Children’s Health Proposal Includes Public-Private Funding
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will review a proposal to expand health coverage to all uninsured children in the county, the Ventura County Star reports.
In the proposal, county Executive Officer Johnny Johnston recommends:
- Spending $400,000 to enroll more children in low-cost private and public health insurance programs;
- Continuing discounts at county clinics and Ventura County Medical Center for children ineligible for public insurance programs; and
- Supporting efforts to raise private funds for dental and vision insurance.
Of an estimated 32,000 uninsured children in the county, all but about 5,000 could receive coverage through existing insurance programs, research indicates.
Johnston's recommendation also states that the county should not fund the Children's Health Initiative to extend coverage. According to Johnston, most county CHI programs have waiting lists because they cannot afford to fund the program fully.
Supervisor Steve Bennett says Johnston's proposal annually would cost about $3.4 million less than a CHI program.
Next Steps
The board of supervisors' steering committee will meet Feb. 22 to examine various proposals for providing coverage to all uninsured children in the county, Dave Smith, president and CEO of the United Way of Ventura County, said (Wilson, Ventura County Star, 2/14).
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