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Cover All Kids
Uninsured Children in Pennsylvania According to the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance, there are 133,590 uninsured children in the Commonwealth
Of the 133,590 uninsured children in the Commonwealth, 108,042 are eligible for Medical Assistance, free CHIP or reduced-cost CHIP.
This leaves approximately 25,548 children not eligible for any publicly-funded health insurance program
The Cover All Kids Legislative Proposal Extend reduced-cost CHIP to families up to 350% of poverty ($70,000/year for a family of four). These families will pay a low monthly premium ranging from $20-35 per month for coverage.
Allow families over 350% of poverty to access CHIP by paying the Commonwealth’s negotiated cost for coverage of approximately $145 per month.
Continue the CHIP program as is for all families under 235% of poverty.
Cover All Kids has been introduced by Senate Democratic Leader Robert Mellow, D-Lackawanna as SB1192.
What is the Cost of Cover All Kids? The projected state cost for Cover All Kids for FY ’06-07 is $4.4 million (premium, outreach etc.) The projected federal share for Cover All Kids for FY ’06-07 will be $10.2 million
The annual projected state cost for FY 2010-2011 is $50 million
Why is Cover All Kids Important? Children who have health insurance are more likely to be immunized, receive regular check-ups and get treatment for common childhood ailments such as ear infections or asthma.
Children who have health insurance are less likely to use costly emergency room services
Children who have health insurance have better school attendance as they are more likely to avoid preventable childhood illnesses.
Extending coverage to ALL Pennsylvania children would significantly reduce confusion regarding eligibility and income requirements. If all children were eligible for health insurance we expect the state would capture some currently eligible but un-enrolled children.
Providing health insurance for all children is the right priority for Pennsylvania. In fact, in a March 2006 Issues PA survey, 96% of Pennsylvanian’s stated that the candidates’ positions on how to provide health insurance for uninsured children was VERY important or somewhat important to their vote in this year’s elections. Those surveyed ranked health care issues as critical to determining their vote.
What CHIP Covers Doctor’s visits, immunizations, prescription drugs, diagnostic testing, dental, vision and hearing services, durable medical equipment, emergency care, inpatient and outpatient substance abuse and mental health treatment, maternity care, hospital care, rehabilitation therapies and home health services.
Current Insurance Picture in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of health insurance coverage for children in the United State with over 96% of children in the Commonwealth insured.
Some Eligible Children Remain Uninsured 6% of children eligible for Medical Assistance are not enrolled. Approximately 21% of children eligible for free CHIP are not enrolled But 67% of children eligible for reduced-cost CHIP currently are not enrolled.
A 2001 study indicated that 50% of parents of eligible but uninsured children did not know they were eligible for CHIP or MA. Families at higher income levels are less likely to realize that there is a publicly-funded health insurance program for their children.
How is Health Insurance Paid for in Pennsylvania? Medical Assistance and CHIP are financed with both state and federal funds.
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