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Date: Wednesday, February 17, 1998
WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET
Contact:  HHS Press Office  (202) 690-6343

Today, the President is announcing the first major state coverage expansions under the recently enacted Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and released information showing that many States will soon follow. He also unveiled an unprecedented set of public/private initiatives designed to enroll the millions of uninsured children who are eligible but not enrolled in Medicaid and other state-based children's health programs. These initiatives have been designed in partnership with Governors, health care providers, children's health advocates, foundations, businesses and many others who are committed to providing health care coverage for the nation's uninsured children.

Over 10 million children in America are uninsured. Nearly 90 percent of these children have parents who work, but do not have access to or cannot afford health insurance. Over 3 million of these uninsured children are already eligible for Medicaid. However, many families are not aware that their children are eligible for Medicaid, and others have difficulty filling out the application. Similar problems could undermine the new Children's Health Insurance Program's goal to enroll millions of uninsured children. With these challenges in mind, the President:

• ANNOUNCED THAT COLORADO AND SOUTH CAROLINA HAVE JOINED ALABAMA AS THE FIRST COVERAGE EXPANSIONS UNDER THE NEW CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP). Today, the President is announcing that Colorado and South Carolina join Alabama as the first states to come into the children's health program. In late January, Alabama received approval to expand its Medicaid program to children ages 14 to 18 up to I 00 percent of poverty. South Carolina will expand its Medicaid program to provide coverage to all children up to 150 percent of poverty. And, Colorado builds upon its current non-Medicaid program to cover children up to 185 percent of poverty. The President is also announcing that many more States are well on their way to expanding coverage to more uninsured children. Currently, 14 additional states have submitted plans to HHS for approval, and nearly 30 States are actively planning new ways to address the needs of uninsured children.
• RELEASED A NEW PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE TO LAUNCH A GOVERNMENT-WIDE EFFORT TO ENROLL UNINSURED CHILDREN. In an executive memorandum to eight Federal agencies with jurisdiction over children's programs -- the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, Education, HHS, HUD, Interior, Labor, and Treasury and the Social Security Administration -- the President is directing the establishment of a multi-agency effort to enroll uninsured children. These agencies run programs such as WIC, Food Stamps, Head Start, and public housing that cover many of the same children who are uninsured and eligible for Medicaid or other health insurance. The memorandum instructs these agencies: (1) to identify all their employees and grantees who might come into contact with these children and ensure. that these individuals are aware of the health insurance programs available to children; (2) to develop an intensive children's outreach initiative, such as distributing information, coordinating toll-free numbers, and simplifying and coordinating application forms; and (3) to report back in 90 days on their plan to help enroll uninsured children.
• HIGHLIGHTED BUDGET PROPOSALS THAT PROVIDE MEDICAID ENROLLMENT INCENTIVES TO STATES. The President's FY 1999 budget invests $900 million over 5 years in children's health outreach policies, including the use of schools and child care centers to enroll children in Medicaid. The budget provides states with the option of automatically enrolling children in Medicaid even before having received all of the complicated eligibility and enrollment forms (a provision known as "presumptive eligibility"). It also expands the use of a Federally-financed administrative fund so that it can underwrite the costs for all uninsured children - not just the limited population allowed under current law.
• ANNOUNCED A HISTORIC PRIVATE SECTOR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE OUTREACH. To complement the public outreach effort, the President is announcing unprecedented new contributions from the private sector to help ensure that all children who are eligible for health insurance receive it, including:

  • A new toll-free number that directs families around the nation to their state enrollment centers. The President is announcing that Bell Atlantic will establish and operate a toll-free number to help states enroll uninsured children. The number, which will be put in place during the upcoming months, will be developed in cooperation with the nation's Governors. This will help millions of families around the nation by directing them automatically to their local state Medicaid enrollment agency.
  • Over $23 million in commitments from private foundations across the country. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will spend $13 million over the next 3 years to find innovative state local coalitions to design and conduct outreach initiatives, simplify enrollment processes, and coordinate existing coverage programs. The Kaiser Family Foundation will spend up to $ 1 0 million over the next 5 years on studies to help understand why eligible children do not enroll in existing programs and how best to provide insurance coverage for these children. America's Promise, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, will mobilize corporations such as SmithKline Beecham and Schering Plough and local communities nationwide in children's health outreach efforts.
  • New initiatives from corporate and advocacy organizations to reach out to uninsured children. Pampers has volunteered to include a letter in its child birth education packages, given to 90 percent of first-time mothers, providing families information about available health insurance options. Grocery stores and chain drug stores across the country will provide information about the new Bell Atlantic toll-free number to their customers. The National Education Association is launching an unprecedented effort to educate teachers on how they can inform children and their families about health insurance, through national newsletters, conferences, and special training sessions. The American Hospital Association's Campaign for Coverage will increase its nationwide initiative to engage hospitals in helping uninsured Americans, including children.

• ISSUED A CHALLENGE ACROSS AMERICA TO FIND NEW WAYS TO REACH OUT TO UNINSURED CHILDREN. The President is challenging every physician, nurse, health care provider, business, school, parent, grandparent, and community across the nation, to find new ways to ensure that uninsured children eligible for health insurance are enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP. This national commitment should not stop until every eligible child across the country is enrolled in one of the existing health care programs.