Officials Campaign To Enroll Children in Health Plans
Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Belshé on Friday said enrolling all eligible California children in county Healthy Kids programs is the "No. 1 priority" of children's health insurance expansion efforts, the Fresno Bee reports.
Belshé spoke in Fresno as part of an "enrollment blitz" by state health officials, the Bee reports. Belshé said the campaign is targeting major cities with large Latino populations, including Fresno. According to the Bee, Latino children are more likely to be uninsured than other children in California.
About 428,000 children statewide are eligible for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families but are not enrolled. Belshé said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) in his May budget revision proposed spending $100 million to improve enrollment in the programs, including $23 million to eliminate waiting lists at county-based children's health initiatives (Anderson, Fresno Bee, 6/10).