tate and federal governments are working toward insuring more of our kids. Programs like the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid are expanding their eligibility requisites to include more children in effort tAccording to recent studies by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, between 7 and 8 million children under the age of 18 are living without health insurance.

While this staggering figure is down from the reported 10 million uninsured children in 1997, the CDC maintains that this still-present epidemic stifles the health and growth of America’s children. In fact, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that one in three children go for an entire year without seeing a doctor.

It’s not surprising that the health of children depend, in part, on their access to the health care system. And with the rising cost of health insurance, many families are simply not able to afford health coverage—leading to missed physician appointments, skipped prescription refills and lack of immunizations for our youngsters.

The Good News

Fortunately for families and youngsters, state and federal governments are working toward insuring more of our kids. Programs like the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid are expanding their eligibility requisites to include more children in effort to

down from the reported 10 million uninsured children in 1997, the CDC maintains that this still-present epidemic stifles the health and growth of America’s children. In fact, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that one in three children go for an entire year without seeing a doctor.

It’s not surprising that the health of children depend, in part, on their access to the health care system. And with the rising cost of health insurance, many families are simply not able to afford health coverage—leading to missed physician appointments, skipped prescription refills and lack of immunizations for our youngsters.

The Good News

Fortunately for families and youngsters, state and federal governments are working toward insuring more of our kids. Programs like the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid are expanding their eligibility requisites to include more children in effort t

e children go for an entire year without seeing a doctor.

It’s not surprising that the health of children depend, in part, on their access to the health care system. And with the rising cost of health insurance, many families are simply not able to afford health coverage—leading to missed physician appointments, skipped prescription refills and lack of immunizations for our youngsters.

The Good News

Fortunately for families and youngsters, state and federal governments are working toward insuring more of our kids. Programs like the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid are expanding their eligibility requisites to include more children in effort t

simply not able to afford health coverage—leading to missed physician appointments, skipped prescription refills and lack of immunizations for our youngsters.

The Good News

Fortunately for families and youngsters, state and federal governments are working toward insuring more of our kids. Programs like the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid are expanding their eligibility requisites to include more children in effort t

tate and federal governments are working toward insuring more of our kids. Programs like the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid are expanding their eligibility requisites to include more children in effort to eradicate the “poor but not poor enough” trend in public health care.

Medicaid is also joining forces with state programs to provide incentives for parents to schedule checkups for their children. Health Partners of Minnesota, for example, partnered with Medicaid to send families with children ages 10, 12, 16 and 18 a postcard during the month of their birthdays to encourage a checkup. The postcard also offered children a $30 gift card to a local retailer after the completion of their checkup—adding additional incentives to put health on the forefront.

Additional Initiatives

In addition to the strides taken by Medicaid and state health programs, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has proposed several ideas to help children and families get the health coverage they need.

Such strides include:

• Intensifying local efforts to get kids who are eligible, but not enrolled in SCHIP a