Covering kids

One of the things Maine has done well for its children recently is provide low-cost health care and dental coverage for families that qualify. Only about half the children who would be accepted into the state’s Cub Care or Medicaid programs, however, have been signed up. With another flu season not far off, now is a good time for families with low or moderate incomes to see whether they qualify for these valuable services.

Health care costs have risen so far and fast during the last dozen years that millions of Americans have lost health insurance and Maine is no exception. The state’s health programs for children, expanded during the last two years, provide coverage for preventative care, emergency room visits, immunizations, hospital care, vision and hearing, mental health and dental care — all the basics to give children a healthy beginning plus transportation for medical appointments. And they have been working. In 1997, the estimated of uninsured children in Maine was 33,000; last year it was 30,000; currently, the Department of Human Services estimates the number is 25,000. However, approximately 7,000 more children may qualify but have yet to be signed up.

Some families without health care may think they earn too much to use these services, but the monthly income levels to qualify are generous. For instance, a family of three can earn up to $2,314 a month; a family of four, $2,784. These are high for a good reason: Small businesses are less and less able to provide their employees with coverage, yet one significant illness can drain a family’s savings. Getting the kids covered – including valuable dental care — at least provides a partial level of protection.

And the cost of covering children is relatively low to begin with and cost-effective over time. Not only does coverage give families a better way to obtain medical care for their children than through hospital emergency rooms, but simple and timely immunizations save about $14 for every $1 spent on shots. That, of course, doesn’t begin to count the cost of lost school days for children or work time for parents.

DHS has applications for these health programs at its local offices. Any parents who cannot afford health insurance for their children are urged to apply. The forms don’t take long to fill out, and the care your children will receive could make all the difference in giving them the healthy start they need.