Opinion
Editorial (Op-Ed) for High Schools

(Teachers,
principals and other community members can edit,
fill in [ ] and send to school or community newspapers
and newsletters. Links to resources for data are
provided. If you are having an outreach event,
please add details.)

A
DOSE OF REALITY

By:
[school representative – superintendent,
principal, teacher, nurse, doctor, coach]
If I told you about a place with 8 million kids
who could not afford to see a doctor and could
not afford medicine when they were sick, you might
imagine a faraway land. But you would be wrong.
These children live in the United States—many
right here in [STATE].

The
surprising fact is that the vast majority of uninsured
kids in [STATE] are actually eligible for low-cost
or free health care coverage offered through [SCHIP/MEDICAID
PROGRAM NAME]. This program gives kids access
to the treatment they need to stay healthy.

It
sounds simple, right? The problem is that many
parents of uninsured children do not believe that
[SCHIP/MEDICAID PROGRAM NAME] is intended for
families like theirs. In fact, half of parents
whose uninsured children qualify for this coverage
believe their kids are not eligible – often
because they believe their income is too high.
This misperception is even more prevalent in households
where both parents work.

These
parents would be surprised to learn that [SCHIP/MEDICAID
PROGRAM NAME], in fact, was created especially
for them—for working families. Parents work
hard to care for their children; many are struggling
to make ends meet. Their children may be eligible
for [SCHIP/MEDICAID PROGRAM NAME], even when one
or both parents are working full time.

The
challenge is to break through the wall of misunderstanding.
In [STATE], families of four earning up to or
more than [$ ANNUAL INCOME LEVEL-SEE STATE-BY-STATE
INCOME ELIGIBILITY CHART] may qualify for [SCHIP/MEDICAID
PROGRAM NAME]. Eligibility is based on family
size and household income. That is why it is critical
that we get the word out—so parents can take
advantage of the program.

During the next few weeks, [SCHOOL OR ORGANIZATION]
will kick off the [SCHIP/MEDICAID PROGRAM NAME]
2002 Back-to-School enrollment drive. We will
reach out to eligible families to let them know
about the availability of low-cost and free health
care coverage. [DETAILS OF EVENT]

Without
health insurance, these children face obstacles
and stresses that their insured peers do not –
at home and at school. The fact is, a lack of
health insurance can have a serious impact on
a child’s health. The American College of
Physicians reports that uninsured children are
less likely to receive proper medical care for
sore throats, ear infections, asthma and vision
problems, conditions that can impact school attendance
and classroom performance.

Let’s
make sure the kids in our neighborhood have the
health care coverage they deserve.

Families
who would like to find out if their children qualify
for [SCHIP/MEDICAID PROGRAM NAME] or who would
like more information can call toll-free 1(877)KIDS-NOW.

State-by-State
Income Eligibility Chart (Feb 2002)
[Download
this chart in Word format]

Poverty
Level: $18,100 for family of 4
Poverty Level: $15,020 for family of 3

Poverty
Level from Federal Register, Vol. 66, No. 33,
February 16, 2002, pp. 10695-10697.
Note: The poverty guidelines are updated each
February.