States expand children's health coverage

[cal04]

Source: Associated Press

Many states are making more children eligible for government-funded health insurance even as
President Bush's health chief says families are relying too much on public money for the coverage.

The goal of the states is to allow more middle-class families to participate in the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The states are raising income limits so families once shut out because of their earnings now can qualify.

When the program began a decade ago, states could offer coverage to families whose income was not more than double the federal poverty level. Today, for example, that threshold is $41,300 for a family of four. A few states use a Medicaid-based formula that lets them insure more children than under the income limit.

Already, 18 states exceed the 200 percent level, with federal permission. Five more, plus the District of Columbia, could join the list this year, according to a survey by Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070428/ap_on_go_ot/health_insurance_children

[aquart]

1. Another bandaid for a gaping, bleeding wound.

[DollyM]

2. Illinois is one of these!

We were able to qualify for All Family and receive medical cards because we had a child in our home under 18. It has literally been a life saver as we had nothing. "All Kids" covers children in families who have incomes up to (I think), 80 thousand dollars, for a small monthly premium that starts at $40.00. (We don't have co-pays since our income was no where near that amount.) It is so nice to be able to get medical care without worrying about whether we can afford it or not. We have let my things go over the years because of the lack of health insurance. Now we can get preventative and early care which, I am sure, has saved us money in the long run. That's what it's all about--having access to afordable health care prevents more costly problems down the line. We can personally attest to that.