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Macron interrupts Trump, clarifies how Europe gave money to Ukraine; Trump administration faces lawsuits over oil and gas drilling; Delays in public EV chargers put NH tourism revenue at risk; Southern WV residents demand lawmakers address ongoing water crisis.

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Federal employee performance reviews face a confusing moment, Congress debates voting rights, consumer advocates push to reinstate the CFPB, Canadian and Mexican import tariffs raise economic concerns, and environmental groups fight offshore drilling.

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The Taos County Sheriff says he won't conduct raids or round ups of immigrants, New Hampshire worries a dearth of charging stations will force tourists driving EVs to pick another vacation destination, and Southern states improve education with workarounds.

Build Back Better Would Close Gap in TX Kids' Health Coverage

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Monday, December 6, 2021   

HOUSTON -- Children's advocates say the difficulty in providing health coverage for poor families in Texas could be largely solved if the Build Back Better Act bill is approved by the U.S. Senate.

Anne Dunkelberg, associate director for the group Every Texan, said the legislation would provide a workaround for people who make less than $13,000 a year, allowing them to qualify for a free plan on the federal insurance marketplace.

She pointed out children are far more likely to thrive when they have access to health coverage.

"If we are fortunate enough to get this bill signed into law, we will have a coverage alternative for all of the working-poor parents that we have in Texas who are currently excluded from Medicaid," Dunkelberg explained.

Medicaid is not available to nearly 800,000 Texans because the Lone Star State is one of 12 choosing not to expand the program through the Affordable Care Act. Opponents of Build Back Better argue it's too costly.

At nearly 13%, the number of uninsured children in Texas was nearly double the national average in 2019.

Joan Alker, executive director of the Center for Children and Families, said during the early Trump years, one in ten children experienced a gap in coverage over the course of 12 months.

"After we saw this troubling reverse in the progress we'd made as a country in reducing the number of uninsured kids -- which came to a halt in 2017 and started going in the wrong direction -- the Build Back Better bill would really turn that around and start moving the country in the right direction," contended.

Dunkelberg noted the bill also would permanently fund the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), so it would not have to be renewed every few years.

"This is a package that was put together to address systems that didn't acknowledge how many Americans were affected by the unaffordability of health insurance," Dunkelberg asserted.

She added the bill also could reduce maternal mortality by extending postpartum Medicaid coverage for one year.

Disclosure: Georgetown University Center for Children and Families contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, and Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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