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1 in 4 Uninsured Children in Florida Had No Medical Care for Entire Year; Many of Florida's Uninsured Kids Are Eligible for Public Programs

Posted on: Thursday, 4 August 2005, 09:01 CDT

MIAMI, Aug. 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- One-quarter (24.5 percent) of uninsured children in Florida went without any medical care for an entire year. Conversely, 88 percent of their insured counterparts received care during the same time period, according to a new report. Uninsured children in Florida are almost 20 times more likely not to receive needed medical care than Florida children with insurance (9.5 percent vs. 0.5 percent).

At the national level, the research also showed that more than seven in ten uninsured children are eligible for but not enrolled in low-cost or free health care coverage through Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). There are more than 502,000 uninsured children in Florida and many are eligible for coverage through Florida KidCare, the state's low-cost or free health care coverage plan for children.

"It is disturbing to know that children are not receiving the health care they need. They're even missing out on annual checkups that will prevent them from developing more serious medical conditions down the road," said Jodi Ray, Project Director for Florida Covering Kids & Families. "We owe it to the parents of these children to let them know that coverage is available for many uninsured children."

State Sen. Nan Rich, State Rep. Rene Garcia and the Miami-Dade KidCare Coalition, with the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Covering Kids & Families Initiative, today kicked off a series of local events that will take place in Miami and across the state to enroll eligible uninsured children in Florida KidCare. Miami is one of six cities in the United States selected by the Foundation for an enhanced outreach campaign targeting families with uninsured children.

More than 75 events are planned across Florida during August and September to enroll eligible children in Florida KidCare and to provide information to Florida families about the importance of health care coverage for their children. For example, members of the statewide coalition will attend health fairs, National Night Out events, air public service announcements (PSAs), collaborate with HMOs on community events, and include KidCare enrollment information in utility bills and prescription drug inserts.

In addition, in communities around the state, members of the coalition will attend health fairs, provide nurses with Florida KidCare applications, brochures and incentive materials, offer access to free immunizations and health screenings, and work with the free and reduced school lunch program to distribute information. Other such projects include distributing Florida KidCare information at school open houses, partnering with the faith community, health departments, housing authorities, departments of health, child care centers, pediatric offices, hospitals, rotary clubs, Boys and Girls Clubs, sheriff's departments, and local media to distribute information about Florida KidCare in a massive outreach effort throughout the back-to-school period.

"All of Florida's children deserve affordable health care coverage. Yet every day Florida families with uninsured children are unnecessarily forced to make hard choices in caring for their kids," said Rose Naff, Executive Director, Florida Healthy Kids Corporation. "These sacrifices have far-reaching consequences for the more than 502,000 Florida children who lack health insurance. Fortunately, many children in Florida are eligible for coverage through Florida KidCare. With this campaign, we hope to inform more parents that Florida KidCare can help them improve their children's health and quality of life."

"Going Without: America's Uninsured Children" was released this week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part of the Covering Kids & Families Back-to-School Campaign, a nationwide effort to enroll eligible children in public health care coverage programs during the back-to-school season. The research was prepared by analysts at the State Health Access Data Assistance Center, located at the University of Minnesota, and the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. Additional findings include:

-- The number of uninsured children is decreasing nationally. While the number of uninsured parents has increased by more than 1 million, the number of uninsured children in America has decreased by nearly 2 million, largely due to enrollment in public programs.

-- Uninsured kids in Florida do not have a regular doctor or nurse. More than eight out of 10 (83.3 percent) insured children in Florida have someone they consider their personal doctor or nurse, compared with just a little more than half (53.4 percent) of uninsured children.

-- Uninsured Hispanic children are less likely to receive medical care than uninsured white children. Nationally, more than 40 percent (41.4 percent) of uninsured Hispanic children went without any medical care during the year, compared to just a quarter (25.7 percent) of uninsured white children.

The report analyzes data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, including the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health and the 2003 National Health Interview Survey.

Ernesto Mantilla from Miami, whose children, Daniel, Christopher and Jacquline, are enrolled in Florida KidCare, attended the kick- off event today to help spread the word to area families that their uninsured kids may be eligible for coverage. Mantilla, a teacher at The English Center school for adults and a Navy reservist, enrolled his three children in Florida KidCare after learning about the program through a co-worker.

"When the price of health care coverage through my job increased, I knew I would not be able to afford it and I feared for my children's health," Mantilla says. "I was so relieved to discover we qualified for KidCare. Parents should know there are options like this out there if they cannot afford health insurance."

Florida KidCare coverage includes doctor visits, immunizations, prescription drugs, eyeglasses and hearing aids, dental care, hospitalization and behavioral health care. Parents of uninsured children can call toll-free 1-888-540-KIDS to find out if their children are eligible for low-cost or free health care coverage. A family of four earning up to $38,000 a year or more may qualify.

To view the research report (including state-level data), locate Covering Kids & Families activities or download materials in English or Spanish, log on to http://www.coveringkidsandfamilies.org.

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The Miami-Dade KidCare Coalition is a diverse group of community organizations dedicated to providing services to the residents of Miami-Dade County. Special emphasis is placed on services to children, especially those whose parents' incomes are 200 percent below the federal poverty level. Services include access to health care, after school programs, injury prevention and safety and protection from violence and abuse. Coalition partners included the voter-mandated Children's Trust, the Miami Children's Hospital, Human Services Coalition, Florida Highway Patrol, Dade County Public Schools, Dade County Social Workers Association, Miami-Dade County Health Department with broad support from the county's largest public health care provider, Jackson Health System.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years, the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. By helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime. For more information, visit http:// www.rwjf.org.

http://www.usnewswire.com

Source: U.S. Newswire

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