Book Description

Introduction: Over the past five years, California made significant strides in reducing the number of uninsured children from an estimated 778,000 in 2003 to 683,000 children in 2007, a 12 percent decline. This improvement in children's coverage was due in part to Medi-Cal and Healthy Families expansions, the introduction of Healthy Kids programs in several counties, and effective outreach and enrollment efforts. However, gains in children's coverage have slowed in recent years. Children's Health Coverage Facts and Figures provides an overview of trends in children's coverage and insurance programs in the state. Key findings include: The proportion * of children without health insurance continued to decline through 2007, though the pace of improvement has slowed. * Nearly 80 percent of California's uninsured children are eligible for coverage under either Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, or Healthy Kids. * Medi-Cal and Healthy Families are key sources of coverage for children in low-income households that together have closed the coverage gap among families with incomes up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level. * Healthy Kids programs are also important for children's coverage. Twenty-four counties operate Healthy Kids programs and four others rely on California Kids. * Children are less likely to have employment-based coverage than adults and are more likely to be enrolled in public programs in California. The future of children's health insurance coverage in California is uncertain. On the one hand, California's economic downturn and budget crisis will likely make it difficult to increase the number of insured children. On the other, Congress and the President reauthorized the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides new policy options for expanding coverage. In addition, Congress and the Obama Administration are working on national health care reform, which if enacted, would likely benefit children in California. In this presentation, children are defined as people between the ages of 0 and 18, unless otherwise noted.