The Issue: This morning 3,000 children in Sonoma County woke up without health coverage.
The Goal: United Way recognizes the importance of caring for our community’s youngest and most vulnerable citizens and we are committed to ensuring that all children in Sonoma County have health coverage and access to quality medical care. The goal of Healthy Kids Sonoma County is to provide immediate access to health care and comprehensive health insurance for all children.
The Problem: Many children have no coverage because their families are unaware of coverage opportunities or unable to navigate the complexity of the enrollment system. Other children are ineligible because they are undocumented or come from families earning slightly too much to qualify for public programs. Without health insurance, many children are unable to obtain basic primary care, preventative screening, developmental assessments and specialty care. As a result, uninsured children are less likely to get necessary care, risking serious illness and incurring otherwise avoidable hospitalizations.
The Challenge: Communities across the State of California have developed Healthy Kids programs to provide health insurance to children who would otherwise go uninsured. United Way of Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake is a strong partner in the Healthy Kids programs in both Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. (While successful at galvanizing local resources to insure children, sustaining these programs over the long term will require financial assistance from both the State and Federal governments.) Therefore, in addition to partnering with Healthy Kids and providing funding to Healthy Kids programs, United Way of Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake is actively advocating at the state and federal levels for public policies that support children’s health.
The Solution: Healthy Kids Sonoma County reaches children who remain outside the health care system by:
1. Helping families enroll their children in public health insurance by placing Health Outreach Workers (Certified Application Assistants) in schools and community organizations.
2. Providing health insurance through a licensed health insurance plan to children who are not eligible for existing public and private plans.
The Opportunity: Investing in our children is perhaps the most significant step we can take to promote the health and well-being of the community at large. The cost of caring for uninsured children in our community is soaring. High ticket emergency room visits and escalated medical conditions can be prevented by sustained, regular health care. The average cost of an avoidable hospital stay in 2006 was approximately $3,885 (Consumer Price Index for Medical Care). The average cost to insure a child in our community for one year is $1,200.
For more information, please contact Chanda Zirkelbach at 707.528.4485 x110.
