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No Place to Hide: Children Will Be Hurt by Medicaid Cuts
Two in five children nationwide rely on Medicaid for their health care needs. That includes eight in ten children in poverty and nearly half of all children and youth with special health care needs. Given the extraordinary role Medicaid plays for children, federal law ensures access to comprehensive pediatric health services – including preventive care, screenings, and treatment – to all Medicaid-enrolled children and youth. Extensive research shows that Medicaid coverage contributes significantly to better health outcomes and positive, long-term effects on children’s health, educational attainment, and lifelong well-being.
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Paying More for Less Coverage
Health Insurance Marketplaces provide public, transparent platforms for individuals to shop for private health insurance while also determining eligibility for federal tax credits to reduce the cost of that insurance. States may opt to operate their own state-based marketplace (SBM) or defer to the federally facilitated marketplace (FFM). Indiana uses the federally facilitated marketplace model.
Marketplace consumers could soon be paying more for less coverage, says the Commonwealth Fund’s Sara Collins. She explains the Trump administration's proposed changes could raise out-of-pocket maximums and increase individual premium contributions for Marketplace coverage. If Congress fails to extend enhanced tax credits, families could see additional premium hikes of $387 to $2,914 a year, depending on their income.
Some of those impacted would include:
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Working individuals and families who do not have access to employer-sponsored insurance because coverage is not offered, they do not qualify (e.g., part-time workers), or it is unaffordable.
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Small business owners, sole proprietors, and freelancers who must purchase insurance on their own, including many people living in rural areas.
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Pre-retirees who do not yet qualify for Medicare but are no longer eligible for their employers’ plan.
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Young adults, especially those who have aged out of their parents’ coverage and may be in school or working in early career jobs with few benefits.
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Medical Debt
Medical debt is a burden felt by many Hoosiers. The Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute along with other partners, has two publications that examine the burden of medical debt.
Compared to its Midwest neighbors, Indiana has the highest share of its population with medical debt in collections (18.2%). Hoosiers have $2.2 billion in outstanding medical debt in collections.
While medical debt is a huge issue across the country, the amount of medical debt has actually decreased as the uninsured rate has decreased. If Medicaid cuts and work requirements are enacted and enhanced assistance with Marketplace premium tax credits are not renewed starting in 2026, the number of uninsured is expected to start increasing from the current historic low resulting in even more medical debt.
| | SCHOOLS & EARLY CHILDHOOD | | | | |
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Registration for the 2025 ISHN Conference is OPEN!
Join over 600 school, community, and public health professionals at the 2025 ISHN Conference! Preconference sessions kick off on Monday, June 9th, with insightful discussions and expert-led workshops. The two-day conference on June 10th and 11th offers a rich agenda filled with thought-provoking keynote speakers, numerous breakout sessions, and more than 50 exhibitors.
Registration Deadline: June 2, 2025
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Marketplace SEP Verification
Starting on May 16th, consumers who experience a loss of minimum essential coverage and are eligible for a Marketplace special enrollment period (SEP) will need to provide documentation if federal systems cannot automatically verify the loss of coverage. Consumers will need to provide this documentation confirming the loss or anticipated loss of coverage before they can use their new Marketplace plan.
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The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) released new state fact sheets about Medicaid and Mental Health.
- 120,000 Hoosiers on Medicaid were treated for a substance use disorder in 2021.
- More than 1.2 million adults in Indiana live with a mental illness.
- 1 in 3 people with mental illness in the U.S. are covered by Medicaid.
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The AARP Public Policy Institute released new state fact sheets about Medicaid and its role for older adults.
- Medicaid provides health care coverage to 342,000 Hoosiers 50 and older.
- Medicaid provides a safety net for low-income adults with Medicare by covering unaffordable out-of-pocket costs.
- Medicaid provides important supports for family caregivers, including health care coverage for them and services for the people they are caring for.
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Newborn Screening
State-based newborn screening programs identify babies at risk of serious but treatable conditions and connects them to timely clinical care.
More than 98% of U.S. infants receive screening during their first days of life for conditions like congenital hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell disease. The impact is significant: over 7,000 infants are identified annually for early interventions. Despite these successes, challenges remain in sustaining and improving newborn screening programs.
The report below offers actionable recommendations to guide the next phase of the state-based newborn screening programs while preserving its long-standing public health value.
Access the full report and supporting materials—including a policy brief for HHS and a one-pager for families.
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Today is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day
For nearly 20 years, SAMHSA has recognized Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day to bring attention to the mental health needs of children and young people.
