People ages 21 and under and pregnant women who have been exposed to the water in Flint, Mich., may be eligible for a Medicaid expansion program, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced last week, according to MLive.com.
"I know that people are also wanting to in addition to safe water they want to make sure they have the best there can be in services," said Kathleen Falk, regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a May 12 press conference, according to the report. "While not all children will be affected and those affected will not be affected in the same way, we want to make sure we give every possible resource to children so they can have the best start and the best life."
The federal government approved Gov. Snyder's request to extend Medicaid coverage to the children and pregnant women in Flint in April. There are an estimated 15,000 children and pregnant women who have used Flint's water system, which has been found to contain unhealthy levels of lead.
Enrollment for the Medicaid expansion opened May 9 at no cost to participants with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. People who are 21 and under or pregnant who do not live in Flint but may have been exposed to the city's water are also eligible for the program, according to the report.
There are approximately 29,000 low-income Flint residents currently enrolled in Medicaid, according to the report.