Pennsylvania to Become One of Three States to Offer Universal Health Care for Children

Strategic Insights -

Pennsylvania is poised to join a handful of states offering comprehensive health care to all children, after Governor Rendell's push for the Cover All Kids plan gained momentum. The plan aims to provide health insurance to at least 36,000 uninsured children in the Philadelphia region, bringing the total number of insured children in the state to over 1 million. This move comes as part of a national trend, where more people are relying on public health-insurance programs due to rising insurance costs. Across the country, the number of children in public health programs has increased by 31% in the last decade, while private coverage has decreased by 5%.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Cover All Kids plan, proposed by Governor Rendell, aims to provide health insurance to all children in Pennsylvania, regardless of income.
  • The plan would cover dental and vision care, well-child visits, emergency-room care, prescription drugs, hospital and home care, and mental-health treatment for children under 18.
  • The program would start with 15,000 children in 2007 and expand to 90,000 within five years, costing the state approximately $4.4 million in the first year and $10 million in federal funds.
  • The plan would use a sliding-scale premium system, where families making more money would pay the full premium, while poorer families would pay less, with the state covering the balance.
  • A family of four making $70,000 a year would pay a monthly premium ranging from $20 to $35 for coverage through an insurance company such as Independence Blue Cross or Aetna.
  • The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study found that about 8 million children nationally are still without health insurance, and the number of children in public-health programs has jumped 31% in the last 10 years.

Statistics:

  • 31% - Increase in the number of children in public health programs across the country over the last decade.
  • 5% - Decrease in private health insurance coverage for children in the same period.
  • 8 million - Number of children nationally without health insurance.
  • 253,000 - Number of uninsured children in Illinois.
  • 143,501 - Number of children enrolled in Pennsylvania's CHIP program as of June 2006.
  • 133,500 - Number of children in Pennsylvania without coverage.
  • 3.3 million - Total number of children in the state of Pennsylvania.
  • $70,000 - Annual income for a family of four that would pay a monthly premium ranging from $20 to $35 for coverage through an insurance company such as Independence Blue Cross or Aetna.

Sources:

  • "Pennsylvania to Become One of Three States to Offer Universal Health Care for Children" - The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 11, 2006.
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study, published this week.
  • Governor Rendell's Cover All Kids plan.
  • Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count program.
  • The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
  • Independence Blue Cross and Aetna insurance companies.