Covering California's Kids: Outcomes from Children's Health Initiatives in California
Approximately one-third of the uninsured children in California do not qualify for existing federal and state health insurance programs due to family income eligibility thresholds or undocumented immigration status. To address this gap, several California counties have formed coalitions known as Children's Health Initiatives and designed locally funded and operated Healthy Kids health insurance programs. Funded by the California Endowment and First 5 California, Covering California's Kids: Outcomes from Children's Health Initiatives in California examines the outcomes and policy implications of CHIs and Healthy Kids in the state. The report finds that Healthy Kids enrollees use services at rates close to or better than those for state programs such as Healthy Families and Medi-Cal, though improvements are needed in data-reporting measures to achieve consistency in reporting and to allow state-level comparisons.
