Expand Medical Coverage to Undocumented Children
Every immigrant child has the right to go to school.
Every child should also have the right to healthcare.
Connecticut provides healthcare coverage to the state’s most vulnerable, low-income children, but leaves out undocumented, immigrant children. California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Washington, Oregon, and Washington DC have expanded their programs to cover all income-eligible children regardless of immigration status.
We must expand health coverage to undocumented children.
Why it matters: Uninsured children are much less likely to get necessary medical care, preventive care, or timely treatment for illness or injuries. Lack of access has broad implications: healthcare affects school performance, lifelong health, and future earning potential.
What Connecticut can do: Expanding coverage to undocumented children reduces the number of uninsured children, improves educational and health outcomes, reduces emergency room usage, and lowers uncompensated care for hospitals.
We must invest in the well-being of our next generation.
What would it cost? Projections based on other state programs show that expanding coverage to undocumented, low-income children would cost Connecticut $2,482 per child. Approximately 10,000 – 12,000 children could apply for this coverage.
What are the benefits? Assuring medical access to all children reduces expensive, uncompensated emergency care, increases access to primary care and early detection of chronic disease, and has enormous long-term impact: improved academic success, higher rates of high school graduation, college attendance, future job prospects and income.
Every child must have the right to access healthcare and look forward to a safe, healthy, productive future.
How can you help? Email Jay Sicklick or call 860-570-5327 ext 257
Links and Resources
HB 1053: An Act Expanding Medicaid and HUSKY B Coverage for Children
To provide Medicaid and Husky B coverage to immigrant children regardless of legal immigration status.
For information, please email Jay Sicklick, Esq. or Patricia Marealle, Esq.
Feb 19, 2019 Caucus Testimony in Support of Raised Bills S.B. 835 (An Act Expanding Medicaid Coverage for Children) and H.B. 6540 (An Act Concerning the Prevention of HIV) Jay E. Sicklick, Deputy Director, Center for Children’s Advocacy
Usual Source of Care and Unmet Need Among Vulnerable Children, 1998-2006, Pediatrics, 2016
Unauthorized Immigrants Spend Less than Other Immigrants and US Natives on Health Care, HealthAffairs.org, Jul 2013
Trends in Access to Health Care Services for US Children- 2000-2014, Pediatrics, Vol 138, Num 6, Dec 2016
Role of Public Health Insurance in Reducing Child Poverty, Academic Pediatrics, Vol 16, Num 3S, Apr 2016
Long-Term Impacts of Medicaid Exposure in Early Childhood, HHS Public Access, Author Manuscript, Boudreaux, Michel; Golberstein, Ezra; McAlpine, Donna, Jan 2016
Long-term health impacts of Medicaid and CHIP, Journal of Health Economics, Oct 2015
Long-Term Health Effects of Early Life Medicaid Coverage, Miller, Sarah; and Wherry, Laura, Jul 2014
Stability of Children’s Insurance Coverage and Implications for Access to Care, Int Health Care Finance Econ, 2014
Saving Teens – Using Policy Discontinuity to Estimate Effects of Medicaid Eligibility, National Bureau of Economic Research, Aug 2012
Policy Campaign- One State’s Journey to Influence the Reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Journal of Pediatric Health Care, Vol 30, Num 4, 2016
Covering Undocumented Immigrants – State Innovation in California
When the CHIPs Are Down Health Coverage and Care at Risk for U.S. Children, New England Journal of Medicine, Feb 2018
Models and Momentum for Insuring Low-Income Undocumented Immigrant Children in California, Health Affairs, Vol 22, Iss 1, Jan/Feb 2003
Medicaid and CHIP Premiums and Access to Care- A Systematic Review, Pediatrics, Vol 137, Num 3, Mar 2016
Literature Review – Uninsured Healthcare Costs
Immigrant Children’s Access to Health Care- Differences by Global Region of Birth, Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, Vol 21, Num 2, May 2010
How Well Is CHIP Addressing Primary and Preventive Care Needs and Access for Children, Academic Pediatrics, Vol 15, Num 3S, May-Jun 2015
How Well Is CHIP Addressing Health Care Access and Affordability for Children, Academic Pediatrics, Vol 15, Num 3S, May-Jun 2015
Healthcare Utilization After a Children’s Health Insurance Program Expansion in Oregon, Matern Child Health J, 2016
Elimination of the Out-of-Pocket Charge for Children’s Primary Care Visits- An Application of Value-Based Insurance Design, Journal of Pediatrics, jpeds.com, Vol 175, Aug 2016
Covering the Remaining Uninsured Children Almost Half of Uninsured Children Live in Immigrant Families, medicalcare.com, Vol 52, Num 3, Mar 2014
Children Eligible for Medicaid or CHIP- Who Remains Uninsured and Why, Academic Pediatrics, Vol 15, Num 3S, May-Jun 2015
Break your Heart
Assessing Health Care Services Used By California’s Undocumented Immigrant Population In 2010, HealthAffairs.com, May, 2014
Parent Mentors and Insuring Uninsured Children- A Randomized Controlled Trial, PEDIATRICS Vol 137 Num 4 April 2016
AAP Policy Statement- Principles of Child Health Care Financing
