Eliminating barriers to health insurance
CKF-WI connects kids and their families with health insurance.
Kids who aren't worried about being hungry do better in school; the same applies to kids who are healthy. Because eligibility criteria for BadgerCare (Wisconsin's health-care program for uninsured families) and Medicaid are the same as for the Free and Reduced Price Lunch program, the start of the school year offers the best opportunities to enroll children who are eligible for health insurance. A 2003 Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services survey found that 79,000 of the state's children were without health insurance for at least part of the year.
Statewide coalition
The statewide Covering Kids and FamiliesÐWisconsin (CKF-WI) coalition works to simplify and coordinate health-care coverage for children, adults and families. The University of Wisconsin-Extension and the UW-Madison School of Human Ecology are lead agencies for the project, which is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Spreading the word
A statewide media campaign targets families of children as they prepare for the school year. Plans are underway to coordinate more fully with enrollment in Free and Reduced Price Lunch programs. CKF-WI has many partners, including the Salvation Army and Boys and Girls Clubs, which distribute flyers, bookmarks and stickers urging families to call a toll-free number to explore BadgerCare as an option. CKF-WI works with UW-Extension Family Living educators, Automated Health Services and others to provide enrollment assistance at community events; health fairs; Head Start; and Women, Infants, and Children Program and immunization clinics.
Back-to-school efforts to enroll kids in BadgerCare help families recognize the importance of being healthy in order to do well in school.
Increased enrollment
BadgerCare enrollment has increased significantly after back-to-school outreach efforts for the past several years. Clearly having a "local touch" boosts the recognition of statewide outreach efforts and leads to greater local access to health insurance. — Jo Futrell
For more information: CKF-WI Project Director and Health Policy Specialist Roberta Riportella,
rriporte@wisc.edu
(608) 263-7088
Help for your health-care decision making
Order your copy of University of Wisconsin-Extension's Advance Directives for Health Care, which includes Wisconsin Living Will, Power of Attorney for Health Care and Living Will forms.
Call 877-WIS-PUBS (947-7827). Ask for publication #B3604-A.
The cost per copy is $2.25 plus shipping and handling.