With this Section 1115 waiver approval, South Carolina becomes the first state in the nation to exclusively impose the harmful policy of work requirements on low-income parents with children. Children rely on healthy parents and caregivers to help them meet their health and developmental needs, and this waiver will make it harder for parents to be there for their children.
CDF submitted comments on USDA's proposed rule regarding SNAP Standard Utility Allowances (SUAs). The proposed rule would limit states' flexibility to set the SUA, resulting in a reduction in SNAP benefits for many hungry children and families across the country and exacerbating the struggles many low-income families have paying for both food and utilities. Given the disturbing and lasting impact this would have on children's food security, health and well-being, we urged the administration to withdraw this proposed rule.
CDF submitted comments on the proposed rule to eliminate categorical eligibility in SNAP. We strongly urged FNS to withdraw this harmful proposal as it would cause an estimated 3.1 million to lose coverage and would disproportionately impact children and families.
CDF joined other national organizations to submit comments on the proposed rule by CMS to rescind the current Medicaid Access Rule that requires states to monitor and document Medicaid payments in fee-for-service (FFS) systems and the impact on beneficiary access to care. We urged CMS to withdraw this proposed rule as it could leave children and pregnant women, particularly those who serious, chronic or complex medical and dental needs, with reduced access to the care they need.
The Children’s Defense Fund joined over 150 organizations to call for USCIS to reverse its elimination of non-military "deferred action" to ensure that vulnerable children and families are able to receive life-saving protection without fear of deportation.
When enough people in a population are vaccinated against an infectious disease, “community immunity” protects the entire population. Community immunity helps protect those who cannot get vaccinated because they are too young, have weakened immune systems, or are part of the small portion of the population on whom vaccines are ineffective.
The facts are simple: Vaccines are safe. They are highly effective. They are supported by every major American medical society and government agency and are a routine part of pediatric care. Yet the growing number of VPD outbreaks suggest more must be done to support immunization and halt the spread of serious—and potentially deadly—diseases.
CDF joined other national organizations to submit comments on the Request for Information from the CMS, HHS and DOTR related to Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act. We called for the Departments to rescind the newly released guidance and, instead, retain the 2015 guidance that aligns with federal law in order to ensure the guardrails are maintained and strengthened, rather than eroded.
CDF joined other leading organizations to share our support for the Vaccine Awareness Campaign to Champion Immunization Nationally and Enhance Safety (VACCINES) Act of 2019 (H.R. 2862), which is a critical step in combating vaccine hesitancy and misinformation and ensuring that there is continued public awareness of the importance of vaccinations.
CDF joined other leading children's health and medical organizations in sounding the alarm; new data show that the number of children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) nationwide fell by about 840,000 in 2018.