This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
HHS: 2 million children added to insurance programs
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
An additional 2 million children were served by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program during the past 2 years, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced.
Together, the two programs serve more than 42 million children who would otherwise not have access to regular medical care.
“The increase in the number of children served by these two vital programs is especially significant in the face of the recent economic downturn states are experiencing,” Sebelius said in a press release. “Even in times of hardship, states have demonstrated their commitment to the health of children by continuing efforts to identify and enroll them in coverage.”
States were able to increase enrollment in the two programs partially because of boosts in federal support provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). ARRA temporarily increased federal matching funds for state Medicaid programs during the recession.
To continue to advance coverage for children, Sebelius also announced $40 million in new grants to states, community-based organizations, school systems and others to support their outreach and enrollment activities. The grants are meant to help states continue to modernize and streamline administrative systems, and to create and implement school-based outreach strategies and approaches for identifying children who have historically been hard to reach.
The rate of uninsured children is at its lowest level in more than 2 decades; however, HHS said an estimated 5 million uninsured children are thought to be eligible for one of these programs but are not yet covered.
For more information about children’s health insurance, visit www.insurekidsnow.gov.
 |
Follow the PediatricSuperSite.com on Twitter. |