MILLIONS OF UNINSURED CHILDREN ELIGIBLE FOR
GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS

Washington, DC---More than 6 million of the 9 million uninsured children in this country are eligible to receive health care coverage through Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), but are not enrolled. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a national supporter of "Cover the Uninsured Week" (May 1-8), promotes outreach efforts and advocates for simplifying the enrollment process and other paperwork burdens so that eligible families can easily participate. In 2003, 4.1 million uninsured children were eligible for Medicaid, and 2.2 million uninsured children were SCHIP eligible, yet none of these children was enrolled.

"We need to do a better job of spreading the word among families that these programs are available," said AAP President Carol Berkowitz, MD. "We also have to make enrolling in Medicaid or SCHIP easy. The forms are too long and complicated."

Medicaid is the largest provider of health care to children. Congress is currently discussing potential federal Medicaid budget cuts, which the AAP opposes.

"Children become the inadvertent casualties when Medicaid funding is cut," Dr. Berkowitz said. "They make up the majority of Medicaid recipients. We need to fully fund Medicaid and work to enroll more eligible children."

While Medicaid and SCHIP are critical to those children who are eligible, the American Academy of Pediatrics believes the country should strive for one seamless program to cover every child. For the past five years, the Academy has endorsed federal legislation titled "MediKids," which would insure every child from birth through age 22. It will likely be introduced in the 109th Congress in May.

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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.