Rural Alabama Area Health Education Center Receives Covering Kids Grant

ROCKFORD, Ala – The Rural Alabama Area Health Education Center and Caring For Coosa’s Children has been awarded $126,779 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help connect eligible uninsured children to free and low-cost health coverage in Chilton, Coosa, and Elmore Counties, announced Tracy Carter, statewide project director for Covering Kids & Families, based at The University of Alabama.

“Thousands of Alabama’s uninsured families do not realize they qualify for Medicaid, ALL Kids, or the Caring Program for Children,” said UA’s Carter. “With generous funding and support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, we are better equipped to identify and enroll eligible children for coverage.”

“Central Alabama Connections will serve as a resource for Central Alabama counties to connect their eligible uninsured families to Medicaid, ALL Kids and the Child Caring Program for Children,” said Marty Rittmann, local site coordinator. “My initial emphasis will be working with underserved populations — recently unemployed, Hispanic, small business and farms,” Rittmann added.

The grant is part of Covering Kids & Families, a four-year, $55 million, national initiative of RWJF that offers grants to statewide and local coalitions throughout the country to increase the number of eligible children and adults benefiting from federal and state health care coverage programs.

Working through these coalitions, CKF will build on the work and experience of Covering Kids, a three-year initiative of the Foundation that has worked to enroll uninsured children in public health coverage programs. As with Covering Kids, CKF also will work to involve private and volunteer organizations (e.g. churches, businesses, health plans, providers, foundations) in partnership with traditional child advocacy organizations and state officials in these efforts.

Medicaid, ALL Kids, and the Caring Program for Children jointly offer free or low-cost health care coverage for eligible children.

In Alabama, a family of four earning up to $36,200 a year or more may qualify for coverage. Eligibility is based on family size and household income. Benefits include doctor visits, immunizations, medications, eyeglasses, and dental care. There are an estimated 70,000 uninsured children in Alabama — with 50,000 or more eligible for one of Alabama’s three health care coverage programs for children.

“Covering Kids & Families will build on the success of Covering Kids and ensure that even more eligible children get the health care coverage they need and deserve,” said Judith Whang, senior program officer at RWJF. “Our experience has shown that informing working families about these programs and simplifying the enrollment process are critical components in getting eligible children enrolled. Through CKF we plan to keep up our efforts to see that the low-cost and free health care coverage programs offered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are fully utilized.”

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, N.J., is the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care. It concentrates its grant making in four goal areas: to assure that all Americans have access to basic health care at reasonable cost; to improve care and support for people with chronic health conditions; to promote healthy communities and lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social, and economic harm caused by substance abuse — tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs.

For more information regarding Medicaid, ALL Kids, or the Caring Program for Children call 1-888-373-5437. For more information about the Central Alabama Connection local initiative call Marty Rittmann at 256-377-1450 or 256-839-1020.