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SANTA CLARA COUNTY CHILDREN'S HEALTH .INITIATIVE

Kids’insurance program
proves a healthy success

D 283,766
JUL

31. 2081

FIRST SUCH PLAN IN U.S.

ENROLLS 15,000 SO FAR,

ATTRACTS 100 EACH WEEKDAY
By Michelle Guide
MercurjjNetvs

Johnny Duong is just 2 years old, but he remem

bers there were shots involved last time he went to

the doctor. This time, Johnny’s got a cough and innny nose and needs just an exam. But he clings to his

father for protection because at the moment, his ba

by sister, Jenny, is getting

three shots — and Johnny
suspectshe’snext,.
Johnny’s too young to

SIGN^iPRATE

understand the relief his

T!ie number of children

parents feel when it’s time
to pay the doctor. Just six

July 25for the three plans

months ago, the office visit
would have cost the Du

ong family $350. But be

cause they signed up for

health insurance under

Santa

Clara

County’s

who have signed up as of

available through the
Santa Clara County

Children's Health Initiative;

Medi-Cal:4,875

Healthy Families:5,227

first-in-the-nation plan to. Healthy iQds:5,435
provide coverage to all Total:15,537
children, the cost was a
mere $5 co-payment.
Since January more

Source: Children's Health Initiative

than 15,000 children have been signed up thi'ough

the county’s Children’s Health Initiative. When they

asked San Jose for money before the program’s de
but,initiative officials told the city tiiey hoped to have

600 San Jose children signed up by the end of June.

More than 10,000 young city residents were en

Medical assistant Hien Nguyen, left, looks through
files^vhileThuy NguV'eYand her 6-month-old
daughter, Jenny Duong, wait to.see a doctor at Sanmedical
Jose's Premiere Care Doctors Group

rolled, and on average throughout Santa Clara Coun
ty, more than 100 idds are signed up for the innova
tive program each weekday.
“The numbers are stupendous,” said Bob BrownSec INSURANCE..8ac/c Page

rV'T.:

I wo-year-old Johnny Duong is measured for

height during his medical checkup by Hein
Nguyen,a medical assistant

"This is very much a relief to me

because things can happen at any time.
Now, no matter what happens,
my kids will have insurance."

- JOHNNY DUONG'S FATHER, XAI OUONG

Copyrighted material reprinted with permission. For educational use only.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY CHILDREN'S HEALTH INITIATIVE

NSURANCEI Kids’program enrolls thousands

Continuedfrom Page M

"They are usually so happy to hear

stein, public policy director for the labor-

affiliated Working Partnerships U^.

their_ children to have good preventive

well and signing people up.The program

faith-based People Acting in Community

cal care.”

spring
0 ma*.e health insurance
for all ofthe county's children a reality.

about it because these parents all want
^

“Ifs not just that we’re doing outreach

Working Partnerships,_ ^ong with

is working and people are getting medi

Together, have worked tirelessly smce

The only worry now is whether the re
cent economic downturn in Silicon Val
gram at the same time risingjoblessness
is likely to drive up the number of chil
dren who need coverage. But backers

ment money. And the commission that
controls the tobacco tax money has

Tlie unprecedented plan is the first

er $1 million for next year. And the Santa

kicked in $2 million both last year and

are confident the initiative vfill weather
the troubles.

this year. San Jose already has contrib
uted $1.4 million and has pledged anoth

real test of whether universal health

care for children can work. It’s some-

-

tiling no city, state or federal agency has

h

Clara Family Health Plan has given'$I
million. The hope is that foundations,in

elty ofthe initiative — which was creat- :^

dividuals and the private sector will

^

make up the difference of about $7 millionayear.

ed to- take advantage of the 20-year

Toward that end,the initiative is using
a $350,000 Packard Foundation grant

windfall from the national tobacco set

tlement and California’s tobacco tax —

for its fundraisi:^ efforts, said Leona

has drawn national media attention.

Butler, CEO of the Santa Clara Fhmily

Hedth Plan. With that money the Santa

Action in other counties
In January, the San Francisco Health

Clara Family Health Foundation was

formed, and Craig Walsh — former se-

Commission approved a similar pro

nior marketing manager for the San

gram — on a much smaller scale — and

San Diego County officials have invited a

head the tod^sing effort.

Santa Clara County contingent to help
that county set up its program.

laptop computers for outreach workers
and Walsh said he's confident that’s just

iding health care to children
whose families earn too much or other

the beginnir^.

wise don’t qualify for free government

assistance, and make too little money to

Private sector responding

ance — the children who’ve fallen

the kids out there with the money we’re
getting from the city and county and
public sector,” Walsh said. “And &e re

pay for private or even subsidized insur

‘We can insure about 40 percent of

thi-ough the health-cai-e safety net for
years.

When families in Silicon Valley can
bai-ely pay their housing food and trans

sponse in the private sector has been

becomes a luxury. Fbr the Duong family

. talnty in Silicon Valley has made the job

good. Everyone is behind what we're
trying to do .. but economic uncer-

portation costs, preventive health cai-e

cause things can happen at any time,’’
said Johnny’s father, Xai Duong a pro-

duction manager at Serra Electronics in

Dr. Dung My Phan examines the eyes of Jenny Duong, who also received three

^

vaccinations during her visit to Premiere Care Doctors Group.

of securing corporate and private dona

tions more difficult.

