AAP Proposal to insure Americas 's Children  Web sites
CHIP  News
A $24-billion Children's Health Insurance Program, which is designed to address that problem of more than 10 million uninsured children.

Since the CHIP program went into effect, it has provided health coverage to over a million children whose families can't afford health coverage, and who make too much to be eligible for Medicaid.  Somewhere between 10 million and 11 million children in America still lack health insurance. That's way over 15 percent. The majority could be covered under either CHIP or Medicaid.

North Dakota  
There is an estimated 17,000 uninsured (18 yrs. and <) Nov 1998 data. It is estimated that 35% of the children are between 100 and 200% of poverty, with 95% of their parents working.
There are 165,023 children under the age of 18 years. (1998 Fact Book-ND Kids Count)

CHIP update
From: "Steffl, Heather D." <sosteh@state.nd.us>
As of May 2001, 2,441 children have enrolled (7 % of them Native American) are covered under the Children's Health Insurance Plan. Of these cildren , 51% were from urban counties and 49 % were from rural counties.

Check out the CHIP Web site to see the region totals for the current month.

There are still 2 or 3 million US kids out there who are Medicaid-eligible who aren't covered -- if only we can get word out to their families and sign them up. We know that children who lack health insurance have higher rates of treatable conditions like asthma, ear infections, vision problems. We know when a child can't see a blackboard clearly or hear the teacher precisely or pay attention to anything other than his or her own pained breathing, the kids aren't going to be able to learn.

CHIP and Medicaid can change all that for millions of people.  The CHIP program initially was thought it would ensure 5 million people.

Healthy children learn better in school. Schools across the country are reaching out to help families enroll their children in free or low-cost health insurance so that all students come to school, each day, healthy and ready to learn.

At the President's direction, Federal Agencies are working with State Governments and local school organizations to promote school-based enrollment activities.

The American Academy of Pediatrics' Proposal to Insure America's Children

The American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirms its commitment that all of America's children (through age 21) must have health insurance. The implementation of Title XXI (SCHIP) has been an important step toward reaching this goal. However, the Academy believes that now is the time to take an even bolder step forward to extend coverage to all children. The Academy recommends that while preserving the best of the private sector, we pursue a new national children's program that will replace Medicaid and SCHIP. This proposal would create a health care system with uniform eligibility, benefits and administrative procedures.

The key elements of this proposal would include:

• All children will be automatically eligible without means testing. Family contributions would vary according to family income.
• Families may choose to enroll their children in a private insurance plan or they will be automatically enrolled in the new national children's program. Incentives will be developed to minimize further erosion of employer-based contributions.
• All programs, public and private, would meet the American Academy of Pediatrics' benefit standards.
• All children will have access to primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical sub specialists and pediatric surgical specialists.
• Assurances will need to be developed to ensure the quality and integrity of all programs. For example, states could be responsible for program oversight, accountability and quality monitoring.
• Every attempt will be made to capture the existing contributions to child health insurance from federal, state and private sources.
• Enactment of this proposal would increase societal spending on child health by about $44 billion a year. The major reason for this increase in spending is the need to have all private plans meet quality standards.

© 1999 American Academy of Pediatrics

ND State CHIP Web site  http://www.state.nd.us/childrenshealth/

INSURE KIDS NOW
Web site declaring availability of insurance for all children.

Regional Conference on school-based enrollment in SCHIP and Medicaid

If you would like to add anything to this page, just send it
via email to Bernard J. Hoggarth MD FAAP

  Return to top