Pennsylvania Children’s Health Insurance Program receives grant

Children’s Health Insurance Program

Insurance program receives financial aid from National League of Cities

Health Insurance childrenPennsylvania’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has received funding that could help expand coverage to those in need. The National League of Cities, a advocacy organization representing some 19,000 cities throughout the U.S., has announced that it has provided CHIP with a $200,000 grant. This funding is meant to improve outreach to those that could benefit from Pennsylvania’s health insurance programs, including Medicaid. Initiatives designed to improve awareness are needed throughout the state, as many people do not realize that they have access to insurance programs that could benefit them.

New funding could help support outreach programs

Outreach is becoming more important in the wake of health care reform. Many people currently qualify for Medicaid coverage and other health insurance programs due to changes in state and federal laws, but they do not realize they qualify for these programs. As such, many people could be losing out on insurance coverage and medical care either for themselves or for their loved ones. In Pittsburgh alone, an estimated 2,000 children are eligible for CHIP, but have not yet received insurance coverage due to lack of awareness of this eligibility.

Negative stigma surrounding government aid could prevent many people from taking advantage of insurance programs

The stigma concerning government assistance is another problem that could be dispelled through effective outreach. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department suggests that people often avoid taking advantage of government programs and financial aid because of how they will be perceived by society. This means that an inordinate amount of people are going without insurance coverage simply because they would be receiving it from a government program. In some cases, this has made it difficult for the state’s insurance exchange to connect with consumers.

Outreach programs could help people better understand health care reform

Outreach programs could raise awareness and dispel some of the misconceptions that people have about health care reform and the availability of insurance coverage through government programs. There is no guarantee that such outreach initiatives will work, however, as the stigma against some of these programs is quite strong and supported by an overarching society.

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