to enroll as many as 88,000 waitlisted children and open the program to new applicants. The board said it will not go through with earlier proposals to disenroll children from the program.
Healthy Families previously faced a $196 million shortfall following cuts from a July budget revision package (Ferriss, Sacramento Bee, 9/17).
Legislators, First 5 to the Rescue
The board moved to end the enrollment freeze after the Legislature approved a bill (AB 1422) designed to reverse Healthy Families' recent funding losses (Small, "KPCC News," KPCC, 9/16).
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has expressed support for AB 1422 and is expected to sign the measure.
The bill aims to raise money for Healthy Families by imposing a 2.35% gross premiums tax on health plans that administer benefits for Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program.
AB 1422 would raise premiums and copayments for Healthy Families beneficiaries. Such actions are expected to generate about $17.5 million for the program this year.
Healthy Families also has received an $81 million donation from California's First 5 Commission, which administers proceeds of a state tobacco tax increase for early childhood health and education programs (Sacramento Bee, 9/17). 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.