Published: April 07, 2007 06:29 pm            

Flashpoint: Support of child health-insurance programs essential

The forecasted “perfect storm” for access to health care has arrived. No one can argue that the challenges of the uninsured and underinsured have to be addressed, as the statistics are staggering. Among the more than 1.6 million children in our state, one in 10 has no health insurance. That’s 163,000 children statewide.

Think about that number. That is the number of children that could fill 2,964 school buses or create 18,111 Little League teams. We also know that there are more than 500,000 adults who are uninsured. That, too, is one out of 10 adults, many of whom are working but do not have access to affordable health insurance.

Statistics are a great way to illustrate the effects of this “perfect storm,” but they are just one part of the picture. One child without health insurance coverage is one too many. How might we address this growing concern?

One way is for Congress to reauthorize funding for the Indiana State Children’s Insurance Program. SCHIP has accomplished great strides; by the end of last year there were more than a half million Indiana children enrolled in SCHIP and Hoosier Healthwise, a state-administered program that has created a “safety umbrella” for children whose parents cannot afford private health insurance.

Another way is for our state legislators to pass Gov. Mitch Daniels’ Healthy Indiana Plan. With the ratification of a 50-cent cigarette tax, this plan could provide coverage to more than 200,000 uninsured adults in our state.

At St. Vincent Health, we see individuals lacking health insurance coverage on a daily basis. Not everyone without health insurance is at the poverty level. In fact, 57 percent of the uninsured are working families. They are our friends, neighbors, and families struggling every day, and they need help.

As a Catholic health system with the tradition of caring for the poor and the sick, St. Vincent Health provides care for those without the ability to pay. Last year, St. Vincent Health spent more than $103 million on charity care and community benefit, with much of that going to help individuals without insurance.

Cover The Uninsured Week, a national observance now in its fifth year, was designed to bring attention to this growing issue. During this year’s observance, the week of April 23-29, St. Vincent Health will sponsor several events throughout our 17 health-care facilities, including prayer breakfasts, health fairs and poverty simulations. We will also engage our associates and community partners in learning more about how to advocate for those who are uninsured.

We are calling on members of the community to sign petitions in support of HIP and the reauthorization of SCHIP. To sign the petitions, which takes only seconds, please visit www.stvincent.org.

Cover the Uninsured Week 2007 allows us to join with the community to address this “perfect storm” affecting each and every one of us. I invite you to join us in recognizing the needs of our fellow Hoosiers, and to work together to find a solution.

— Jerry Laue, administrator

St. Vincent Clay Hospital

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