Medicaid suggested for teens leaving foster care

Erin Neff

Tuesday, April 1, 2003 | 9:41 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- While there isn't any money to spare for extras in this year's legislative process, one piece of child welfare reform may actually get a green light from a committee holding the purse strings.

Assembly Bill 5, sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, would allow teens "aging out" of foster care to be eligible for Medicaid until they turn 21.

Buckley said studies show that teens who leave foster care after they turn 18 often suffer a loss of health insurance.

"The children did not do very well," Buckley said. One diabetic died because he was trying to ration his insulin to save money, she said.

Providing a bridge of coverage for those 18 to 21 would cost $668,000 a year, based on the estimated 187 teens who would likely apply for coverage.

Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, questioned why the fiscal note of $668,000 was so high based on just 187 people aged 18 to 21.

Goldwater argued that people in that age demographic are less costly to insure than are older and more sickly residents.

A department of Child and Family Services representative said the figure was based on an average of all those insured under Medicaid.

Goldwater said he wanted to work on the fiscal note to crunch numbers and try to determine a new amount.

"It can't be that high," he said.

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, told Buckley the proposed bill was important enough for children to warrant a space on her "short list" of programs not funded in the governor's budget to receive funding if any revenue is available at the end of the session.