TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Mientras están cuidando a la siguiente generación de Florida, ¿quién cuida a las madres y los padres? Esa pregunta surge en un reporte reciente del Urban Institute.

La investigación arrojó que en la Florida, los padres y madres de familia están entre quienes sienten los efectos de la decisión estatal de declinar recibir fondos federales para ampliar Medicaid. El reporte revisó el impacto a los más de 800 mil floridanos que caen en el vacío de cobertura, porque no son sujetos de la cobertura pagada con fondos públicos, ni de una póliza a través de la Affordable Care Act (Ley de Cuidado Asequible).

Genevieve Kenney, co-directora del Centro de Políticas de Salud en el Instituto Urban, dice que estados como la Florida, que declinó la expansión de Medicaid, pueden resultar colgados por problemas partidistas.

“Y también pudiera ser que la política de la Ley de Cuidado Asequible haya captado demasiada atención y generado mucha retórica. Tal vez no tanta atención la dimensión humana, y lo que está en juego para las familias.”

El reporte indica también que los estados que aceptaron el fondeo federal han visto una caída de casi 33 por ciento de padres sin seguro médico. Los legisladores de la Florida rechazaron el fondeo por asuntos de los costos para el estado. El gobierno federal pagará el 100 por ciento del costo hasta 2016, y en 2020 reducirá el subsidio al 90 por ciento.

Leah Barber-Heinz, de Florida CHAIN –un grupo dedicado a incrementar el acceso a la atención médica asequible–, dice que aprobar la expansión de Medicaid ha sido especialmente difícil para Florida, que tiene una enorme industria de hospitalidad y servicio.

“Han habido muchas personas, por ejemplo, trabajando en industrias de servicio, y esos son puestos de bajos ingresos. Muchas veces en esos empleos no tienen acceso a la cobertura médica, y mucha de esta gente son padres y tienen hijos en casa.”

El 17 por ciento de los padres de familia no asegurados que fueron entrevistados reportaron tener una salud mediana o pobre, y unos pocos más manifestaron preocupación sobre la salud mental. Barber-Heinz dice que la parte difícil de su trabajo es decirle a los padres que no son sujetos de seguro médico a través de la Ley de Cuidado Asequible.

“Y es muy frustrante tener que decirles que esencialmente no tienen opciones, y el estudio mostró una y otra vez que cuando los padres tienen cobertura, es más probable que los hijos también la tengan, y que también tengan cuidados médicos.”

Según la investigación realizada, casi la mitad de los padres de familia no asegurados estudiaron en los estados del sur y más de la mitad son latinos.

El reporte en inglés está en hrms.urban.org.


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United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo - D-Thornton - recently paid a visit to Salud Family Health Centers' mobile clinic.

Each year, Salud serves up to two thousand migrant farmworkers who travel from other states and countries to plant and harvest leafy greens, corn, wheat, sugar beets, and other crops in North Central and Northeastern Colorado.

Director Deborah Salazar said her team always gets a very warm welcome.

"And it's usually the same guys that come to the same farms or greenhouses," said Salazar. "And so it's like seeing old friends. They know who we are, they know what we can do for them, and they trust us. There is trust because we have been doing this for a very long time."

In addition to its 12 brick and mortar health centers, and ten school sites, the mobile unit provides primary health services three to four evenings per week - primarily in rural areas.

They screen workers for diabetes, hypertension, cervical cancer, and anemia. Workers can also get lab tests, and flu and tetanus vaccines.

Salud is a federally qualified community health center that provides medical, dental, pharmacy, and behavioral health care services to all patients regardless of their ability to pay.

The first clinic on wheels was acquired in 1980, and Salazar said a brand new unit was rolled out in 2022.

She said her team works to build relationships with farm owners and supervisors to find the best time to plan a visit.

"If they need us to come out and start our visit on the mobile unit at 7 p.m, we can do that," said Salazar. "We are super flexible, because we don't want to interrupt their work day."

Salazar said the medical staff on the mobile unit might be the only people migrant workers see when they are not out planting and harvesting crops.

"These are the folks that put food on our table," said Salazar. "To give them quality, integrated health care - and go to them, so that they are taken care of - this is the least we can do."




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After more than 50 years of use, some Michigan lawmakers say naloxone may not be the best choice in an overdose situation.

Naloxone is sometimes called the "Lazarus drug" because of its powerful ability to seemingly resurrect people after a drug overdose.

Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and some of his colleagues have introduced a bill which would open the door for what they say are more costly, but more powerful, antidotes.

"Given the prevalence of fentanyl in our communities, and how much stronger some of these drugs that we're now seeing are, we believe -- and in talking with others -- that there should be other tools to respond to an overdose," Hertel explained. "To make sure we're doing everything we can to save somebody's life."

Not everyone is on board with the proposed legislation, Senate Bill 542. Opponents argued the more expensive naloxone alternatives are not necessary, and using them would only increase profits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Jonathan Stoltman, director of the Opioid Policy Institute in Grand Rapids, said while the naloxone alternatives do help in overdose situations, they can also cause nasty side effects.

"The newer approaches, they put people into more severe withdrawal," Stoltman pointed out. "That's a pretty profound negative side effect. The one approach is very inexpensive and works great; the other approach is far more expensive and has this strong negative side effect."

Sponsors of the bill say they're hoping to give Michigan residents a chance to chime in on the issue in a public hearing sometime in June. Michigan saw more than 3,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2021.


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New Mexico saw record enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act this year and is now setting its sights on lowering out-of-pocket costs - those not reimbursed by insurance. More than 56,000 New Mexicans are enrolled in a medical health insurance plan on the state exchange - an increase of 12,000 people overall.

Colin Baillio, deputy superintendent with the state's Office of Insurance, said the state has boosted its outreach and made efforts to improve the overall consumer experience.

"We saw a 40% year-over-year increase, and New Mexico saw the biggest percentage increase during the open-enrollment period among all of the state-based marketplaces," he explained

Part of the enrollment increase is due to what's called the "unwinding" - a federal directive that required all states to redetermine Medicaid eligibility following a three-year pause on checks during the COVID pandemic. He said by using expanded tools made available by the federal and state government, 8% of New Mexico's population is now uninsured - down from 23% in 2010.

Following approval by lawmakers in the 2024 legislative session, the New Mexico governor signed seven health care-related bills into law - one of which requires annual reporting of prescription drug pricing. Baililo said the Affordable Care Act built the foundation that has allowed the state to pursue additional affordability initiatives.

"I'm really glad to see that there's so much interest in the next step of health reform, really leaning into these out-of-pocket cost issues and making it easier for people to afford to stay covered and see their doctors," he continued.

Two years ago, the state also passed a one-of-a-kind law that did away with behavioral health co-pays for people in certain insurance plans.