Many children remain uninsured and not eligible for Medi-Cal and Health Families.

A Publication of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Approximately 275,000 children ages 0-17 from families with incomes below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) were uninsured and not eligible for Medi-Cal or Healthy Families in 2001. A majority of the uninsured-and-not-eligible children were between the ages of six and 17, while only onein seven were between the ages of zero and five. Health insurance coverage is important to ensure adequate preventive health care during the critical period of children’s growth when undiagnosed health problems can lead to developmental delays and lifelong impairments. In California, children from the most limited income families – below 250% FPL – are eligible for either Medi-Cal or Healthy Families. Consequently, children who live in families whose incomes exceed 250% FPL, or who do not meet residency requirements, cannot qualify for these public statewide health insurance programs and they remain uninsured. This policy brief provides data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2001) on children from limited-income families (below 300% FPL) who were uninsured and not eligible for the Medi-Cal or Healthy Families programs. The data presented here serve as baselines for county-level efforts occurring through public-private partnerships that have emerged across California to extend health care coverage to this vulnerable population. The upcoming release of CHIS 2003 data will reflect the impact and success of such local initiatives to address this public health issue.