Children and young people in this country are experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis; there has been a continued rise in the number diagnosed with anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. An estimated one in five youth has a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder – yet many do not receive the help they need. And these mental health challenges can significantly impact their ability to learn and develop.
SAMHSA’s youth programs are focused on promoting wellness and the prevention, treatment, and recovery of mental health and substance use from early childhood to young adulthood. Click here to access the SAMHSA Toolkit.
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Supports for Employees with Disabilities
Indiana Family to Family is presenting a training, Let’s Talk Benefits, on June 16th from 3 – 5 pm ET for parents, caregivers, and supporters to learn how state and federal benefits support employees with disabilities.
- Learn how to reject common myths about benefits and going to work.
- Understand the difference between SSI & SSDI.
- Understand which health care benefit (Medicaid and Medicare) goes with which SSA benefit.
- Learn asset-building options to assist with benefits.
- Learn about the advantages and find out how to access benefits counseling in Indiana.
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Impact of Medicaid Expansion and Recent Developments
in Enrollment, Policies, and Work Requirements
IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law is hosting a webinar on the impact of Medicaid expansion on Thursday, May 15, 2025 on Zoom from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET. This session will begin by examining the history of the Medicaid program and its expansion over the past 60 years. Second, speakers will summarize the impact on health and non-health outcomes, including access to care, uninsured rates, preventive care utilization, hospitalizations, chronic care management, financial security, and labor market outcomes. Next, presenters will cover how states have used Medicaid state waivers to implement modifications to their Medicaid programs that differ from standard federal rules. The webinar will conclude by presenting recent federal- and state-level proposed changes to the Medicaid program regarding enrollment policies and work requirements.
CEU Certificates for Indiana Behavioral Health & Human Services Providers available
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Free CE for Navigators
Covering Kids & Families (CKF) offers FREE Continuing Education (CE) Courses for any Indiana Certified Navigator at https://www.ckfindiana.org/courses-overview/. These courses are excellent for new navigators as part of their training.
Privacy & Security – This course is especially recommended for new navigators if their agency does not offer any HIPAA training as part of the onboarding process. It is online and available at any time.
Back to the Basics - This is a live, online training offered every other month. The training will provide navigators a strong grasp on the fundamentals of IHCP so to deliver Hoosiers excellent customer service while assisting with enrollment in and maintenance of healthcare coverage. It serves as a refresher for experienced Navigators. New Navigators can attend around the time they are shadowing and/or beginning to do applications with supervision. Space is limited and registration is required. After signing up, please notify CKF if you are no longer able to attend. This live online training is from 9:30 – 11:30 am ET on May 12, July 9, October 8, and December 10.
Health Care Coverage Barriers - Covering Kids & Families will offer a FREE in-person CE course during the 2025 ISHN Preconference on Monday, June 9th from 2 – 4 pm. The course, will discuss the crucial role Navigators play in educating consumers, assisting them obtain essential health coverage, and helping them utilize their coverage. There is no charge for the course or the conference. Attendees do not need to attend the whole conference but must register at https://www.ckfindiana.org/indiana-school-health-network-conference/.
| | TOBACCO PREVENTION & CESSATION | | |
Indiana Tobacco Tax Increase Will Protect Kids
The Indiana General Assembly has approved a $2 per pack increase in the state's cigarette tax, the first increase since 2007, set to take effect on July 1, 2025. This measure is expected to prevent thousands of youth from starting to smoke, help over 30,000 adults quit, save nearly 10,000 lives, and reduce long-term health care costs by more than $492 million. It will also apply to other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Public health advocates applaud the move as a significant step toward protecting health and reducing tobacco use.
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Smoking Cessation Pill May Help Youth Quit Vaping
About 1 in 4 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 regularly use e-cigarettes to vape nicotine, as well as 7% of U.S. high school students. While many young people who vape say they want to quit or cut back, studies have not tested treatments that might help them succeed.
NIH-funded researchers wanted to know if an FDA-approved smoking cessation drug called varenicline could help youth quit nicotine vaping. Earlier studies have shown mixed results for the medication in helping youth who want to stop smoking.
Findings:
- Teens and young adults who took a smoking cessation drug called varenicline were more likely to quit vaping nicotine than those who got a placebo pill.
- The results suggest that this existing treatment for nicotine addiction could help combat e-cigarette use among young people.
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Connect with CKF
Tobacco Prevention & Cessation program on social media!
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IHCP Enrollment
Total Membership increased in February.
With 1,970,910 members, there were 8,124, or 0.41%, more members in March 2025 than in February 2025.
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