“By strengthening health coverage for children, we are doing the right thing for our youngest citizens and for Colorado,” said Gov. Ritter. “We still have more work to do. We need to make it as easy for children in Colorado to get health insurance as it is for them to check out a library book.”
Since January 2007, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) has ensured health coverage for almost 83,000 children through Medicaid and nearly 23,000 through CHP+, for a total of 106,000 kids.
“Unlike many health problems facing kids in our country today, a lack of coverage is something we can collectively solve,” said Joan Henneberry, HCPF Executive Director. “We are making real progress. It’s time to finish the job.”
Despite significant strides made during the past several years, thousands of Colorado children remain uninsured. Gov. Ritter and HCPF will continue to work with organizations like All Kids Covered and other community partners to educate families about health coverage opportunities and enroll eligible children in public health care programs.
“Providing health coverage helps ensure our kids have the opportunity to grow into healthy adults, who live, work and thrive in every Colorado community,” said Gretchen Hammer, Executive Director of the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved, a lead partner of All Kids Covered. “We are grateful for Governor Ritter’s leadership and the tireless efforts of his administration, and know it does not compare to the peace of mind felt by the families of the over 100,000 kids who have been able to access care as a result.”
To celebrate the coverage of 100,000 kids under the Ritter administration and ensure those still in need remain at the forefront, the 40-plus organizations that make up the All Kids Covered Initiative held a “100-Yard Kids’ Dash to the Finish Line” along with other activities today at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver – J. Churchill Owen Branch. All Kids Covered includes the Colorado Children’s Campaign, Colorado Covering Kids and Families, and Metro Organizations for People.
