Back-To-School: Promoting
Free and Low-Cost Health Insurance for Kids
There
are more than 8 million uninsured children
in America. These children do not have access
to regular doctor visits, immunizations and
eye exams they need to stay healthy, which
negatively impacts their ability to grow and
learn. MOST of these kids (from birth to age
19) are eligible for low-cost and free health
insurance through the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid,
regardless of their health status. Unfortunately,
their parents do not believe they qualify.
School
staff can be instrumental in efforts to enroll
eligible children in free or low-cost health
insurance. Conducting child health insurance
outreach at school is a common sense, high-impact
strategy for a number of reasons:
- School
staff see the problems first hand. Schools
are one place where the negative effects
of a lack of medical attention are directly
felt. Teachers and other school staff
can often detect student performance
problems linked to health concerns. Screening
children for eligibility for free or
low-cost health insurance, and then making
sure they get signed up, are the first
steps toward helping them get needed
care. - Schools
may already provide health services. Schools
may provide some health services, either
through a school-based clinic or a visiting
or in-school nurse or counselor. Staff
who provide these services can help students
get health coverage too. If the school
is already certified to receive Medicaid
reimbursements, helping students enroll
in Medicaid is in the school’s financial
interest. Schools may need to coordinate
closely with local managed care organizations
to work out the details of serving children
in the Medicaid program. - Schools
are trusted institutions. Parents
tend to trust schools and the information
they provide. Hearing about Medicaid
or other child health insurance programs
from their child’s school may diminish
the stigma that is often associated with
receiving public benefits. - School
staff may have eligible children. Many
school or school-related employees may
have incomes which would make their children
eligible for Medicaid or other child
health insurance programs. As a local
employer, schools can provide information
about these opportunities.
Covering
Kids: Back To School Campaign
NEA
HIN encourages teachers, school administrators,
counselors and school nurses to join the Covering
Kids National Back-to-School Effort,
a national initiative of The
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation working
to connect uninsured children to low-cost and
free health care coverage programs in all 50
states and the District of Columbia.
The
Covering Kids Back-to-School Action Kit has
all of the tools you need to let parents know
about the low-cost and free health care coverage
that is available for kids. As trusted advisors,
educational employees have the opportunity
to reach families and spread the word about
the low-cost and free health care coverage
programs available in their state.
The Back-To-School
Action Kit includes (go to the kit or
visit specific elements below):
- Fliers
to send home with report cards (English and
Spanish) - Coloring
Book Pages (3) to use in class activities - Fact
Sheets can educate your colleagues
on the consequences of being uninsured - Template
Drop-in Articles for Elementary
School and Opinion
Editorial (Op-Ed) for High Schools - Bookmarks to
hand out to students - Posters to
decorate classrooms - Other
marketing and promotional pieces for working
with school and ommunity partners and parents.
Strategies
for Schools
- Educational
employees around the country are already
promoting free and low-cost health insurance
for kids. Check out these tips for
reaching out to students and families.
- Learn
more about free and low cost health insurance
in your state.