Although there are no numbers yet to
support it, initiative officials believe that

recent layoffs in the valley have boosted
and Healthy Families — which are state
•The Duongs, because of their income their enrollment numbers. Many people
aiid federally funded progi-ams and a level, qualified for Healthy Kids, which who have been laid off can’t afford the

San Jose. His company pays the insur- newly formed Healthy Kids plan admin- Xm Duong heard about tlirough a col- federal Cobra payments necessary to

ance premiums for Duong and his wife, istef^ by tlie Santa Clara Fhmily feague. "She said, "This is cheap and keep their healui insurance benefits, so
Thuy Nguyen, but doesn’t cover the 'Health Plan, an HMO that provides ' they have nice people there,’” he said, theyaretumingtotheinitiativefortemIdds. “Now,no matter what happens, my health care for Medi-Cal and He'Utliy "Then I called and it was so easy to sign poraryhelp.

lads ivill have insurance.’’

Under Santa Clara County’s plan, for

Families recipients.

Medi-Cal covers families who live un-

up-—I couldn't believe it.”

The Duongs pay $12 - mnnhji to cover

$14 million a year, the estimated 70,000 der, at, or near the federal poverty line, the'hoffice.'.visite
the'h- two
two children.
children. Routine
Routine office;.visits

available under the Children's

Health Initiative. All plans

include medical, dental and
vision coverage

Healthy Kids was created for children

for a family offour to qualify

forMedi-Ca! is $2,042.

Healthy Families —a state
program that kicks in for those
who make 150 percent to 250
percent of the federal poverty

line. The maximum monthly
income forafamijy offour to

qualify for Healthy Families is

$3,678.

HeaHhy Kids — a program
to reach out to ^ose
children whose families fell

the cracks: _

-n,e maximum monthly income

for, ^milyoffourtoquallfV
for neaixhy Kids is ^,413.

For more intermation about

the various plans, cal!toll-free,

(888)244-5221

Source Santa Clara County Children's
Health Initiative

UPCOMING EVENTS
Tutvire Cliildren’s Health
Initiative

applicafion-assistance events;
JUSTICE FOR JANITORS

Saturday, Aug.1'
10 am.to 2 p.m.
1010 Ruff Drive,San Jose

(Service Employees

International Union Local 187
office).
For more information about

"Thepenalty for success is that you’ve

this event(408)280-7770.

es keep up,” Brownstein said.'We’re go-

plans for a full range of services,indud- cent of the federal poverty level, or of an illness. Their doctor, Dung My ing to have to do fester fiindraising in a

ing checkups, immunizations, dental $44,136 year for a family offour.

make less than 150 percent
above tlie federal poverty line.
Tie maximum monthly income

Brownstein is quick to point out that

it’s cnicialto keep the money coming in.

children up to age 19 here who lack in- while under the Healthy Families pro- are free and,a $5 co-payment is charged got to make sure your financial resourc-

surance can be covered by one of three gram, a family can make up ;o 250 per- if a child needs to see a doctor because
and vision care, prescription drugs and

qtiaiifyforihethreeprograms

, . . , families make up to three
times the federal poverty level.

$o00.000, Hewlett-Pactod donated

The unique feature of the program

here is

and tiiousands lilce them, affordable
health coverage was out of reach until
they heard about the program.
"This is very much a relief to me be

femiiyoffourmustmeetto

Santa Clara County has pledged §3 •
Medi-Cal — a federally funded
million a year from its tobacco settle
state program for those who

ley will slow private funding for the pro

tried before. And the boldness and nov-

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

^em are the income levels a

Phan, said since January that she has slower economy.”
urged patients who come to her office

hospital stays. In some cases, there are whose families fall through .ffie^^cks: jwthout insurance to sign up for the pro- ^IF YOU'RE INTERESTED

small premiums and co-payments in- undocumented immigrants
?gr^, regardless.of their immigration.-’^brinformationabouttheChilc'ren'sHealthlnivolved, but they’re based on a sliding qualify for state programs, or•children 'status,
tiative, call toll-free(888)244-522Z
scale and waived for femilies who can’t whose families make .up to tbree times^;.; ••4:-"Every time ,I,;^S:.phildren. under 19

DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY
reSTTVAL AND RESOURCE FAIR

Saturday,Sept 22.
10 am.to 3 p.m.
Roosevelt Park, Santa Clara

and 20th streets.

Copyrighted
material
reprinted
with
permission.
educational
use only.
it
afford to pay.
the federal
poverty le^^, or $52,956
a' fcbme
in whose
is pay cash, IFor
tell ContactMidielleGmf
Those three nroerams are Medi-Cal vear for a family offour.
them about the’.Drobram." she said. mffuido(S)siiTieTcurv.comorr408)295-S984.

For more information about

this event(408)277-5231..
Source: Mercury N ews rtcortinq