Healthy Kids of Santa Cruz County is a program of the Health Improvement Partnership (HIP) and is a coalition of some two dozen community partners who are working together to improve the health and well-being of local children.
The coalition is dedicated to improving access to health care by working to cover all Santa Cruz County children. Since 2004, Healthy Kids has enrolled over 23,000 local children into Healthy Kids, Medi-Cal and Healthy Families coverage programs.
Partnering with the County Health Services Agency, County Human Services Department, First 5 and the Central California Alliance for Health, Healthy Kids helps maintain an extensive network of Certified Application Assitors (CAAs) who provide targeted outreach and enrollment services.
The CAAs are situated at schools, clinics and community centers throughout the County and are able to streamline and expedite complex enrollment processes so children are efficiently enrolled in a program for which they are eligible. Working through the CAAs, Healthy Kids enrolls children into Medi-Cal and Healthy Families, existing public programs for low income children.
Healthy Kids also raises funds necessary to provide health coverage to an additional 1,150 local children who are ineligible for Medi-Cal or Healthy Families. Healthy Kids covers children from families who earn up to 300% FPL or about $69,150 for a family of four.
The mission of Healthy Kids is to improve the health and well-being of low-income children by providing them with health insurance, thereby ensuring access to comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and mental health services.
A healthy child has a greater chance of growing up to be a healthy adult.
Health insurance makes both medical and fiscal sense. Uninsured children are five times more likely to be treated in an Emergency Room, the only alternative for the uninsured - and the most expensive.
In contrast, health insurance links families to a primary care physician, reducing the need for costly Emergency Room visits, which are ultimately paid for by consumers and taxpayers. Preventive care saves money by remedying minor problems before they become urgent and expensive.
Two main strategies:
Health insurance programs for children are cobbled together from several different programs relative to a child's age, family income, and residency status.
Complex enrollment processes are difficult to navigate. Many working families simply don't qualify. Others don't understand the complicated eligibility standards.
The result leaves too many children uninsured, which compromises their chance to achieve a healthy, productive future.
Healthy Kids of Santa Cruz County is a Health Plan initially made possible by local government and other agency funding.
It provides comprehensive medical, vision, and dental care, timely vaccinations, mental health and in- and out-patient hospital visits.
Modeled after similar, pioneering programs in Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco Counties, the Plan is endorsed by the Medical Society of Santa Cruz County and leading physicians.
Thanks to the community-wide coalition lead by local health care and other leaders, uninsured children in Santa Cruz County are now efficiently linked to a primary care physician and have a medical home via health insurance.
Whether children come from families who are homeless or from single-parent households that struggle to survive on minimum wage, they will have access to the basic health care they need and deserve.
Thank you!
Sponsors of 200 Kids ($204,000+)
Sponsors of 100 Kids ($102,000+)
Sponsors of 40 Kids ($40,800+)