November 25, 2013
By Mike Clifford,
BOSTON – New England states are leading the nation in a new report that compares states’ efforts to get health coverage to uninsured children, and Massachusetts is setting the pace. The Commonwealth was able to pull more than 1400 kids out of the ranks of the uninsured from 2010 to 2012. At the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, research associate professor and senior fellow Tricia Brooks credits the Bay State with creating a strong culture of coverage that is a model for the nation.
“Massachusetts is holding steady,” she said. “They have gotten under 2 percent uninsured kids for several years, since they got a jump start on health reform. ”
A poll also released by the Georgetown Center shows most Americans incorrectly assume that the numbers of children without health coverage have gone up, but Brooks said Massachusetts saw the number of insured kids drop by about 6 percent, with just over 20,000 local children now uninsured.
The Center’s executive director, Joan Alker, noted that many families can’t afford to buy their own health insurance right now, so it is vital that there are programs out there that are working, and states that are willing to let people know about them.
“Very few Americans are aware of the success that our country has had through Medicaid and CHIP in reducing the number of uninsured children,” Alker said. “And I think that’s an important ‘good news story’ that needs to get out.”
Tricia Brooks said several factors contribute to success, including a single-eligibility process so that everyone who applies in the Bay State gets connected to coverage.
“They have a very strong community-based partnership program with organizations that help people enroll and retain their coverage, and overall they have built a strong culture of coverage,” she said.
In the Georgetown poll, nine out of ten Americans agreed that all children in their state should have health coverage.
The full report is available at bit.ly/1dSXSzP.
