skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Medicaid Reductions Could Cut Deep in Rural Tennessee

play audio
Play

Thursday, June 8, 2017   

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Medicaid is sustaining Tennessee's rural towns in terms of children's health and the economy, according to a report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families.

Researchers found across the nation, a higher percentage of children in rural areas count on Medicaid compared to urban areas.

Kinika Young, director of children's health for the Tennessee Justice Center, points out that, with Tennessee leading the country in hospital closures, entire rural economies could be at risk.

"If there's any tinkering with the funding, the hospital could face a lot of cutbacks or even closure,” she states. “And if that happens, not only do people lose a place to go if they need health care, but you also lose a large employer in the county."

Nine hospitals have closed in recent years in the Volunteer State, and 32 are in danger of closing.

According to the Georgetown data, 50 percent of rural Tennessee children are enrolled in Medicaid, compared to 39 percent of children in metro counties.

The report says the figures underscore the importance of preserving funding for Medicaid as Congress debates the American Health Care Act.

Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, calls Medicaid a crucial support for children, families, seniors and people with disabilities.

"Our nation's leaders face a really important decision on whether or not to cut Medicaid and turn their backs on the progress we've made in helping children and families,” she states. “That's so important for folks to understand that the Medicaid program is really the backbone of health insurance in these rural areas and small towns."

Young adds providing proper health coverage to children, particularly in rural communities, also can broaden the tax base and reduce need for public assistance later on.

"Children who have health care coverage under Medicaid tend to make better grades,” she points out. “They're more likely to attend college and therefore, they're more likely to get higher paying jobs, which in turn leads to them paying more in taxes."

According to the report, the number of children on Medicaid has increased by 5 percent since 2009.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021