1. Spreading the Word About Free Health Insurance for Kids We participated with 211 in Micronesian Constitution Day on 21 June at McCoy Pavilion and our booth received coverage in The Honolulu Advertiser's "Micronesia--to the max" article. Look for us at these upcoming events: * July 26: Kaneohe Day on the Bay * August 2: Honolulu Boys & Girls Club * August 3: National Kids Day Details are posted on our calendar. We also have an extensive list of our media coverage from the fourth year of our project (June 2002 through May 2003) that can be downloaded from our New Excitement page. 2. Simplification Updates * Med-QUEST issued a memo that allows their eligibility branch offices to accept faxed and electronic signatures. An original signed application is no longer required when a faxed application is received. * Our local projects in Kahuku and on Kauai, along with Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, will field test a new children and pregnant women application from 21 July through 22 August. Stay tuned for more details! 3. Data Updates These Hawaii Covering Kids Year 4 data reports are posted on our web site: * Local Project Outreach Information * Aloha United Way 211 hotline calls * Web Site Statistics Med-QUEST enrollment data can also be downloaded from this page. 4. What's Ahead in Medicaid for Children? Children in poverty and their parents make up 73% of Medicaid beneficiaries, but account for only one-quarter of Medicaid spending. This fact sheet from the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools outlines the administration's proposals for dramatic changes in Medicaid, states' concerns about Medicaid funding in the midst of budget shortfalls, and the key players in the debate over Medicaid and its funding. Three advocacy groups who testified at the March congressional hearing represented children who receive Medicaid: * The March of Dimes pointed out that in 2000, almost 22 million children and more than one-third of all births that occurred in hospitals (1.4 million) were insured by Medicaid. * The American Academy of Pediatrics noted that Medicaid provides health insurance for one in four American children, including one-third of children with special health needs, making it the largest children's health program in the country. * The National Association of Children's Hospitals pointed out that more than half of the 44.3 million Medicaid beneficiaries in the year 2000 were children under the age of 19, with one in three children depending on Medicaid or CHIP for health insurance. 5. Urban Institute Publishes CHIP Series The Urban Institute has published two more reports from their Assessing the New Federalism program. These reports are designed to analyze various federal social programs run by states. "Getting In, Not Getting In, and Why" examines state efforts to enroll and retain children in CHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program). The report specifically analyzes information about the application process for CHIP. Various policy strategies affect the rate of approval and denial of health insurance. "Is There a Hole in the Bucket?" is a companion piece of "Getting In, Not Getting In, and Why." It analyzes data that was collected concerning the renewal process for CHIP. The goal of the report was to find how various policy strategies have affected rates of retention, approval, and denial of coverage for targeted states. Procedures for renewal efforts, strengths and weaknesses of state systems, and the rates of approvals and denials of applications were examined.