Gov. Blagojevich Named Covering Kids & Families Champion
CHICAGO, Aug. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ — The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and their national Covering Kids & Families initiative today named Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich a "Covering Kids & Families Champion" for his success in extending health care benefits to more than 324,000 working parents and children since 2003. Blagojevich accepted the award at the New City YMCA where he joined the Covering Kids & Families Illinois Coalition and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in launching a series of local events that will take place in Chicago and across the state to enroll eligible, uninsured children in KidCare. Chicago is one of six cities in the United States selected by the Foundation for an enhanced outreach campaign targeting families with uninsured children as a part of their annual Back-to-School Campaign.
The campaign launch comes in the wake of a new study showing the serious consequences of not having health coverage. Thirty-one percent of uninsured children in Illinois did not receive any medical care at all in a year, according to a new report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. More than 252,000 Illinois children are uninsured. Nationally, more than seven in ten uninsured children are eligible for state programs like KidCare, but are not yet enrolled.
"To me, health care isn’t a privilege — it’s a right. Despite very tough budget challenges, we’ve worked hard over the past two and a half years to help hard working families qualify for health care. Through KidCare, more Illinois kids are getting the preventative care they need to stay healthy so they can learn and grow, and through FamilyCare more parents are free to focus on working and raising their families," said Governor Rod Blagojevich. "But simply expanding eligibility is not enough. We also need to spread the good news that affordable health coverage is available to most children who are uninsured today."
The governor received the Covering Kids & Families Champion Award at the launch event for his longstanding efforts on behalf of uninsured children. As a Congressman, Blagojevich was an early supporter of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program in Washington, D.C. and is now a strong advocate for KidCare as Illinois governor. Since taking office in January of 2003, Governor Blagojevich has expanded KidCare health coverage to 161,500 more children and FamilyCare health coverage to 162,500 more working parents. A total of more than 1.59 million Illinoisans now have health care through the two programs.
More than 100 events are planned across Illinois during August and September to enroll eligible children in KidCare. KidCare application agents will be present at health fairs, back-to-school events, neighborhood festivals and other events to distribute information and assist with the enrollment process. Parents also can call 866-4-OUR-KIDS to find a KidCare application agent nearby or download an application from the KidCare website, http:// www.KidCareillinois.com.
"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 Laura Leon, acting executive director of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition. "We owe it to the parents of these children to let them know that coverage is available for many uninsured children." Covering Kids & Families Illinois is one project housed in the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition.
Going Without: America’s Uninsured Children was released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as a part of its Covering Kids & Families Back-to-School Campaign. 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:
– Nearly a third (30.6 percent) of uninsured children in Illinois did not have someone they consider their personal doctor or nurse. This lack of a regular health care provider interrupts continuity of care and can lead to chronic conditions going undiagnosed.
– The number of uninsured children is decreasing nationally. While the number of uninsured parents has increased by 1 million since 1998, the number of uninsured children in America has decreased by nearly 2 million, largely due to enrollment in public programs.
– Uninsured Hispanic and African-American children are less likely to receive medical care than uninsured non-Hispanic 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 (24.7 percent) of uninsured non- Hispanic white children. Uninsured African-American children also are less likely to receive all needed medical care than uninsured non-Hispanic white children.
The report analyzes data from the 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.
Kathy McCormick from Chicago whose children, Megan and Declan, are enrolled in KidCare, attended the kick-off event today to help spread the word to area families that their uninsured kids may be eligible for coverage.
"Signing up for KidCare was simple. The staff were very helpful," said Mrs. McCormick "and because of the program, my youngest daughter who was badly hurt in an accident is a healthy freshman in high school. For a parent it doesn’t get much better than that."
KidCare coverage provides comprehensive medical care, including doctor visits, immunizations, hospitalizations, lab services, prenatal care (for pregnant women), prescription drugs and dental and vision benefits. Parents of uninsured children can call toll- free 866-4-OUR-KIDS to find out if their children are eligible for low-cost or free health care coverage. A family of four earning $40,000 a year or less 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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COVERING KIDS & FAMILIES ILLINOIS:
Covering Kids & Families Illinois is a partnership of public and private organizations dedicated to enrolling children and families in low to-no-cost health coverage programs, also known as KidCare, FamilyCare and Medicaid in Illinois. Illinois is part of the national Covering Kids & Families Initiative that is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To learn more, visit http:// www.kidcareillinois.com or http://www.coveringkidsandfamilies.org or by calling 866-468-7543.
ILLINOIS MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH COALITION:
Founded in 1988, IMCHC works in a partnership with its 90 (plus) organizational members on advocacy and policy development in the maternal and child health field and is the local affiliate of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. Board members of IMCHC work on maternal and child health issues in different arenas. The members of the Coalition represent public and private sectors, rural and urban Illinois, and they reflect the multi-cultural composition of Illinois’ diverse ethnic populations. Visit IMCHC at http://www.ilmaternal.org
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 .
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