1. Back-to-School 2005 It's that time of year again! The sixth-annual Covering Kids and Families Back-to-School Campaign kickoff was on 2 August 2005 and coalitions throughout the country will host more than 2,000 outreach and enrollment events the next few months. Our statewide and local projects use this opportunity to inform parents and guardians about Hawaii's free and low-cost health insurance programs. Check out our activities at: Back-to-School Campaigns. 2. Going Without: America's Uninsured Children New Research Finds One in Three Uninsured Children Had No Medical Care for an Entire Year The Urban Institute and State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) researchers recently completed a study of health insurance coverage, health status, and access to health care services among U.S. children as part of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Covering Kids & Families Back-to-School Campaign. The study used data from the 2003 State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey (SLAITS). 3. Campaign Promotes Free Immunizations for Uninsured Children The Hawaii State Department of Health is partnering with Hawaii Covering Kids and Aloha United Way to inform families without health insurance about a free service to help their children receive proper immunizations. Protect Hawaii's Keiki, Make a Date to Vaccinate is a public education campaign urging parents and guardians of children without health insurance to call 211 to locate a clinic in their neighborhood. Information and referral specialists will also answer questions about health insurance and mail Med-QUEST applications to parents and guardians to enroll their children in the state's free health insurance programs. 4. New Estimates of Health Insurance Coverage The U.S. Census Bureau released model-based estimates of health insurance coverage by age for counties and states nationwide on 21 July 2005. The Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) program was created to provide county-level data on health insurance which are not available elsewhere because neither the decennial Census nor the American Community Survey contain questions on this topic. More information and data downloads are available at: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/sahie. 5. Medicaid and CHIP Identified as Pivotal in Closing the Health Insurance Gap for Nation's Children On the eve of Medicaid's 40th anniversary and in the midst of ongoing debate about its future, the Center for Children and Families (CCF) released an issue brief assessing the track record of Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in insuring the nation's children. Entitled "A Success Story: Closing the Insurance Gap for America's Children through Medicaid and CHIP," the brief's key findings are: * Medicaid and CHIP have been remarkably successful in closing the insurance gap for children, particularly low-income children. Since 1997, these two programs have reduced the uninsured rate of low-income children by one-third from 23% to 15%. * Medicaid is the "backbone" of publicly-financed health insurance for children covering more than 27 million children. Separate CHIPs cover an additional 4 million children. * Both Medicaid and CHIP-enrolled children are able to secure the care they need. Ninety-six percent of children covered by Medicaid have a usual source of care. Additionally, they are far less likely than their uninsured peers to have unmet medical/dental needs. * Medicaid and CHIP offer cost-effective coverage. Children covered through Medicaid are offered comprehensive, affordable insurance at a cost that is 31% less than private insurance. Medicaid was enacted in 1965; CHIP was created in 1997. Together, these programs have been pivotal in closing the insurance gap for America's children--reducing the uninsured rate of low-income children by one-third. Yet, in spite of these successes, Medicaid--which is the backbone of the nation's coverage programs for children--is imperiled. Congress has proposed $10 billion in federal budget cuts-savings that many believe will come at Medicaid's expense. The White House has announced the membership of a Commission designed to recommend ways to cut Medicaid. And, last weekend, the National Governor's Association approved recommendations that, if adopted by Congress, will seriously impact the quality and availability of health insurance for low and moderate-income children and families. "The goal of ensuring that all children have access to health insurance has enjoyed enduring bipartisan support," stated Jocelyn Guyer co-author of the brief and CCF Senior Program Director. "Medicaid and CHIP have helped fulfill this commitment--as a result of these programs the number of uninsured children has declined; children enrolled in public programs receive needed health care services; and publicly-funded health insurance programs are providing services in a cost-effective way." "The real challenge will be ensuring that this success story--which has made such a difference in the lives of children and families--continues," stated Cindy Mann. "Rising health care costs and spiraling deficits are driving the current debate. There are ways to address these issues without unraveling the key elements of Medicaid and CHIP that have allowed them to work so well for children. The choices that are made in months ahead will determine whether the nation continues to move in the right direction for children." [28 July 2005]