PEDIATRICIANS SUPPORT COVERING KIDS AND FAMILIES CAMPAIGN

Washington, DC--- More than 9 million children and adolescents in America do not have health care coverage. Approximately 6 million of them are eligible for low-cost or free coverage either through Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), but are not yet enrolled, usually because families are unaware that they qualify. That's why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), representing the nation's pediatricians, is working as a national supporter of the Covering Kids & Families Back-to-School Campaign that is being launched today. The goal is to inform uninsured families through local events about these health care coverage programs.

"There is help for some uninsured children," said AAP President Carol Berkowitz, MD. "As we celebrate Medicaid's 40th anniversary and how it currently provides health care coverage to millions of children, we need to finish the job and enroll every eligible child."

In fact, according to an AAP study issued last week, there are more uninsured children in the United States than commonly believed because many children who experience gaps in insurance coverage for some part of the year are not being counted in the total number.

As critical as Medicaid and SCHIP are, the AAP believes the country should strive for one seamless program to cover every child. For the past five years, the Academy has endorsed federal legislation called "MediKids," which would insure every child from birth through age 22. It was introduced in the 109th Congress in June.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.