Monday, June 05, 2006
Fourteen years ago, Pennsylvania took huge steps to create CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program.
Since then, our CHIP has turn into the model health-insurance agenda for children nationwide. Now our state is on the edge, hope, of taking another huge step - to cover all kids with health insurance.
Thanks to Pennsylvania's leadership on enroll children in health insurance, 97 percent of the commonwealth's children by now are insured through CHIP, Medicaid or private plans.
That is an unbelievable feat. Unfortunately, even with the achievement of CHIP, more than 132,000 children in Pennsylvania remain uninsured. That means they are fewer likely to be immunized or to receive regular check-ups - and they are more probable to use the emergency room, and luxurious option that drives up the cost of health care for everybody.
Of these children, more than 26,000 have no insurance options. Their parents work for little or mid-sized companies that no longer present health insurance to their employees, or charge exorbitant premiums those families can't afford to pay.
Pennsylvania now has the chance to again become a leader in children's health care. For the first time, have a chance to enroll every child in the commonwealth in health insurance - under the Cover All Kids proposal in Gov. Rendell's proposed budget for next year.
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