By Andrea Callow, Associate Director of Medicaid Initiatives at Families USA
HHS has issued its first two approvals for state Medicaid waivers that make a person's health coverage contingent on their work status. Kentucky and Indiana are the first states to get approval for waivers that tie coverage to work. Other states that are seeking approval for similar waivers include New Hampshire,...
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By LaWanda Wilkerson
This post originally appeared on December 1, 2017 on A Girl Like Me , a program of The Well Project .
This blog is dedicated to my best friend sister, Nichelle Daniel.
While walking through the mall with my best friend (sister) for twenty or more years, we were talking about the importance of taking care of you to remain healthy. She reminded...
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By Marq
This post originally appeared on January 24, 2017 on Angry Black Hoemo . Marq is an activist based in Chicago who proudly and un-apologetically expresses their truth.
…but not in the way they’d like to think.
So, at the time of this being published, we’re 2 weeks from National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day . I think this is as good of a time...
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By Raven Feagins
When the weather is nice, Donald King bikes over to Lake Michigan to go fishing. It brings him back to memories of his childhood in New Orleans and spending time with his mother before she passed away. His charming smile and laid-back personality could fool anyone into thinking that he has lived an easygoing life, but he’s had an arduous journey that has led him to...
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By Ashley Slupski
First of all, congratulations! You did it! You took the first of many steps to living your healthiest life by getting health care coverage (and avoiding a hefty tax penalty).
If you missed the Open Enrollment deadline, you may still be qualified for a Special Enrollment period because of a life change or a loss of insurance coverage. This year, a special enrollment...
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By Brian Solem
Housing and health are inseparably linked. You’re more likely to be in consistently good health if your housing costs (rent or mortgage plus utilities, groceries and other household needs) take up a limited slice ( 30% by most estimates ) of your overall budget. If you are barely making ends meet, your health might show it, and you become more susceptible to unstable...
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By Will Wilson
Longtime HIV advocate and Chicago resident Will Wilson was invited to share his first-person account of using Medicaid and Affordable Care Act services to the people in charge of nationwide Medicare and Medicaid services.
It was cold, dark, and I was up way earlier than normal. Still, I was excited. I was heading to Washington D.C. to share my story with Calder...
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By Raven Feagins
Until the age of 45, Latesha never had a place of her own. For years, she relied on friends and acquaintances to have a safe place to sleep at night, but, when she wasn’t lucky enough to find someone to stay with, she resorted to sleeping on the streets of Chicago.
“I was always here, here, here and here. Each time there were setbacks after setbacks,”...
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By Raven Feagins
As advocates, we work hard to ensure the rights of our communities are protected. Despite the whirlwind that was 2017 (a.k.a. the year that made me question my faith in humanity), together we did have some wins.
Below are six major victories we've achieved this year.
1. The ACA is still the law!
One of the biggest challenges this year has...
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