Raising Kellan

Marsh Naidoo, PT

An information hub for parents of children with disabilities.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 171: Your Vote Matters!

    Episode #171 (12 min listen) Today’s episode is a PSA as we head into the midterm elections. I am grateful to Anita Fowlkes, Administrator of the Dyer County Election Commission, for informing us of some key points 1:48 Early Voting starts this Friday, July 17, and runs till August 1, 2026.  To vote early, you need to take your photo ID and go to your local election commission. In Dyersburg, that is at 113 W Market Street.  Offices are open Monday through Friday 8:30 to 4:30. For working families, the election office is also open for three Saturdays, July 18, July 25, and August 1 from 9- 12 PM. If you live in a county other than Dyer County, please go to GoVoteTN.gov to confirm your voter registration and location.  4:08 The redrawn Congressional Maps (May 2026) change Dyer County from the 8th to the 5th Congressional District. See attached graphic for new Congressional Map and  lists of candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives for the primaries. 4:27 For those who don’t live in Dyer County, go to: GoVoteTN.gov to find out your Congressional District.  06:29 What is needed and what forms of ID are accepted to vote. Please note Student ID’s are not accepted.  7:55 If you are already registered to vote and you change your address on the day you vote.  9:09 If you vote on election day, August 6th: Go to GoVoteTN.gov to determine your  precinct. 10:00 During the primaries, you will be asked: 1) Do you want the Democrat or Republican Ballot because you are electing your nominees who will represent each party in the November elections.  2) You will also receive a general ballot for electing your local school board members, commissioners, etc 10:45 When do we get the results? 12:00 If you have any queries, please contact the Dyer County Election Commission at 731-286-4268

  2. Jul 10

    Episode 170: Part 3/3 of the Healthcare Affordability Series with Kristen Grimm of "One Nation Fully Covered"

    This episode of the Raising Kellan Podcast concludes a three-part “Healthcare Affordability” series by featuring human rights advocate Kristen Grimm, founder and former executive director of Mothers for Medicare for All and newly appointed national director of One Nation Fully Covered under the Tim Carpenter Institute. [0:53] [1:17] [32:16] Drawing on her lived experience navigating her son’s 25 childhood and adolescent surgeries in children’s hospitals, Grimm describes how confronting medical debt, insurance denials, and complex Medicaid systems propelled her from hospital corridors to advocacy in the Tennessee legislature, Congress, and national healthcare reform movements. [3:17] [3:44] [4:29] [5:33] [5:53] [6:21] [6:47] [7:40] [8:06][8:43] [9:10] [9:31] [10:05] [10:42] Grimm argues that the current U.S. healthcare financing structure is economically flawed, violates human rights, and is driven by for‑profit insurance companies whose practices generate medical debt and obstruct access to needed care, including for children treated in children’s hospitals. [4:29] [10:59] [11:18] [18:55] [20:00] [22:22] [22:35] [23:14] [23:29] [24:03] She emphasizes Medicaid’s central role in sustaining children’s hospitals and covering nearly half of children in Tennessee and nationwide, framing guaranteed healthcare and medical debt as policy choices rather than inevitabilities. [5:33] [5:53] [6:21] [10:42] [10:59] [23:29] [24:03] The conversation highlights the emotional and financial toll on families, including examples of parents losing Medicaid coverage for their children after marginal income increases and struggling for years to pay off surgical bills. [15:05] [15:42] [15:55] [16:21] [16:41] [17:12] [17:24] As an incremental strategy toward universal healthcare, Grimm outlines the proposed Medicaid for All Children Act (“MACA”) in Tennessee, which would place all children on Medicaid, eliminate means testing and annual redeterminations, remove managed care organizations and private insurers from program administration, and raise provider reimbursement to Medicare rates to support pediatric participation. [12:03] [12:19] [12:32] [12:58] [13:19][13:52] [14:28] [15:05] [17:12] She contends this approach would ensure seamless coverage, reduce administrative burdens on clinicians, eliminate medical debt for children, and serve as a model for broader reform that ultimately covers all children through Medicaid and all adults through Medicare. [17:12] [28:24] [29:04] [26:29] [26:44] [27:03] [27:26] [28:09] The episode situates One Nation Fully Covered within the legacy of Tim Carpenter’s long-standing advocacy for healthcare as a human right and incremental policy change, while inviting listeners to engage in the movement, including through public awareness efforts such as “I love Medicaid” billboards. [29:04] [29:24] [29:45] [30:17] [30:38] [30:47] [31:18][31:49]

  3. Jun 27

    Episode 169: HealthCare Affordability in the U.S. and the CHES Survey

    Dr. Beth Beaudin-Seiler is a Project Director in the Health Research and Insights practice area, where she leads the Health Economics and Policy team. She leads a portfolio of work that focuses on health care affordability, including the Consumer Healthcare Experience State Survey (CHES) - a survey designed to understand the burdens, trade-offs, and worries respondents have regarding affording health care. Her goal is to educate listeners on the findings of the 2025 TN CHES Survey.https://healthcarevaluehub.org/consumer-healthcare-experience-state-survey/ 1:38 Beth’s backstory from the College of Aviation at Western Michigan University, training pilots to researching healthcare at Altarum. What is Altarum? A nonprofit organization that focuses on improving the health of individuals who have fewer financial resources, or are disenfranchised by the system. Altarum works on behalf of federal, state, and philanthropic organizations on evidence-based research , planning, and implementing different strategies to address healthcare affordability. I am the senior manager of our health economics and policy program area, under our Health Research and Insights Division at Altarum. 728 What is the CHES Survey, and what are its findings? CHES survey stands for the Consumer Healthcare Experience State Survey. In 2018, when we started CHES, because we've kind of felt like the healthcare system could be a lot like playing chess. It's difficult to navigate. The CHES survey asks about respondents' experiences with the healthcare system. Not only their experience in navigating it, their confidence in being able to navigate it, what they have experienced in terms of affordability burden, have they had to make trade-offs in terms of trading off food or housing or basic necessities in order to pay for a medical service or medical procedure or a test or their medications, whether or not they're worried about affording medical services both now and in the future. We ask about their levels of trust and respect in the system, and how they feel they've been treated in the healthcare system. 10:24 CHES Survey was presented at a Tennessee Justice Center webinar 11:17 How often do Tennesseans ration their medications? 13:38 Health care affordability concerns for individuals with disabilities? 16:13 When people with insurance choose to forgo care because of high deductibles and copays. 17:41 How should research like the CHES survey be utilized by parent advocates and healthcare providers that support this community?  22:23 Next Steps? The  CHES survey has been conducted in 36 unique states in the US to form a national database. Findings need to be aggregated to benchmark individual state performance.

  4. May 13

    Episode 166. Voting and Redistricting of Tennessee Congressional Maps with Rachel Lovell - Weakley County Election Commissioner

    Rachel Lovell is a dedicated public servant and advocate for civic participation in Weakley County, Tennessee. She has served as an Election Commissioner with the Weakley County Election Commission for the past five years, following five years on the Counting Board. Through her work, Rachel is committed to ensuring elections are fair, transparent, and accessible, and to helping voters understand the importance of registering to vote and making their voices heard.   Outside of her civic service, Rachel is a professional in the healthcare industry and a busy working mom to two daughters. She brings a practical, real‑world perspective to conversations about voting, balancing a demanding career, family life, and community leadership. Timeline of our conversation 01: 08 TN Congressional Map Redistricting- May 7, 2026. 02:10 Redrawn map and its effects on Northwest Tennessee. 03:45 Timeline and what spurred the redrawing of these Congressional Maps? 07:19 How TN CD 8 (Northwest TN) is now TN CD 5. Who is our representative?  09:04 How do we check to see if we are on the voter rolls? Resource: GoVoteTN.gov 10:32: SAVE Act  11:11 Typically the role of the census in redistricting? The Purcell Principle. 12:35 Words of encouragement to listeners.  15:02 In-person voting registration in Dyersburg, TN - May 28 and August 6, 2026. 16:42 Declaration of Part is only done in a primary and NOT in a general election (as of 5/13/26) 18:24 Student voter registration 22:01 Volunteering at the Polls 23:23 Conclusion

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An information hub for parents of children with disabilities.