The California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) today announced the award of a three-year, $4.5 million grant to CaliforniaKids, a nonprofit organization that provides health insurance subsidies for children.

Approximately one million California children are uninsured. These children are less likely to have an established source of care and to receive the medical care they need. Parents can encounter serious financial problems if their children require costly medical care that they are unable to afford.

CaliforniaKids provides premium-subsidized health insurance for primary care to children ages 2 to 18 from low-income families. The program has served more than 65,000 children whose parents cannot afford private medical insurance. These children do not qualify for statewide public health insurance programs because they do not meet income or immigration qualifications. The benefits package includes preventive and primary care (medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs, and some mental health services), but does not include inpatient hospital care.

Some California communities provide insurance subsidies through Healthy Kids programs, which typically offer a broad package of benefits including inpatient care. "CHCF believes the CaliforniaKids program offers a cost-effective alternative where local Healthy Kids products don't exist," said Marian Mulkey, senior program officer for CHCF's health insurance program.

CaliforniaKids has the potential to serve low-income children in locations, mostly rural and sparsely populated, that lack the resources and infrastructure to develop a local Healthy Kids program. In addition, in any area in which a Healthy Kids product is developed, CaliforniaKids will work to transition existing CaliforniaKids enrollees into the Healthy Kids program.

"This generous, multi-year grant from CHCF will help us expand to more areas, sustain existing enrollment, and develop longer-term strategies," said Michael Koch, executive director of CaliforniaKids.

Since 1998 CHCF has provided more than $21 million to subsidize the cost of health insurance premiums through established state- and county-based programs that have demonstrated unmet needs. In addition, through its Step by Step Initiative, CHCF has provided $3 million to support technical assistance for planning and implementation of local coverage expansion efforts in 25 California counties.