Serious glitches in DC's Medicaid application system have left thousands of DC residents waiting for a Medicaid application to be approved. Another glitch will soon result in the temporary shut-down of a process that allowed 37,000 households to renew Medicaid...
Wes Rivers
Recent posts by Wes Rivers
DC’s $75 Million Problem
by Wes Rivers
DC risks having to cut $75 million in services a year from now. At first glance, recent reports from the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) suggest that there will be enough money to maintain services in 2017, but that's only because the spending projections don't include...
Next Week: Big Opportunity for Health Exchange Budget Input
by Wes Rivers
"Winter is coming," which means DC's budget season is fast approaching! As DC government agencies prepare their budgets, the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority -- also known as DC Health Link -- is offering advocates a sneak peek at their preliminary fiscal year...
How to Ensure DC Gets the Most Out of The Advisory Board Tax Subsidy Deal
by Wes Rivers
The DC Council should reject the proposal to offer $60 million in tax breaks to the Advisory Board Company -- or at least modify the deal to ensure DC gets the best bang for its buck. In particular, the Advisory Board could get a large share of the tax breaks even if...
Testimony of Wes Rivers at the Public Roundtable on Review of Group Hospitalization and Medical Services, Inc. (“GHMSI”) 2011 Surplus for the District of Columbia Committee on Finance and Revenue, October 28, 2015
by Wes Rivers
Chairman Orange and other members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Wes Rivers, and I am a Policy Analyst with the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI engages in research and public education on the fiscal and economic health...
DC Homeowners Pay the Lowest Property Taxes in the Region
by Wes Rivers
Homeowners in the District have the lowest property taxes in comparison to its four adjacent counties: Fairfax, Arlington, Montgomery, and Prince George's Counties. While middle- and high-income DC residents typically own homes that are worth more than homeowners in...
DC Homeowners Pay the Lowest Property Taxes in the Region
by Wes Rivers
Despite having higher home values, DC homeowners pay the lowest property tax bills in the capital region, a new DCFPI report finds. Middle- and high-income DC residents' property tax bills are far lower, often by $1,000 a year or more, than similar households in the...
While DC Continues to Recover from Recession, Communities of Color Continue to Face Challenges
by Wes Rivers
The District economy continues to grow, but communities of color are still facing difficult challenges, based on new income and poverty data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Some 18,000 more DC residents were poor in 2014 than in 2007, before the last recession, with...
DC Has Big Opportunities to Cover Housing-Related Services with Medicaid
by Wes Rivers
Last week, DC government officials gathered to strategize on how to use Medicaid -- a health program that comes with federal funding -- to help more homeless residents get stable housing. There is evidence that stable housing leads to better health, and both DC and...
DC Needs Plan to Help Medicaid Beneficiaries Work Through Eligibility and Enrollment Issues
by Wes Rivers
DC is facing a big tech glitch which could disrupt access to health coverage for thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries' through next spring, unless quick action is taken. As a result of the glitch, many residents will have to complete a long and complex form and bring...
Feds Give States Options to Cover Housing-Related Services with Medicaid
by Wes Rivers
At a time when the District is working to combat chronic homelessness, the federal government has offered a great opportunity to use Medicaid -- a health program that comes with federal funding -- to support services that help homeless residents establish stable...
Which Tax Reductions Are Likely to Go Into Effect in the Fall?
by Wes Rivers
Last week's announcement of growing city revenues, combined with recent Council action to speed up the implementation of tax cuts recommended by the Tax Revision Commission, makes it likely that the District will soon cut income tax rates for middle- and upper-income...
COUNCIL PLAN TO PRIORITIZE TAX CUTS WOULD PUT NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET AT RISK
by Wes Rivers
The final budget vote the Council will hold on June 30 could make it difficult to meet DC's most basic budget needs a year from now, such as a growing number of schoolchildren, continuing investments in housing and homeless services, and school modernization needs....
New Federal Rules Could Ensure Medicaid Beneficiaries Have Better Access to Doctors
by Wes Rivers
A new set of policies proposed by the federal government would help make sure that DC residents have access to enough doctors in their neighborhood, when they get health care through Medicaid. That's important to the 175,000 people who receive care from a Medicaid...
Council’s Budget Proposal Includes Both New Investments And Reductions in Affordable Housing and Human Services
by Wes Rivers
The budget crafted by the DC Council, which will be voted on today, includes both important enhancements and notable reductions to investments in affordable housing and human services proposed by the mayor. Most notably, the Council's budget adds resources to fully...
Medicaid Can Help Build a More Robust Permanent Supportive Housing Program In DC
by Wes Rivers
As the District seeks additional money to combat chronic homelessness, one of the best places to look is actually Medicaid, the federal health care program. That's because better care for homeless residents with serious health conditions can help them better manage...
Mayor Bowser Does a Lot with a Lean Budget But It May Not Work Again Next Year
by Wes Rivers
The mayor's first budget proposal is notable for making substantial investments in affordable housing and homeless services -- despite facing a year when the city will not take in enough revenue to keep up with the rising costs of services. Mayor Bowser had to present...
FY 2016 Budget Would Make Investments That Help Kids Enter School Healthy and Ready to Learn
by Wes Rivers
The proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2016 would help more District kids get services to help them have a healthy childhood and succeed in school. It maintains local investments for DC's Maternal and Child Health Home Visiting program -- effective home-based...
Testimony of Wes Rivers, At the Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Oversight Hearing For the DC Department of Health at the District of Columbia Committee on Health and Human Service April 22, 2015
by Wes Rivers
Chairwoman Alexander and other members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Wes Rivers, and I am a Policy Analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI engages in research and public education on the fiscal and economic...
Going, Going, Gone: DC’s Vanishing Affordable Housing
by Wes Rivers
Sharply rising rents in the District have led to the virtual disappearance of low-cost private housing across the city, according to a new analysis by the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. Yet the District's economy has left nearly half of its residents with stagnant...