Representatives Kamlager-Dove and Bacon Reintroduce Bipartisan Bills to Expand Medicaid Eligibility for Foster Youth
U.S. Representatives Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) and Don Bacon (R-NE), Co-Chairs of the Foster Youth Caucus, have reintroduced a legislative package aimed at expanding Medicaid eligibility for foster youth. This bipartisan effort seeks to promote greater health equity for young people transitioning out of the foster care system. The package includes two key bills: the Foster Youth Dental Act of 2026 and the Expanding Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act. The Foster Youth Dental Act of 2026 is designed to increase incentives for dental providers, enhance Medicaid enrollment opportunities, and prevent lapses in dental coverage for foster youth. The Expanding Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act aims to broaden Medicaid-to-26 eligibility by removing enrollment restrictions for former foster youth, including those who exited to kinship guardianships or emancipated before age 18. Additionally, this act would mandate states to conduct coordinated outreach and enrollment efforts to ensure these young individuals ...
