A national health-care-for-children challenge kicked off today with this message: If you work with children, you can help uninsured kids get the health coverage they need. Some new research suggests Texas has a big role to play in achieving this U.S. goal--our kids are disproportionately more likely to go without coverage, even when their families' earnings make them eligible for health care. Red tape in our state's enrollment system often stands in the way of eligible children being able to see a doctor in a doctor's office.
Although our kids have historically faced challenges getting the care they need, all Texans can play a role in getting eligible, uninsured children covered, starting today. Our state leaders have spoken time and again about getting kids who qualify for Medicaid and CHIP covered, saying it is both right for children and a money-saver for Texas.We hope they will take the challenge, and you can, too. (Here is a list of groups that accepted the challenge even before today's event.)
This message from HHS explains more about the Challenge:
[Today,] Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius issued a challenge to the nation:enroll all five million uninsured children who are currently eligible for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) over the next five years.She called upon leaders from all levels of government and the private sector to help ensure that millions more children get the health care they need.…
Ways to Step Up to the Challenge:
- Cut red tape. [Streamline] enrollment and renewal and reduce paperwork that creates unnecessary barriers to coverage for eligible children. …
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Create opportunities to sign up. Reach out and help families enroll their children where they live, learn, play, work, worship, and go for health care or for help with other family needs. Strive to make enrollment assistance an ongoing and routine activity.
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Focus on retention. Take steps to help families renew their child's coverage so that children stay covered for as long as they qualify and have consistent access to health care.
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Forge partnerships. Engage public and private partners to magnify enrollment efforts.
Who Can Join the Challenge?
If you know or work with uninsured children and their families, you can help connect them to health coverage through Medicaid and CHIP. Federal, state and local government agencies; health, nutrition, child care and social services providers; schools; civic and religious groups; community and volunteer organizations; advocates and others all have vital contributions to make.
For more information about the Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge, contact:
CMSOCHIPRAQuestions@cms.hhs.gov. Please write "Connecting Kids to Coverage" in the subject line of your email.
News and Reports Weekly Round-Up
Child and Maternal Health
9.3.10 Who and Where are the Children Yet to Enroll in Medicaid and CHIP? (Health Affairs)
9.3.10 Up to 5 Million Kids Uninsured but Eligible for Government Health Programs (Kaiser Health News)
8.31.10 High C-Section Rate May Have Something to Do with Impatience (LA Times)
8.30.10 Texas School Districts Revisiting Medication Policies Face Unclear Guidelines (Dallas Morning News)
8.29.10 School Lunches Get Healthier – and More Appetizing (Houston Chronicle editorial)
More Health News...
Child Protection
9.1.10 Rise Expected in Number of Texas Children in Foster Care this Year (Dallas Morning News)
More Protection News...
Family Financial Security Headlines
9.1.10 Plaintiffs Dismiss Federal Food Stamp Lawsuit; Sustaining Progress Up to Legislature (Center for Public Policy Priorities)
8.30.10 Record Number in Government Anti-Poverty Programs (USA Today)
8.30.10 Recognizing the Intersection of Race, Place and Poverty (Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity)
8.27.10 Slashing Aid to Poorest Texans is Out of Balance (Dallas Morning News editorial)
More Financial Security News...
Juvenile Justice Headlines
8.28.10 TYC Board Says Complaints of Abuse are Off-Base (Austin American-Statesman)
More Juvenile Justice News…
Child Mental Wellbeing Headlines
8.30.10 Texas Should Invest in High-Quality Early Childhood Education Programs (Austin America- Statesman op-ed)
8.28.10 More Resources and Opportunities in Children's Mental Health (Texas Children's Mental Health Forum)
More Mental Health News...
More About Kids
9.1.10 Most Texans Don't Know This, But They Should (State of the Children blog)
More News About Kids…
