Don’t shred the safety net — expand it.
CHN Staff,
April 20, 2023
Most of us rely on some cash assistance to get by at some point, whether we realize it or not. For wealthy people, that might include a family trust or any number of elaborate tax breaks. For middle-income people, it might come in the form of a mortgage interest deduction on their taxes, an inheritance, or a grandparent’s contribution to a college fund. But for many working people, that kind of help can only come from public programs — the kind that are now under threat from conservatives in Congress.
CHN’s COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship, April 14, 2023
CHN Staff,
April 14, 2023
The Tax Day edition. Tuesday is Tax Day, and the human needs community has activities planned. The message behind the activities is that we need to raise revenues reasonably and responsibly in order to invest in a care economy. A care economy will mean hope, opportunity, and prosperity for millions of Americans.
Dangerous ACA ruling threatens preventive care for tens of millions of Americans
David Elliot,
April 7, 2023
The Biden Administration has announced it will appeal a Texas judge’s ruling striking down a key part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that allows tens of millions of Americans free access to cancer screenings and other forms of preventive health care. Last week, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor struck down provisions of the ACA that require insurers to provide certain preventive health care services free of charge. If allowed to stand, the ruling could affect all Americans who receive their health care through employer-based insurance or through the ACA marketplace.
A Reminder: SNAP Users are People, too
Siobhan Davenport,
March 31, 2023
I began working at Fresh Market the fall of my senior year, in the heart of the pandemic. Every day, I would go to work, scanning and bagging the groceries of whoever came into my line. Occasionally, the flow of checkout would ebb. Sometimes, I was to blame—I pushed the wrong button, double scanned an item, or couldn’t quite figure out exactly what kind of apples my customer wanted to purchase. Other times, it was something out of my control: the customer input the wrong pin, or they left their wallet in the car. One thing that always stopped the flow was the use of EBT cards.
CHN’s COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship, March 31, 2023
CHN Staff,
March 31, 2023
The Medicaid unwinding edition. Early in the pandemic, Congress gave states more Medicaid money to address COVID-19. In return, states were not allowed to drop people from their Medicaid rolls. That ends tomorrow. Beginning April 1, five states – Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and South Dakota – will start ending Medicaid coverage for those who have not demonstrated their continued eligibility. Almost every other state will follow in May, June, or July. And by roughly one year from now, millions will have lost access to health care.
