Kentucky Voices for Health  “Covering Kids” Policy Brief

• Better Health Coverage for Children: Small Changes Mean Big Improvement, August 2008

Two-thirds of children in Kentucky who do not have health coverage (62,500) are eligible but not signed up for the Kentucky Child Health Insurance Program (KCHIP). Small changes in KCHIP could dramatically increase child health coverage in Kentucky and reduce health costs associated with providing care to uninsured children.

Did You Know?

Kentucky's youth are lacking in fruit and vegetable consumption: Only 6.1% of Kentucky’s high school students ate fruit at least twice per day and vegetables at least three times per day in 2007. This is just one of many results found in The State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, 2009 released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data, taken from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 2007, highlights a complex issue concerning the overall health of Kentucky’s youth. Poor nutrition is a major factor of obesity. Kentucky has one of the highest childhood overweight and obesity rates in the United States. The CDC report also provides a National Action Guide with recommendations for change. For more findings and data, view documents here.

States move forward on child and family health coverage despite tough economic climate:  A first look at state activity after the passage of CHIPRA and the availability of increased Medicaid funding in the economic stimulus package finds that, despite unprecedented fiscal challenges, all but a few states held steady on children's health coverage—and twenty-three states took steps to move forward. This progress on children's coverage has important implications as the nation moves forward with health reform.  Weathering the Storm, September 2009, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families.

School-Based Health Centers are comprehensive health centers right in a school. They can provide a variety of services including diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, physicals, sports physicals and immunizations. Some provide oral and mental health services. Check out this comprehensive guide to starting a center.

The number of Kentucky children who got health coverage through KCHIP went down from 2002 through 2006. In 2004 the program hit a low: it covered 4390 children less than in 2002. Only in 2007 did enrollment catch up to where it was five years earlier. Source: SCHIP Enrollment in June 2007, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, January 2008.

Get Kids Covered!

• Kentucky Child Health Insurance Program (KCHIP): covers low income children.
• Kentucky Medicaid: covers lower income children and some families, too.
• Insure Kids Now: find out about kids’ coverage in other states.

Know More!

• State Health Facts: Start by clicking Kentucky on the U.S. map, or “Medicaid and SCHIP” on the menu. Tons of facts and figures.
• The Commonwealth Fund: Click “Charts” and “State Score Card.” The U.S. map takes you to “State Performance Profiles.”
• Cover the Uninsured: Facts, figures and colorful charts on kids and health coverage. Part of the “Let’s Get America Covered” campaign.

See our “Research” page for lots more.

“Go To” Groups

Kentucky Voices for Health members often go to these groups for help on covering kids policy issues and advocacy:

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Well-respected work on lots of health topics. Follow “Areas of Research” to “Health Policies” and you’ll find Improving Children's Health: A Chartbook about the Roles of Medicaid and SCHIP, 2007 Edition

Community Catalyst: Policy work with a focus on empowering consumer groups.

Families USA: Lots of useful background, including a section on Children’s Health. Make sure to check the Resources section for useful Advocacy Tools. And check out the map on State Coverage Expansions.

Georgetown University Health Policy Institute: Center for Children and Families: Our friends at Georgetown have a special resource center for covering kids.