1. Hawaii: Health Care Reform--Great News for Children and Families! The community forum sponsored by Hawaii Covering Kids on August 26 was a great success! There were 74 participants and guest speakers included Edwin Park (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) and Jennifer Sullivan (Families USA). A PDF copy of the presentations is available on our web site's health care reform page. 2. Hawaii: Hospital Emergency Department Visits Hawaii's 2000-2009 hospital emergency department data show that as the total number of visits by kids continues to increase, those attributed to uninsured children and youths have declined from 5.35% to 3.23%. Charts by children's age groups and a complete report by age group, county, and gender are available on our data web page in PDF format (scroll down to number two). 3. Hawaii: Some Employers Wait to Implement New Law for Young Adults Question: Under the health reform plan, we were told children would be covered by our family health insurance plan until the age of 26. My husband recently retired from the county. HMSA told us that they don't have to comply with that until September 2011, not this September. That would mean my daughter, who will be 22, will have no medical coverage for one year, if she goes to school only part time. Can you find out why HMSA doesn't have to comply with the law? Answer: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act does have a provision allowing children to remain on their parents' health insurance plan until age 26. But providing health insurance for older children does not necessarily have to begin in September, according to Cliff Cisco, senior vice president for the Hawaii Medical Service Association. Cisco pointed to regulations regarding the "applicability date" of the provision, which state: "These interim final regulations generally apply to group health plans and group health insurance issuers for plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010." But many large insurers began offering that coverage in June. HMSA put the "up to age 26" benefit into effect for most employer groups on June 1, Cisco said. However, "many large and a few small employers elected to put the benefit into effect, as permitted under the law, at the time of their next contract renewal after September 23, 2010," he said. Since your husband is a recent retiree from the county, your family's health insurance probably is provided by the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund, Cisco said. The trust fund's next contract renewal with HMSA is July 1, 2011. The fund will put the "up to age 26" benefit into effect at the start of its next contract year next July, Cisco said. He suggests calling the trust fund for more details on its plan. [June Watanabe, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 07/29/10] 4. National: CHIP Comes of Age--13 Years of Success in Covering Kids Health care advocates celebrated a major milestone in children's health insurance, marking thirteen years of success in providing low-income children access to high quality, affordable health care. On August 5, 1997, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Balanced Budget Act, which included the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Operated by the states, CHIP is a federal partnership with the states, offering matching funds for states to ensure health coverage for children in families whose income are too high to qualify for Medicaid, but who don't earn enough to purchase private health insurance on their own. Since its inception, CHIP has shown remarkable results, reducing the number of uninsured children by almost a third--even as uninsured rates for adults increased steadily. Today the program provides coverage to more than seven million low-income children. It is estimated that another 6 million children qualify for coverage under CHIP or Medicaid but are not yet enrolled. In marking the occasion of CHIP's coming of age, Bruce Lesley, president of the bipartisan child advocacy organization First Focus, issued the following statement: "Over the last decade, our nation has made huge gains for children because of the success of the Children's Health Insurance Program. Together with Medicaid, CHIP serves as a cornerstone of coverage for one-third of our nation's children. Because of CHIP, millions of children in working families are able to get the health care services they require. Indeed, no government program, since the enactment of Medicaid 45 years ago, has been more successful in expanding coverage for children." "By incorporating CHIP into the newly-enacted health reform legislation, our nation's low-income families will continue to be able to get their children the high-quality and affordable health care services they need to grow up to be healthy, strong, and productive adults. From vaccinations and eye exams, to oral health and asthma care, CHIP ensures that kids get the cost-effective and comprehensive care that they need and deserve. And, because CHIP is already in place, eligible families can enroll their children in coverage immediately." "Support for children's health coverage among the public is overwhelming. A recent public opinion survey commissioned by First Focus found that providing health coverage for all children is at the top of the public's priorities. In addition, recent data analysis by Watson Wyatt Worldwide confirms that children currently enrolled in CHIP have the best, most affordable care that is available. It provides comprehensive benefits to children that specifically address their unique health care needs while limiting families' out-of-pocket costs. The evidence is clear that CHIP works for kids." [Katie Peters, First Focus, 08/05/10]