Oregon's Healthy Kids plan ensures health insurance at no cost for those children. 

By now you have surely heard about this historic plan.  If you need a quick fact check, visit www.oregonhealthykids.gov.

Why are Healthy Kids and OHP expanding while other important services have been cut?

Even in the face of serious service reductions, the state will continue to enroll people into Healthy Kids and the Oregon Health Plan. The simple answer is that we can't afford not to.

We are able to expand health coverage to 80,000 uninsured Oregon children and some 35,000 very low-income adults thanks to the provider tax and a large amount of federal funds, both of which are dedicated to this effort.  That means that even if we stopped enrolling today, we would not save any state funds that could be used for other programs, and we'd have to leave over $100 million in federal funds back in Washington. (Another example of a dedicated tax is the gas tax, which can only be used for roads or transportation projects.)

The choice before us is not between providing health care coverage or providing in-home care for seniors. It's between providing health care coverage or nothing at all.

But the loss of this revenue isn't the only reason we can't afford to stop now. Expanding coverage is the first step in reining in the high cost of health care. If we don't take this first step now, the ever-rising cost of health care will continue to eat up dollars that could be invested more strategically or that could meet other societal needs. Put simply, health care costs are rising at twice the rate of our state revenues and outstripping the ability of states, individuals, and business to keep up.

This is our chance to invest non-state dollars in a way that will save state dollars later. When our children and our most vulnerable adults don't have health coverage, they don't get the health care they need when they need it. They are far more likely to go without regular check-ups and low-cost preventive care, and to end up seeking expensive care in an emergency room instead. We all pay the high cost of that care - now and in the future health of our children.
 

There are several ways you can help:

1.    Become an application assistor!  The Oregon Healthy Kids plan will attempt to enroll 95 percent of uninsured children in Oregon in a quality health insurance product that includes vision and dental coverage. SBHCs are uniquely positioned to locate uninsured children and can help their families get the coverage their kids need to find a health care home. Sign up for the four hour application assistor training that is offered from DHS.

What you should know:

• SBHCs (like all other providers) are not eligible to receive the $50 per child successfully enrolled in the program. However, your revenue will increase as you decrease your amount of uncompensated care.
• Your school, PTA, service clubs or other groups may be eligible to receive $50 per child successfully enrolled in OHP. Consider asking these or other partners to sign up as application assistors.
• Click here for more information.

2.    Market the Oregon Health Plan to your clients, families and school community. Let them know there is help available.

3.    Set up a contract to be paid for services - Contact your Oregon Health Plan providers!  Let us know if you have any difficulties in establishing contracts with these health plans.
 

The Network's Role
The Oregon School-Based Health Care Network intends to build a model for expanding Healthy Kids enrollment for children who attend schools with SBHCs.

The Network has received a grant from the state to build outreach and enrollment for the Healthy Kids program. Initially, and in cooperation with the Commissions on Children and Families in Washington and Yamhill Counties, the Network will support outreach and enrollment in four high schools.  These schools were selected due to the high proportion of students who are uninsured, qualify for free/reduced price lunch, and who reside in communities in which unemployment has skyrocketed since 2007.

Our goal is to improve enrollment in these counties, and to share the lessons we learn with SBHCs across the state to develop “best practices” for enrollment.

SBHCs have a unique opportunity and responsibility to market Healthy Kids to an established audience of eligible children and families. 

Increased enrollment in Healthy Kids will translate directly to increased sustainability for your SBHC.

Of the 25,000 children who accessed health care from Oregon SBHCs during the 2008-2009 school year, 47% reported that they had no insurance.

For more information, contact Betse Thielman, Healthy Kids in Schools Program Director, at the Network by calling (503) 813-6400 or e-mailing betse@osbhcn.org.  

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