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Thousands of Black Californians Have Lost Their Health Insurance — Don’t Lose Yours

By McKenzie Jackson California Black Media Five percent of the 225,231 Californians who lost their Medi-Cal coverage in June were African American. According to numbers from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), around 14,000 Black Californians lost health insurance with the state’s safety net health care exchange because they didn’t turn in the […]
The post Thousands of Black Californians Have Lost Their Health Insurance — Don’t Lose Yours first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

August 31, 2023

OAKLAND POST

By McKenzie Jackson
California Black Media

Five percent of the 225,231 Californians who lost their Medi-Cal coverage in June were African American.

According to numbers from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), around 14,000 Black Californians lost health insurance with the state’s safety net health care exchange because they didn’t turn in the required renewal paperwork to continue their Medi-Cal enrollment or their coverage was switched to the state’s insurance provider, Covered California.

Mayra Alvarez, president of The Children’s Partnership, a Los Angeles-based organization that advocates for affordable health care service for families, said it is important for minorities to have health insurance.

“Especially, as we come out of this public health emergency that has disproportionately hit communities of color, we know health coverage is important to our families and livelihoods,” Alvarez said referencing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medi-Cal is California’s version of the Medicaid program, which offers free or low-cost health care access to low-income people across the nation.

Alvarez and other California officials and advocates were speaking during an online video news conference last week organized by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services.

The eligibility of 18 million Californians who are enrolled in Medi-Cal will be reviewed by the DHCS for the first time since 2020. As a result, between this summer and next spring, state officials estimate that 1.8 million to 2.8 million people could lose their Medi-Cal coverage.

To help Californians keep their insurance, DCHS has created a number of easy-to-navigate resources that state residents can access online. The state is also partnering with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) already connected to people in cities and towns across California to help educate the public through a bilingual campaign informing people about how they can prevent losing their health care coverage.

The Medi-Cal eligibility redetermination process, which officials call the “great unwinding,” is part of a massive undertaking taking place in every state to find out who qualifies for Medicaid.

A single Californian making $20,121 or less annually is eligible for Medi-Cal. In the past, participants had to prove their eligibility each year, but in March 2020 Congress suspended the income-verification requirement for Medicaid to make sure people had health insurance during the pandemic.

Those protections expired in March. The federal government has projected that 15 million Americans will lose their health insurance during the nationwide renewal process due to procedural reasons or excess income.

California’s DHCS began verifying the eligibility of Medi-Cal enrollees two months ago.

DHCS Assistant Deputy Director of Health Care Benefits and Eligibility Yingjia Huang said over one million Medi-Cal users had their eligibility reviewed in June. She expects that trend to continue monthly as batches of people come up for renewal until the end of the redetermination process in May 2024.

DHCS has an automatic renewal system for Medi-Cal users whose income the state can confirm on its own. The department is notifying people that they will receive a renewal packet in the mail via text, phone calls, and email.

Huang said individuals lost their Medi-Cal service either because they didn’t complete the renewal paperwork and return it to a county DHCS office by the June 30 deadline or they had an increase in income that allowed DHCS to move their coverage to an affordable health plan with Covered California.

Residents whose coverage was transitioned to Covered California are notified and able to review their new health plan, according to Covered California CEO Jessica Altman.

“California is well-positioned to help consumers through this process and help them keep coverage,” she noted.

Participants who were removed from Medi-Cal’s rolls but are still eligible for the service have until Sept. 30 to get their insurance reinstated. To do so, they must complete the renewal packet and return it to a DHCS office.

DCHS is advising all Californians to take the following steps: update their contact information online; check for mail from their county health office; create or check their online accounts; and complete their renewal forms (if they receive one in the mail).

DHCS and its partners, Huang stated, are committed to helping people maintain health insurance.

“Please be sure you are looking out for the yellow envelope and renewal packet,” she said. “We really hope we continue to keep our members on coverage.”

Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County CEO and President Louise McCarthy said 64% of the 1.9 million Los Angeles County residents that visit CCALAC locations for health services are Medi-Cal enrollees. They can receive help completing the renewal forms at any of the 113 centers, McCarthy explained.

“A number of folks are letting that yellow packet slide,” she said. “If you haven’t seen the packet, reach out, and we will help you navigate the system.”

There were also 53,836 newly enrolled Medi-Cal participants in June, according to DHCS figures.

Alvarez, the president of The Children’s Partnership, said no one needs to lose their access to health care during the redetermination process.

“People are falling through the cracks,” she said. Keeping people enrolled, Alvarez added is “an all hands-on-deck effort.”

For more information on renewing your health insurance, visit DCHS online.

For individuals who receive Social Security Insurance benefits and don’t have online access, call, 1-800-772-1213 or contact your local Social Security office.

The post Thousands of Black Californians Have Lost Their Health Insurance — Don’t Lose Yours first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

The post Thousands of Black Californians Have Lost Their Health Insurance — Don’t Lose Yours first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park

ATLANTA VOICE — A mural depicting late journalist Jovita Moore, painted on the exterior wall of a building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee in Grant Park, was painted over in April. Moore passed away in 2021 after decades of working in Atlanta television news. Bellwood Coffee owners stated in May they were unaware of Moore’s identity or significance to the community before painting over the mural.
The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

At the corner of Boulevard, SE. and Rosalia St., SE., directly across the street from an abandoned home and a Methodist Church, is Bellwood Coffee. One of hundreds of coffee shops in Atlanta, this place of business would not be worth a solitary discussion if not for the way its exterior walls are currently painted. There was once a mural depicting the late Jovita Moore, a beloved journalist who worked in Atlanta for decades. Moore, who passed away in 2021, mentored many of the people you see on television newscasts today. Though her legacy will never be forgotten, it was the mural of her image that was erased.

