The State Children's Health Insurance Program - Essay Example

Health insurance is essential for acquiring the best possible health care without worrying about its potential costs (U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services [UDHHS], 2011). In 1997, approximately 43.4 million people, with more than 10 million children, do not have health care coverage in the United States (Irvine, Zelder, & Esmail, 2002; American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations [AFLCIO], n.d.). The average cost of hospital stays is approximately $10,000, whereas the average asset of uninsured families is $20 (UDHHS, 2011).

Their assets, as well as those who belong to the 400% federal poverty level, cannot afford to pay for the price of health care services (UDHHS, 2011). Before the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was enacted, Medicare and Medicaid was the only available, federally funded health insurance program offered by the government. Medicare was specifically designed to help the aged, the retirees, the survivors, and the disabled among others, pay for health care services like: inpatient hospitalization, home health care, hospice care, physician consult, outpatient hospital, prescription drugs, and the like (Klees, Wolfe, & Curtis, 2010).

Medicaid, on the other hand, is the biggest source of government funding that covers medical, and other health-related services for the poorest people in the United States (Klees, Wolfe, & Curtis, 2010). However, Medicaid does not provide for all poor people; it covers only those who qualify for the inclusion criteria set by the legislators (Klees, Wolfe, & Curtis, 2010). The State Children’s Health Insurance Policy was established in 1997 to afford health care services to uninsured, low-income children; who were not eligible for Medicaid (American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 1997).

It provided nearly $40 billion for funding which was allocated to expand health insurance coverage to those who were uninsured; to those who were classified as belonging to the federal poverty level of 200% or below; and to those who were 19 years old or younger (Ryan & Shirk, 2009). Among the benefits offered by the program were physician consultation and specialist care, preventive and primary care for children including those with special needs, emergency care, hospital and dental care, vaccinations, and prescription drugs among others (Irvine, Zelder, & Esmail, 2002).

By 2005, twenty-nine million children were covered by Medicaid while SCHIP covered 7 million children in 2007 (Eskin & Ranji, 2009). The State Children’s Health Insurance Program helped millions of low-income children, as well as women, to acquire health care, and to reduce the rate of uninsured children by one-third in 10 years. In addition, the rate of uninsured families has also decreased by 2.2 million from a rate of 23% in 1997, to a rate of 14.4% in 2004 (AAP, 2007). Accesses to health care has also improved, as more children now have a medical home, have access to dental care; and are recipients of preventive care, such as provision of immunizations (AAP, 2007).

A person’s health is their own responsibility. However, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the availability, the affordability, as well as the accessibility of health care services. According to U.S. president Obama, health care should be the right of all, thus, no individual should be deprived from it (as cited in Pandit, 2008). References American Academy of Pediatrics. (1997). State insurance program: The state children’s health insurance program. Retrieved from http://www.aap.org/advocacy/schipsum.

htm American Academy of Pediatrics. (2007). State children’s health insurance program achievements, challenges, and policy recommendations. Pediatrics, 119 (6), 1224-1228. American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. (n.d.). America’s children shouldn’t go without health care: But they almost did! Retrieved from http://www.aflcio.org/issues/healthcare/schip.cfm Eskin, R., & Ranji, U. (2009). Children’s coverage and SCHIP reauthorization. Retrieved from http://www.kaiseredu.org/Issue-Modules/Childrens-Coverage-and-SCHIP- Reauthorization/Background-Brief.

aspx Irvine, C., Zelder, M., & Esmail, N. (2002). Medically uninsured Americans: Evidence on magnitude and implications. Canada: Kristin McCahon. Klees, B., Wolfe, C., & Curtis, C. (2010). Brief summaries of medicare and medicard. In The Social Security Act (Title XVIII, Title XIX). Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/MedicareProgramRatesStats/downloads/MedicareMedicaidSummaries2010.pdf Ryan, J., & Shirk, C. (2009). Reauthorizing SCHIP: A summary of selected issues. In National Health Policy Forum (Issue brief no.829). Retrieved from http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/ib829schipreauthorization010809.

pdf Pandit, E. (2008). Health care: Right or responsibility? Retrieved from http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2008/10/10/health-care-right-or-responsibility U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). Most uninsured unable to pay hospital bills according to new HHS report. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/05/20110510a.html