Governor Rendell Says It's Critical to 'Cover All Kids'24 April 2006
Governor Edward G. Rendell today joined kids and their families, pediatric doctors, nurses, and community partners at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and said that more than 36,000 uninsured children in Philadelphia and the four surrounding counties could have quality health insurance under his proposed Cover All Kids program.
Cover All Kids would extend health insurance to thousands of Pennsylvania's uninsured children - those whose parents earn too much to qualify for the state's Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, but who can't afford to purchase insurance for their children.
"People in this hospital see children and families at their most vulnerable," Governor Rendell said. "No parent at the bedside of a sick child should have to worry about having health care coverage when their family needs it, and Cover All Kids is our way to make sure they can focus their attention on helping their children."
The Governor said that last year alone, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Temple Health System and St. Christopher's hospitals provided services for more than 10,000 kids whose families either had to pay for the care out of their own pockets, or who the hospitals served through their charity care programs - uncompensated care that totals in the tens-of- millions-of-dollars.
"Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of insured children in the nation at 96 percent, but we won't be satisfied until each and every child in Pennsylvania has health coverage," Governor Rendell said. "Children like those of Aaron and Sherri Garnett of Elkins Park, who didn't have insurance coverage because they couldn't afford it and their family income was above the CHIP eligibility guidelines.
"With children, it's especially important that they have access to a wide range of services so that they have a healthy start in life. Cover All Kids will guarantee affordable, comprehensive health care coverage for visits to doctors, hospitalization, prescription drugs, vision, home health care, and mental health and substance abuse services.
"CHIP has been tremendously successful in providing kids coverage. Since I became Governor, 2,400 more kids in this region are getting health coverage through CHIP, but there are still more than 133,000 uninsured kids in Pennsylvania, and it is their families we'll be targeting with Cover All Kids."
Governor Rendell's Cover All Kids program would expand the CHIP program - which is currently the oldest and most successful program in the nation - and make sure all of Pennsylvania's children are insured and getting the services they need to grow up healthy. Premiums will be affordable for all families because the premium payment is based on a sliding scale based on the families' income.
Cover All Kids will require a $4.4 million investment in state funds and $10.2 million in federal funds for its first year of operation. Once the federal government approves the program, Cover All Kids will take 15,000 kids off the state's uninsured rolls in 2006-07, with additional children gaining coverage in future years. It is a critical part of the overall effort to reduce the number of uninsured children and adults statewide.
Since Governor Rendell took office, he has provided funds to expand the CHIP program -- 11,719 more kids have CHIP coverage today than in 2003.
The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: http://www.governor.state.pa.us.
CONTACT:
Kate Philips
717-783-1116
Source: prnewswire
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