In April, members of the Grant Park community voiced their disgust at the mural, which graced a side wall of the building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee’s Grant Park location, before it was painted over. In its place are the words “Bellwood Coffee; Cocktails, Biscuits, Dry Goods, Air Conditioning. *Heat Too”. In May, the business owners responded to the community pushback on social media by acknowledging they did not know who Moore was before painting over her image. And later admitted that they did not attempt to find out what she meant to the community.

On May 21, the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account had a post about being “in close contact with Jovita’s family and are actively working on next steps in this process.” Two months later, the mural has not been replaced, repainted, or repositioned on the property. Nothing has been done. Black history is often erased, most recently by the current Presidential administration, but oftentimes on a smaller, quieter scale. The mural was originally painted by muralist Tommy Bronx, who had been in contact with the business owners about repainting it. As of July 6, Tommy Bronx had responded to a direct message via his Instagram account from The Atlanta Voice about any updates on his plans to repaint the mural.

“We’re currently working on it. You should see some movement in the weeks to come,” he wrote in a response.

On Monday, July 6, the business had several patrons inside and was running smoothly with three employees manning the counter. The Atlanta Voice dropped by Bellwood Coffee to get a look at the exterior wall where the mural once stood as a memorial to a journalist and mother who lost her life to brain cancer at the young age of 54. Moore’s image added some color to the block. The grey wall in its place does not.

A direct message was sent to the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account, and there hasn’t been a response as of 7 p.m. on Monday.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Voice.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator

ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — A New York man faces felony hate crime charges for allegedly posting a threat against New York State Senator Lea Webb. James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a social media news post about a Juneteenth celebration.
The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

A New York man is facing felony hate crime charges after allegedly posting that he’d be “proud to hang” New York State Senator Lea Webb from a tree in response to a news story about a Juneteenth celebration.

James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested June 23 by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a WBNG 12 News Facebook post. “I’d be proud to hang her from a tree,” Crosby wrote, according to WBNG.

Crosby was charged with making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, a class C felony, per the New York State Police. He is currently being held at Broome County Jail.

During the subsequent investigation, state police found Crosby was in illegal possession of firearms despite being prohibited from owning them due to a prior felony conviction. Investigators recovered a rifle, a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, and a firearm suppressor — all prohibited under New York state law, per the NYSP.

Crosby was charged with four additional counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, all class D felonies.

Webb, who represents New York’s 52nd Senate District, had been a featured speaker at a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at Binghamton City Hall, where the celebration included prayers and the singing of the Black national anthem.

Police said Crosby’s comment was posted in response to a WBNG news story covering the event.

The day before his arrest, Crosby posted a Facebook apology claiming the comment “was not intended to be racial in any way” and was made in reference to what he described as a “criminal,” citing criticism of Webb over her use of nonprofit legal aid in a foreclosure case — a matter state watchdogs said created an appearance of a conflict of interest, per the Ithaca Voice. He was arrested the following day.

Webb issued a public statement June 25 condemning the threat.

“It was extremely disappointing and hurtful to see the now-deleted threat and attacks on my life in response to a story about Juneteenth, a national holiday that recognizes the ending of slavery in America,” she said. “Feedback and thoughts on policy are one thing, but to make a public call for lethal violence is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous. We must recognize our shared humanity and reject violence in all forms.”

She thanked Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and law enforcement for their “swift response.”

Following Crosby’s comments, social media users called for a boycott of his contracting business, Crosby Home Improvements.

The Binghamton City Democratic Committee also called for an investigation into the incident before his arrest.

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The post ‘Proud to hang her from a tree’: Man arrested for threatening Black Senator appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Daily World.

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CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations

NEW YORK CARIB NEWS — Outgoing CARICOM Chairman Terrance Drew called on regional leaders to build a stronger and more effective Caribbean Community that benefits future generations. Speaking at the 51st Regular Meeting, Drew urged modernization of governance structures and improved implementation of Community decisions to make CARICOM safer and more prosperous.
The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

Speaking Sunday at the opening of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia, Dr. Terrance Drew said the region must modernize its governance structures, improve the implementation of Community decisions, and ensure CARICOM becomes safer, more prosperous, and more relevant to the lives of its citizens.

The meeting, being held under the theme “CARICOM: From Resilience to Renewal in a Changing World,” coincides with the Community’s 53rd anniversary. During the ceremony, Dr. Drew formally handed over the rotating CARICOM chairmanship to Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre.

Reflecting on his six-month tenure as chairman, Drew praised fellow regional leaders for maintaining their commitment to democracy, good governance, unity, and the rule of law despite mounting global economic and geopolitical challenges.

“Throughout these challenges, CARICOM chose engagement over isolation. Together, we reaffirmed our commitment to a fair and rules-based international trading system and ensured that the interests of small developing states continued to be heard.”
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He highlighted progress made in strengthening the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, including deeper trade cooperation, expanded labour mobility, and efforts to lay the foundation for long-term economic growth. Drew also noted the Community’s growing partnerships beyond the Caribbean, particularly with the African Union, while stressing that every international partnership should advance the interests of all parties involved.

The outgoing chairman also expressed appreciation to Dr. Carla Barnett and the CARICOM Secretariat for their professionalism and unwavering support during his tenure.

“Whenever I called, you answered. Whenever support was required, you and your team responded with diligence, competence, and excellence.”

Dr. Drew urged the Secretariat to continue preserving its impartiality while faithfully implementing decisions made by Heads of Government, saying that balance has helped strengthen the regional integration movement.

The conference continues in Saint Lucia with regional leaders expected to deliberate on key issues including regional security, climate resilience, trade, economic integration, food security, Haiti, reparations, and strengthening the CSME.

Based on reporting by New York Carib News.

The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.