San Jose Mercury News
Tuesday, August 13, 2002

HEALTHIER KIDS
MEDICAL COVERAGE PROGRAM FOR POOR CHILDREN STARTED OUT AS  N UNREALISTIC DREAM, BUT NOW IS A MODEL FOR OTHER COUNTIES

In a landmark of perseverance, Santa Clara County's home-grown Healthy Kids program announced last week that it had surpassed 10,000 members.

Healthy Kids started out as what many regarded as an unrealistic dream of making sure every child in the county has health insurance. It is now considered the flagship for similar efforts in other large counties statewide.

From the beginning, the program has been a monument to coalition-building. Activist groups and county health providers, first rebuffed by the city of San Jose, went on to win over the county Board of Supervisors, and put together an initial financial base of tobacco settlement money and cigarette tax money.

Recruiters enroll low-income and middle-income children in whichever program they qualify for. Many thousands have been signed up for Medi-Cal and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, as well as the 10,000 now enrolled in the county's Healthy Kids. Renewal rates have been gratifyingly high.

Money-raising efforts have targeted everyone from the largest foundations down to individuals who visit Great America, Raging Waters or Camera Cinemas this month. While tobacco settlement and cigarette tax sources are expected to continue providing $5 million a year, the Santa Clara Family Health Plan wisely is lining up other reliable sources.

San Francisco, Alameda County and San Mateo County are among the Bay Area communities following Santa Clara County's lead, as are Los Angeles and other counties in Southern California. Santa Clara County's Healthy Kids program can take pride in leading the way toward the day when every California child has access to affordable health care.

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