Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116887

Dolly T. Yang, MPH, Michael R. Cousineau, DrPH, Maxanne Hatch, MPA, and Gregory D. Stevens, PhD. Division of Community Health, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 1000 S. Fremont Avenue, Building A7, Rm 7410, Alhambra, CA 91803, 626-457-4037, dollyyan@usc.edu

This paper presents results of an evaluation of pilot projects in Los Angeles and Fresno that identified and linked uninsured children in child care with public health insurance coverage. Monthly data collection and focus group sessions with project organizations were employed to assess the process of building a sustainable referral system for child health insurance enrollments through a resource and referral agency, the effectiveness of delivering information to families, and the outcomes of the programs.

To address knowledge and enrollment barriers, a variety of outreach programs have been implemented to educate parents about their eligibility for public insurance options and provide assistance with enrollment. Common outreach venues include schools, charitable organization meetings, and health care delivery sites. The child care community also presents a valuable and un-tapped resource for reaching families with uninsured children.

The evaluation revealed that the outreach and enrollment conducted by child care organizations can be sustained on many levels. For both pilot projects, a referral system between a child care resource and referral entity and a program that enrolls children into health coverage programs can be maintained at a relatively low and manageable cost. To engage child care providers, however, efforts to cultivate programs encouraging this population to refer families for health insurance enrollment may be necessary. The study found that child care providers are difficult to reach, scattered, and often too busy to add on extra duties. Therefore, incentive programs may be key to gaining the attention and allegiance of child care providers.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to

• Describe the issue of uninsured children in California
• Understand the process of outreach and enrollment in public health insurance programs
• Articulate key findings and recommendations for increasing the number of children with health coverage.

Keywords: Child Care, Insurance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.