Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Healthy Kids Program Targets Clatsop County's Uninsured Youth



Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011

HEALTHY KIDS PROGRAM TARGETS UNINSURED YOUTH

All uninsured children living in Clatsop County are eligible to apply for Oregon’s Healthy Kids health coverage program.
An early initiative of the Oregon Health Authority, Healthy Kids provides no-cost, low-cost or full-cost comprehensive health coverage for kids and teens until their 19th birthday. A family’s income and the number of family members determine whether a child or teen qualifies for no-cost, low-cost or full-cost health coverage. For example, a family of four who earns up to $44,900 per year would be able to receive coverage for their children at no cost.
Healthy Kids coverage offers comprehensive medical, dental and vision care including prescriptions, medical equipment, regular check-ups, preventive care and mental health and chemical dependency services.
Judi Mahoney, Clatsop County’s new Healthy Kids Outreach and Enrollment Worker, stated that the goal of the program is to insure 95 percent of the county’s kids and teens. Oregon has already seen the rate of uninsured children cut in half since the Healthy Kids program launched in 2009. “We have high hopes that we can do the same for Clatsop County,” said Mahoney.
Margo Lalich, Clatsop County Public Health director, added that “improved health is dependent upon access to quality health care and preventive services. With the expansion of health coverage to children in Clatsop County, more children will now have access to primary and preventive care, leading to healthier children who grow into healthier adults.”
Outreach and application assistance for the Healthy Kids program in Clatsop County is funded by a Targeted Outreach Grant from the Oregon Health Authority’s Office of Healthy Kids.
Due to the efforts of outreach workers and local agencies that assist families, more than 3,000 applications have been completed for kids and teens in Clatsop County since 2009. This represents more than a 38 percent increase in the number of children and teens ages 0-18 who now have access to the care they need.
For more information about Healthy Kids or to apply for Healthy Kids health coverage for your child, contact Healthy Kids Outreach and Enrollment Worker Judi Mahoney at (503) 358-2333 or via email at: judimahoney@yahoo.com (Hablamos español).

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622

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