WASHINGTON – Rep. Watson today announced that a large percentage of California's children who are eligible to receive health insurance coverage through Medicaid and CHIP are not enrolled—and a new national coalition has formed to enroll five million children nationwide within five years.  With new affordable options under health reform, and with existing children’s health insurance options, America’s children should be covered.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen announced the Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge last February, to enroll five million children in Medicaid and CHIP within five years.
 
Although health coverage is currently available to children in families with incomes up to about $45,000 per year in nearly every state, an estimated five million uninsured children are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP but not enrolled.

“We have worked hard to make sure every child in America has access to health insurance,” said Rep. Watson.  “No child should have to skip a doctor’s appointment or go without medical care or medicine they need because their family can’t pay.  Insuring children is the right thing to do for their health and ability to succeed, it can mean the difference between financial stability and bankruptcy for a family, and it’s cost-effective for taxpayers—preventing problems before they become more expensive.”

Despite the great advances that states have made over the years, there are nearly five million uninsured children who are currently eligible for coverage but are not enrolled.  Secretary Sebelius is challenging federal, state, and local governments, community-based organizations, health centers, school districts, faith-based groups, and Indian tribes to help find and enroll those five million kids.

The Urban Institute has a new report Five Million Eligible But Uninsured: Who and Where Are the Children Yet to Enroll in Medicaid And The Children’s Health Insurance Program? released in Health Affairs online.  For years, researchers have struggled to produce accurate estimates on the number of uninsured children in each state.  The paper released by Health Affairs successfully created a new model that enabled researchers to produce meaningful national and state estimates. 

Together, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act  (CHIPRA) and the Affordable Care Act provide $120 million for grants designed to promote enrollment and retention strategies that will increase the prevalence of health coverage for America’s children.

CHIPRA, combined with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and the recent extension of increased federal Medicaid funding, has given states unprecedented federal support that has enabled them to keep providing essential health services for low-income families through Medicaid during the economic downturn.

To date, 17 national organizations and a number of states have agreed to sign on to the Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge.  These organizations, ranging from the United Way to the American Academy of Pediatrics, represent a broad base of organizations who are working to enroll children in health insurance.  The full list includes:

Governor Ted Strickland, Ohio
Governor Ted Kulongoski, Oregon       
American Academy of Pediatrics
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Families USA
First Focus
March of Dimes
MomsRising
National Academy for State Health Policy
National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions
National Association of Community Health Centers
National Association of School Nurses
National Council of La Raza
National Covering Kids and Families Network
New England Alliance for Children’s Health, Community Catalyst
PICO
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
United Way Worldwide
Voices for America’s Children

There are a wide range of strategies – like providing 12 months of continuous eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP to reduce the chances of children cycling on and off of coverage – that are known to help get and keep children insured.   HHS will be providing technical assistance as well as targeted grant funding to promote these strategies.

More information on the Secretary’s Challenge can be found at www.insurekidsnow.gov.