| Article |
December 17, 2004
www.oaklandtribune.com
County to expand health insurance to children
Rebeca Vesely
About 2,000 low income children in Alameda County will receive health coverage next year thanks to a combined $950,000 in grants , the county’s local health insurance provider said Thursday.
The Alameda Alliance for Health was awarded $500,000 from the California Endowment to offer health, dental , and vision coverage to children ages 5 to 18 regardless of immigration status who don’t’ qualify for Medi-Cal or other public health insurance programs.
The Alliance is a nonprofit health plan that provides health coverage for county residents from a network of providers.
About 17,000 children in Alameda County don’t have health insurance, according to 2003 California Health Interview Survey.
The Alliance also will receive $250,000 to fund children’s health insurance from Measure A funds. Voters approved Measure A, a half-cent sales tax, in March to underwrite county health programs.
And the California Healthcare Foundation awarded the Alliance a one-time grant of $200,000 to extend health coverage to low-income people in the county.
In the spring, the Alliance was forced to cut about 4,000 families from a health insurance program because demand far outpaced the program’s budget.
"Because the lack of health coverage is a problem throughout California and our own county, we must all work together to broaden health coverage and take steps toward an overall solution to the crisis," Ingrid Lamirault, CEO of the Alliance said in a statement.