A story published today in the Yakima Herald shows just how stretched working families are, even when they’re above the federal government’s definition of poverty, and what a lifeline Apple Health for Kids means for them:
“Dewayne and Vicky McIntyre work hard. As a result, they were able to move out of an RV park and into a rental home in Yakima they hope to buy. But the McIntyres were punished for their work ethic,” writes Leah Beth Ward in the Yakima Herald-Republic. “When they began earning $48,000 annually two years ago, their daughter lost eligibility for the state Children's Health Insurance Program. The cutoff for a family of three is $44,000.” Thanks to the Cover All Kids law, which raised that cutoff, Dewayne and Vicky’s daughter Sarah, who has a chronic lung condition, will get health coverage starting in January
But with the state budget in crisis, pressure will be on to shred the safey net catching families like the McIntyres. Rep. Curtis King (R—Yakima) told the Yakima Herald-Republic that he was worried that Apple Health for Kids, created by the Cover All Kids law, was covering a lot of kids who don’t need it. He should talk to Vicky and Dewayne.
Under the law, families can’t drop existing coverage for state coverage, and families like the McIntyres will pay 20 percent of the cost of coverage, with the federal government paying 52 percent and the state picking up the remaining 28 percent. For a state looking to spend tight money wisely and help families keep their heads above water, that’s a bargain not worth passing up.
You can read more of Sarah's story and more stories of families impacted by the Cover All Kids law on our website.
