All of Maine’s children should have health insurance

As the unofficial start of summer kicks off, many families across Maine are likely planning summer getaways and eagerly anticipating spending quality time with the kids once school breaks. Other families are struggling, unable to afford health care coverage for their children. In fact, there are more than 21,000 uninsured children in our state, and this number is growing. As president of the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, I am keenly aware of the devastating consequences that can result when children are uninsured.

Many families in Maine cannot afford the expensive insurance premiums to cover their family. I have dealt with several families over the last year who either didn’t have coverage and could not bring their children in for well-child care and immunizations not covered by the Maine Immunization Program, or those that were able to obtain coverage through the SCHIP/CubCare program and were able to obtain quality health care for their children.

Ten years ago, the health and welfare of our nation’s children took a major step forward with the enactment of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which is approaching its Sept. 30, 2007, expiration. This legislation has provided a vital source of health care coverage to children whose parents work but cannot afford or are not offered health insurance. SCHIP has reduced the number of children living without health insurance by more than one third.

A key to SCHIP’s success is the flexibility states are given to determine the structure of and eligibility for their programs. In Maine, this program, called Maine CubCare, operates as both a Medicaid expansion and separate SCHIP program. CubCare covers children with family incomes of up to 200% of the federal poverty level ($43,300 for a family of four). While the program provides coverage to more than 65,000 children, there are still more children who are eligible, but have not yet enrolled.

The fate of SCHIP is up for congressional debate. Most members of Congress recognize SCHIP’s success and the need to build on its momentum, but as calls for timely reauthorization sound, a major concern is whether sufficient resources will be made available to states to 1) sustain coverage and 2) support efforts to expand enrollment to all eligible children. Maine is one of 17 states that will face shortfalls in SCHIP funding, up to $1 million, which could affect health coverage for even more children. Funding for our own Dirigo Choice product is dependent on the reauthorization of this program.

Children with health coverage are more likely to receive timely care for childhood illnesses, such as sore throats, earaches and asthma, make fewer visits to the emergency room or hospital, and have access to needed prescription medications and better preventive services. In fact, kids with insurance are more likely to have had a well-child visit and dental care in the last six to 12 months compared with uninsured children. Not surprisingly, these children tend to be healthier. And healthy children are better prepared to learn in school and succeed in life.

As a state and a nation, it is in our best interest to invest in our children’s health and future and build on the momentum of 10 years of progress. We must renew our moral and fiscal responsibility to ensure SCHIP continues to provide coverage to the 6 million individuals already covered and increase efforts to cover the 9 million children who remain uninsured.

The citizens of Maine can help ensure that our children get the best start in life by urging Congress to properly fund and renew SCHIP as soon as possible. We need to thank our congressional delegation for their work on SCHIP thus far and ask them to ensure that Congress fulfills its pledge to direct $50 billion of additional funding over the next five years to support children’s health care coverage.

Please join the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics in promoting the health of our children. We must strive to close the gap between the care every child deserves and the sobering reality that many continue to fall through the cracks, missing important screenings, preventive health care and delaying treatment for illnesses and injuries. Isn’t it time that every child in Maine is covered?

Dr. Donald R. Burgess is president of the Maine chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.