Kayla Tynes
Healthcare
According
to www.cdc.gov 7.8% of children under the age
of 18 have no access to healthcare.
Many programs are being readily available to administer to those with no
access to healthcare. The State
Children’s Health Insurance Program, which is administered, by Medicaid and
Medicare Services provides health insurance for uninsured children.
Former
Pennsylvania Governor Robert P. Casey signed the law House Bill 20, also known
as the Children’s Health Insurance Act.
HB 20 is a program designed to provide insurance coverage for children’s
whose family have a household income too high to qualify for Medical Assistance
and who can’t afford Private insurance.
CHIP was later used as model for the CHIP, a federal government program. Some families have incomes that are too
modest but too high for Medicaid.
SCHIP helps those families tremendously. There are an estimated 6.6 million children who are covered
by SCHIP.
Sates
have different options for designing CHPS: Medicaid expansion, Separate Child
Health Insurance Program or a Combination of the two approaches. States have different rules for eligibility. Uninsured children under the age of 19
whose families earn up to $36,200 a year are usually eligible. SCHIPS pays for: immunizations,
hospitalizations, doctor and emergency room visits.
CHIP
is ministered by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. It does not replace Medicaid. Mississippi has a coalition private
health related, public and non-private organizations that are committed to
improving Mississippi children healthcare. There are many places in Oxford, MS
that administer to the needy and unfortunate and help any way they can, places like
Allcare and the Pregnancy Test Center, both offering and help to those who need
it.
Allcare
Mississippi is located on West Jackson Avenue in Oxford MS.
Kimberly
Van-everly, a nurse practitioner at Allcare said, “We have people to come see
us from Grenada, Blue Mountain and Water Valley.”
Van-everly
is employed at Allcare and sees all kinds of cases. In March 2012, 29.2% were self pay, 21.6% were Medicaid,
3.2% and 3% are Medicare. In 2011 Allcare gave out $24,800 worth of free
healthcare. Allcare
provides all the medical needs for uninsured citizens. Allcare is one of the only clinic in
Oxford that provides pediatric forensic evaluation of sexual or physical abuse
assistance. If the patient has a condition where they need a referral Allcare
works in conjunction with other clinics that see the same type of children and
need the same kind of assistant.
It is up to the patient after that.
“We
do what we can here and refer them to people who we trust,” said Van-everly.
Sometimes
the parent of a child who is self -pay can’t pay for the referral
business. These families of
children have to find other means to support the doctor visit or remain with
the illness.
There
are many other health organizations for uninsured children in Oxford: Oxford Family Clinic, Allcare Medical Clinic,
Oxford Medical Ministries Clinic.
The Pregnancy Test Center also helps young women and even children as
young as 13.
The
Pregnancy Test Center works in conjunction with SIDS and can refer them to a
doctor. Most the young women have
Medicaid. Some of their
services are: free pregnancy tests, limited ultra sounds, confidential
consulting about pregnancy options, parenting help. All services are free and confidential and are offered
in a warm, caring environment.
Women earn points for all the classes they attend and with those points
they earn free stuff from the baby boutique, like diapers, clothes and bottles.
Peggy
Thomas, executive director said, “All services are free.”
The
center is a non-profit organization funded by individual services and they work
in conjunction with the Health Department and WICK.
There
are many options for a family attempting to receive health insurance for their
child. Families are urged to see
if their children are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. It is possible if the family has two children that one be
eligible for either program. Each
program takes applications and a required interview by the caretaker or parent
of the child. Household
income is what the eligibility is based on. It is important to make
arrangements before the child becomes ill. CHIP’s benefits are not retroactive.
CHIP
and Medicaid cover a wide range of services. Only uninsured children qualify for CHIP Services include: immunizations,
outpatient and in patient care, health screenings (visual and hearing exams),
lab services, doctor’s or clinic visits for well or sick-child care, dental and
mental care, prescription medications, hearing aids, eyeglasses. To apply a child for any Mississippi
Health Benefits one must bring proof of family income, proof of citizenship and
Social Security numbers for each person applying to the in-person required
interview. Eligibility for
children under 19 is continuous for one year. There are no deductibles or premiums. For more information on Health Benefits
for children families can call 1-877-KIDS-NOW.
