
5 minute read
Medicaid And CHIP Help Families Access Mental Health Services For Kids
The state of mental health among youth continues to be of public concern. According to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey, youth mental health problems have increased significantly over the past decade, reaching an all-time high. For instance, from 2011 to 2021, the rate of female high school students saying they feel sad or hopeless increased from 36% to 57%; for male students this rate increased from 21% to 29%.
Stressors at school, home or elsewhere can cause mental health disorders to arise, leading to negative impacts on how children learn and build relationships with others. If your child may need mental health support and doesn’t currently have health coverage, you have options. Free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) offers many benefits, including doctor’s visits, prescriptions, emergencies and the coverage of behavioral health services, including mental health services through pediatricians, mental health professionals, local community providers and organizations, as well as school systems. People who are pregnant or postpartum may also be eligible for this health coverage and mental and behavioral health services.
Who qualifies for Medicaid or CHIP? Eligibility varies by state and is determined by how many people are in a household and household income. For instance, in most states, a family of four with household income up to $60,000 per year may qualify for Medicaid, CHIP or both. To learn more about state-specific options, visit InsureKidsNow. gov or call 1-877-KIDS-NOW. Enrollment is open year-round.
What if my child currently has Medicaid or CHIP coverage? Medicaid and CHIP coverage must be renewed annually. If you or your children have Medicaid or CHIP, it’s time to pay attention to your health coverage. Keep an eye on the mail for renewal information from your state.
When it comes, complete the forms and send them back right away. Failure or delay in responding can result in you losing coverage, even if you are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP. If you have lost coverage, go to HealthCare.gov to find quality plans and help paying costs. What types of services are covered through Medicaid and CHIP?
To help care for all parts of a child’s health, Medicaid and CHIP also cover routine health care visits, like preventive care, dental and vision checkups, specialist visits, physical, speech and occupational therapies, and emergency services.
These programs also cover a wide range of mental health and substance use services such as counseling, peer support services, inpatient psychiatric services and case management services for needed medical, educational and social services. Services are covered through Medicaid for children and teens up to age 21 and through CHIP up to age 19. States have flexibility to determine if services may be delivered using telehealth. These services are necessary to prevent, diagnose and treat a broad range of mental health symptoms and disorders, as well as substance use disorders.
Caring for mental health is caring for overall health. Early detection and intervention of mental health and substance use issues is crucial to the overall health of kids, teens and people during and after pregnancy, and may reduce or eliminate the effects of a condition if detected and treated early. Take the time today to explore coverage options through Medicaid and CHIP. Information provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (StatePoint)
Yoga For Over 50 - Fitness Levels
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Very active - You always manage to get your workout in regardless of how busy you are, whether it’s taking the stairs instead of the lift, you are always active. Bravo!
1. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Downward Dog’s benefits include opening of the shoulders and the chest, as well as stretching the hamstrings and spine. From a kneeling position on hands and knees, step on the toes keeping the hands and feet securely in place, lifting the bum all the way up towards the ceiling, aiming to gently push the head towards the knees, creating an upside-down V shape. Hands should be shoulder-distance apart, feet hip-distance apart and the gaze between the thighs or at the navel.
Level 1. Place your hands on the back of a chair and try to get your head past the forearms to get a maximum stretch in the shoulders.
Level 2. Use the seat of a chair to get further towards the ground. Bend the knees to relieve tension in the hamstrings.
Level 3. Place hands shoulder distance apart on the mat, and feet hip distance apart, push through the hands and feet, while opening the chest and head towards the floor.
2. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
The Seated Forward Bend stretches the hamstrings and the spine and can relieve pressure in the lower back and back pain in general. From a seated position, stretch out the legs in front of you, keeping the back as straight as possible, hinge forwards from the hips, trying not to round the back, as far as you can go, and holding the pose there.
Level 1. Sit on the edge of a chair and bend forward at the hips, keeping the spine straight.
Level 2. Wrap a strap around the feet and hold onto it while gently pulling yourself forward keeping the spine as straight as possible.
Level 3. With the legs stretched out in front of you, fold forwards bending at the hips and hold on to the feet, with a slight bend in the knees to relieve any tension in the hamstrings.
3. Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
Triangle Pose provides a deep stretch in the hamstrings, the side body and spine and opens up the chest and shoulders. From standing, take a big step back, keeping feet on either side of an imaginary line, the front foot facing forwards and the back foot angled inwards at 45 degrees. Raise the arms out by the side, lean the upper body forward over the front leg, and twist the torso so that the front hand comes down to meet the front foot, and the other hand is raised to the sky, keeping the gaze on the upper hand.
Level 1. From standing, take a big step backwards and hold on to the back of a chair with one hand, raising the other hand and upper body towards the sky.
Level 2. Leaning on the chair seat, twist the upper body and upper hand towards the sky. Level 3. Trying to keep the upper body and pelvis tucked in, bend the upper body down towards the foot whilst rotating the upper body upwards and gaze towards the sky.
4. Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II)
Warrior II works out the core, the thighs and the whole of the legs, opens up the shoulders and tones up the buttocks. From standing, take a big step back, keeping feet on either side of an imaginary line, the front foot facing forwards and the back foot angled inwards at 45 degrees. Bend the front knee so that the knee is directly above the ankle. Raise the arms out by the side, and face forwards, gazing over the front arm.
Level 1. Sit on a chair sideways so that your front leg is over the chair and the back leg is on the floor, foot turned in at a 45-degree angle. Raise the hands up so they are parallel to the floor and gaze forwards.
Level 2. With this variation, you can keep the back knee on the floor or on a block, keeping the front knee directly over the ankle.
Level 3. Keep your weight distributed evenly between the back and front legs, keep the front knee over the ankle and body straight, facing forwards.
5.
Tree Pose is all about balance. starting with both feet firmly rooted on the ground, lift one leg up and bring it to rest as high as possible on the other leg. Bring both hands to the chest in namaste, and when you feel comfortable, lift the arms above the head. To help balance in this pose, it greatly helps to find a stationary focal point somewhere in front of you and gaze at it intently.(Continued On Page 25)