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CHILDREN’S HEALTH INITIATIVE
Health Insurance for the Children of Santa Clara County
What is the Children’s Health Initiative?

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, Working Partnerships USA and People Acting in Community
Together(PACT)have established the goal that 100% ofthe children residing in Santa Clara County have access to
quality health care through comprehensive health insurance. To meet this goal, the Children’s Health Initiative
incorporates several major program components:
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Every child in Santa Clara County shall have access to regular health care as a result of being insured.

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No uninsured child who is a resident of Santa Clara County, with a family income at or below 300% of the
federal poverty level, shall be turned away from receiving health coverage.

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The Outreach Plan become a model 'best practices' program within the State of California, with program
elements which include education offamilies on the appropriate use of their benefits and the health care
system, and improvement of enrollment retention.

What is Healthy Kids?

Healthy Kids is the essential component in helping reach the goal of making health insurance accessible to all
children in the County. Created by a public-private partnership which was formed for this purpose, it is a new,
locally funded health insurance product designed to fill in the gap for those who do not qualify for existing
programs and are financially unable to purchase coverage. Benefits include the following:
• Complete medical coverage including check-ups
» Specialist care
® Inpatient and outpatient hospital services

Vision care
Dental care

Prescription coverage

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Mental health care

24-hour nurse advice line

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Alcohol & drug treatment

Health education and many other services

Who is eligible for Healthy Kids?

All children who are residents of Santa Clara County, uninsured, under age 19, with families earning 300% of
federal poverty level or less, and ineligible for Medi-Cal or Healthy Families.
What is the benefit to the community?

“Children's access to health insurance and health care are important determinants ofbetter health
outcomes and readiness to learn. A regular source ofcare is particularly importantfor children in
assuring that appropriate preventive services are provided, acute and chronic conditions are diagnosed
and treated in a timely manner, and that children’s development is adequately monitored. Furthermore,

children’s regular access to preventive services can decrease their needfor emergency and specialized

services. ”

—Institute for Health Policy Solutions

Providing health coverage to children is the morally, medically and financially right thing to do. Supervisor
Jim Beall encourages you to participate in the County-wide effort in reaching out to help our children by contacting
Marta Avelar, Community Relations Director, Santa Clara Family Health Plan at(408) 254-5988.