Louisiana poverty, uninsured rates increase
The new U.S. Census data released Tuesday received plenty of coverage in the local and national media. A blog post by LBP focused on survey data that shows Louisiana is among a handful of states that saw a significant increase in poverty between 2009-2010 and 2011-2012, even as the national poverty rate remained essentially unchanged. The Baton Rouge Advocate also noted data that shows the number of Louisianans who lack health coverage grew to around 20 percent. Nationally, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found food stamps lifted 4 million people above the official poverty line in 2012. The Washington Post’s Wonkblog reported the typical American family makes less that it did in 1989, and a family of four needs more than $66,000 a year to do better than the typical American family. The U.S. Census Bureau will release more state-specific poverty and health coverage data on Thursday.

Lawmakers approve guidelines to help residents buy health insurance
Members of Louisiana’s House and Senate insurance committees approved state regulations to oversee four organizations that will help Louisiana residents sign up for new health insurance options available under the Affordable Care Act. As The Associated Press reports, federal government will send $1.8 million in federal grants to “navigators” that will help with education and enrollment across the state, but lawmakers are concerned that residents, especially in rural areas, will not have enough help. The federal government will manage Louisiana’s marketplace after Gov. Bobby Jindal refused to let the state run its own health insurance exchange.

Lagniappe: New interactive economic mobility tool
The PEW Charitable Trusts’ Economic Mobility Project launched its “Faces of Economic Mobility” project this week, which “explores income and wealth mobility for 16 family types, providing a unique perspective on how education, family structure, and race… affect Americans’ likelihood to do better or worse than their parents did financially.” The data tool confirms that having a college degree significantly increased households’ median income and wealth levels and boosted mobility prospects. Family structure was also an important driver of mobility; married couples had higher levels of income and wealth than single individuals.

Almost one-quarter of American children live in poverty
New poverty data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed 21.8 percent of children under the age of 18 nationwide lived in poverty in 2012. A report by The Washington Post notes poverty can severely hamper a child’s academic accomplishments, lead to a greater risk of behavioral and emotional problems and increase the risk for a wide range of physical health complications. The Post also summarizes a study from Columbia University that concluded a family of four needs an income of about twice the poverty level to cover their basic expenses. The federal poverty level for a family of four is $23,492, the equivalent to $64 a day. More than 42 percent of American children live in families that don’t meet this threshold.