November 06, 2014
By Brian Lyman,
A Georgetown University study released Wednesday found Alabama led the South in providing health insurance to children, and ranked the state among the best in the nation on that issue.
The report from the university’s Center for Children and Families said 4.3 percent of Alabama’s children lack insurance, a figure that was the best in the South and the 10th best in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report said Alabama had cut the number of uninsured children by 18 percent since 2011.
The study’s authors credited the state’s implementation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), known in Alabama as ALL Kids. The program provides insurance to children in families who make up to 300 percent of the poverty level, or about $71,550 a year for a family of four. Families enrolled in the program pay a sliding scale on premiums, depending on their income levels.
Joan Alker, executive director of the CCF and a co-author of the study, said in an interview Thursday that Alabama had done a good job “reducing red tape barriers” to the program.
“What makes a difference at the state level is whether the state puts out the welcome mat for children and families,” she said. “Do they make it easy for children and families to enroll in coverage? Can you submit applications electronically? Can you submit it over the phone?”
Alker credited ALL Kids director Cathy Caldwell with doing some “very excellent work” on that regard. Caldwell said in an interview that the program had stressed outreach throughout its existence and had a good partnership with the Alabama Medicaid Agency.
“We have always tried to make our printed materials as well as the processes and procedures as family friendly as possible, (and) we’ve tried to get beyond looking like bureaucratic program,” Caldwell said. “We’re just being conscious of being a family-friendly procedure.”
The report was an unusual bit of good news in a state used to being on the low end of human development rankings. Jim Carnes, a spokesman with Alabama Arise, which works on poverty issues, said Alabama in the late 1990s took advantage of an early opportunity to participate in CHIP, and that commitment has come down.
“Alabama has a strong record on children’s coverage, and that’s been a point of pride for many of our leaders,” Carnes said. “It’s something legislators often point to as an example of how things can work.”
The Alabama Legislature expanded eligibility for the program in 2010. More than 88,000 children participate in ALL Kids.
Alker said the state would see clear benefits from the coverage, including sparing the state expenses from treating the uninsured, such as emergency room visits.
“We know that when children have health coverage, they’re more likely to get the preventative and primary care they need,” she said. “They’re more likely to succeed in school. Having a child insured also protects a family from bankruptcies that can result from unpaid medical bills. There’s lots of research to show having insurance improves access to services for kids.”
Virginia had the second-highest coverage of children in the South, with 5.4 percent uninsured. About 9.6 percent of Georgia’s children, and 11.1 percent of Florida’s kids, lack health insurance coverage.
About 48,000 Alabama children are uninsured. Alabama Arise said nearly 40 percent of those children live in rural areas. The group has strongly advocated Medicaid expansion as way of reaching those children and their families. Gov. Robert Bentley opposes the move, saying it could strain the state’s General Fund.
