Legislation that aims to protect low-income families from infant formula shortages passed the Senate by unanimous consent on Thursday. The Access to Baby Formula Act passed the House late Wednesday on a rare bipartisan vote of 414-9, and now heads to President Biden’s desk for his signature. “It’s rare that we have unanimity in the Senate on […]
COVID isn’t over — we still need protections for children
As American families struggle to rebound from the health and financial impacts of the pandemic, some of the protections put in place to shield children and families will wind down when the Biden administration ends its declaration of public health emergency (PHE), currently set to expire on July 15. We will know by May 16 whether or not Health […]
Pennsylvania children risk losing health coverage unless the state acts to protect them | Opinion
The pandemic has brought no shortage of challenges to our country in the past two years. One silver lining, however, has been the uninterrupted access that children have had to health coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Nearly half of all children in the United States are insured through these programs, according […]
Report: PA Funding Can Boost Academic Success Starting in Pre-K
With negotiations for Pennsylvania’s budget under way, a new report unpacks the state’s investment in early-childhood education. Advocates hope it can sway lawmakers to boost funding in the budget. Gov. Tom Wolf’s final budget proposal includes a $70 million increase in pre-K funding. In the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children report, the Commonwealth ranks 14th for per-capita funding, […]
Pennsylvanians on Medicaid risk losing health coverage when COVID emergency ends
For the past two years, people on Medicaid in Pennsylvania have been guaranteed continued health coverage — even if they’re no longer eligible. That’s because of a provision in the Families First Coronavirus Recovery Act, which requires that states keep everyone on Medicaid as long as the country is under a public health emergency. But that emergency status is likely ending soon — and state officials predict at least 500,000 Pennsylvanians will lose their health insurance when it does.
