The health safety net is fraying across the country

As the economy worsens and more people need the state safety net, more will find it is not there to catch them.

According to Families USA, 19 states have enacted or proposed cuts to their Medicaid or SCHIP (state children health insurance program) budgets for 2009 and/or 2010:

• Eighteen of the 19 states enacted program cuts in their 2009 budgets.
• Six of the 19 states are already considering a second round of cuts in their 2009 or 2010 budgets.

The cuts include:

1. actions that will make it harder for new families to get coverage and for those currently enrolled to keep their coverage (cuts in eligibility and enrollment), and
2. actions that will prevent currently enrolled families from getting health care (cuts in provider reimbursement, cuts in benefits, and increases in cost-sharing).

Families USA predicts that at least a million people will lose coverage and millions more will get less health care.

Read more.