Health
Bringing Health Coverage to America's Uninsured Kids
By Juhie Bhatia
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- An estimated 45 million Americans lack health insurance, and nearly 20 percent of them are children. These kids are often forced to go without needed medical care, including a pediatrician.
So says the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which is preparing to launch its sixth annual Covering Kids & Families Back-to-School campaign. The goal: To inform working families that their children may be eligible for federal and state health coverage programs.
The two-month campaign, set to begin Aug. 2 in Washington D.C., hopes to increase enrollment in government insurance programs and lower the health and financial costs for America's uninsured children. The focus this year will be on black and Hispanic children, who make up the majority of these kids, according to the foundation.
"There are millions of children who are eligible for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, but who are not enrolled. These are uninsured children who are needlessly uninsured," said Sarah Shuptrine, national program director for the foundation's Covering Kids & Families program.
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http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/08/02/hscout526973.html