San Jose Mercury News
July 11, 2005

Healthy Kids shines brighter

SANTA CLARA COUNTY'S MODEL PROGRAM FOR NEEDY FAMILIES STILL GROWING
Mercury News Editorial

The cost of health care and the number of families without health insurance grows day by day across California.

But in the midst of that gloom, Santa Clara County's Healthy Kids insurance program stands as a beacon of hope for low- to moderate-income parents and their children.

Already copied throughout California and considered a model for the nation, the program is reaching new heights. At a time when many programs are cutting or fighting to maintain budgets, the Santa Clara Family Health Plan is expanding and will insure an additional 1,000 kids this year, bringing the total number of children covered by the program to 14,000.

Making the expansion possible is a $1.5 million funding increase from FIRST 5 of Santa Clara County, the commission that distributes the state's tobacco tax funds. The ultimate goal is to provide coverage for every uninsured child in the county.

Healthy Kids targets low- and middle-income families who do not qualify for government-sponsored health care, often because of their immigration status. The program offers comprehensive medical and dental coverage, including preventive care and health education services, with monthly premiums ranging from $4 to $18 a family. Financial assistance is available for families who cannot afford the premiums.

A majority of the families enrolled in the program are stable with roots in the area. According to a 2004 survey conducted by the Packard Foundation, three of four children enrolled in Healthy Kids live in two-parent households. More than 90 percent of those enrolled live in a household with at least one working parent, and more than half had lived in the county for more than two years before enrolling in the program. Nearly 90 percent of the kids have household incomes below 200 percent of the poverty level.

The benefits to Santa Clara County go well beyond improving the health of some of the county's most vulnerable children. It also provides their parents with priceless peace of mind.

Kids who receive preventive medicine are far less likely to develop serious medical problems and require expensive treatment in hospital emergency rooms. The Healthy Kids program will ultimately reduce health care costs in Santa Clara County and reduce wait times in emergency rooms.

When the concept for the Healthy Kids program was first introduced, many thought it impossible. Building a coalition of activist groups, city and county governments, and health care providers was a herculean challenge. Creating and maintaining a dependable funding source in a depressed economy was seemingly an overwhelming obstacle.

Yet today the 4-year-old program stands proud and tall as one of the county's best examples of its can-do spirit.