Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #120563

Peter Long, PhD (cand), The California Endowment, 21650 Oxnard Street Suite 1200, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, 800 449 4149, plong@calendow.org

With nearly ten million uninsured children in the U.S., expanding health insurance coverage and reforming the health system are top priorities of communities and policy makers. In particular, states with significant immigrant populations, like California, face additional challenges in providing affordable coverage options for uninsured children, especially undocumented immigrant children. Health foundations throughout the country have invested heavily in this issue through various initiatives designed to increase enrollment rates in health coverage programs and support research and policy efforts aimed at broader health reform. In California, there is growing momentum at the county level to develop locally managed children's health insurance products to expand coverage to all children. In 2003, The California Endowment's Board of Directors approved the $45 million, 5 year Children's Coverage Program (CCP), "to ensure that all children in California have access to high quality, affordable health care with a sustainable financing mechanism.' This paper will review the four strategic elements of CCP: 1) support for local Children's Health Initiatives, 2) development of a comprehensive policy framework, 3) implementation of a strategic communications campaign to raise awareness of the importance of this issue among policy makers and businessleaders, and 4) implementation of a comprehensive, independent, and real-time evaluation of the program. It will share lessons learned about the participation of private foundations in the policymaking process, the ability to translate pilot programs into state policies, and the experiences of public and private funders to work collaboratively to achieve broad societal goals.

Learning Objectives:

• Increase understanding of the role of philanthropy in expanding health coverage for children

Keywords: Access and Services,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation