CoverKids, Tennessee’s health insurance program for uninsured children, is now serving more than 16,000 children; two weeks ago, the state had announced that the program enrollment had reached more than 15,000 following a fall back-to-school enrollment campaign. During the campaign, CoverKids referred another 10,577 children to TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program, for possible eligibility. CoverKids, Tennessee’s State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), provides comprehensive health insurance to uninsured children who do not qualify for TennCare.
“This milestone shows how far we’ve come in a relatively short amount of time,” said Andrea D. Willis, MD, CoverKids director. “In June 2006, the Kaiser Family Foundation ranked Tennessee 51st nationally in SCHIP enrollment because Tennessee had no program. Now, just months after the launch of CoverKids, we’re 36th and climbing quickly as we work to meet Gov. Bredesen’s goal to close the healthcare gap for Tennessee’s uninsured children.”
Although CoverKids launched in March this year, enrollment was slow to build; according to The Tennessean, only 1,250 children were signed up during the first two months.
