Insurance available for Idaho children

COEUR d’ALENE — Thousands of Idaho children could be going without critical prescriptions or life-saving surgeries simply because their parents don’t have health insurance.

Many of those children were removed from federal health insurance coverage over the last few years due to eligibility reporting requirements for the state of Idaho. Those issues between the state and the United States government have been resolved.

Low to moderate-income families without health insurance may be eligible for federal programs once again.

“Insurance coverage for kids is critical,” said Yvonne Ketchum-Ward, CEO, Idaho Primary Care Association. “Without it, children in Idaho will suffer unnecessarily and be unable to get the care they need to become healthy adults.”

The Idaho Primary Care Association received a $1 million grant to help enroll thousands of children in health insurance plans. The money will be distributed to 15 community health centers across the state to bolster their enrollment efforts over the next three years, including Heritage Health.

Enrolling those families and children is part of a new Connecting Kids to Coverage project.

The federal grant is intended to help an estimated 29,000 children in Idaho gain coverage and keep eligible families in coverage. The state currently ranks 40th in the nation for the percentage of children without health insurance. Federal policy changes caused Idaho to have the steepest decline (11%) in the nation for children enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid, according to a recent study released by Georgetown University Center for Children and Families and Idaho Voices for Children.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hope to increase enrollment in CHIP/Medicaid. Started in 1997, CHIP provides comprehensive healthcare coverage to children under age 19 from low to moderate-income families.

“The Children’s Health Insurance Program is a critical source of healthcare coverage for working families,” said Heritage Health CEO Mike Baker. “Kids who have access to doctor visits, dental care, immunizations, well-child visits, and prescriptions are more likely to have good health and do better in school, forming a strong foundation for future success. If your children are without insurance, please call us to see if we can help get them enrolled in health coverage.”

“Heritage Health is one of the participating community health centers involved in Connecting Kids to Coverage.”

The Connecting Kids to Coverage project will engage more than 70 outreach and enrollment counselors at health centers to assist families with application assistance for healthcare coverage.

Health Centers won’t be doing it alone. The Idaho Foodbank, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, and Your Health Idaho will provide support for the project to engage and assist parents in urban and rural areas.

“CHIP has consistently had bipartisan support from lawmakers,” said Baker. “Since 1997, the program has provided affordable health insurance for kids in modest-income families. It’s an effective federal-state partnership that provides essential health coverage for kids that is a critical part of the state’s healthcare system and an investment in families and our state’s future.”