Basic Health Coverage Ensures All Kids Get Care

Fall is almost over, and flu season is just around the corner.

The temperatures are dropping, warm coats are being dug out from the closet for another season and people are getting their flu shots.

Even when preventive measures are taken, it may not stop children from getting sick. Kids can pick up illnesses from school, day care or just playing outside.

But medical treatment is expensive, and about 12,500 children in Spokane County are without health insurance, said Jamie Rogers, Sacred Heart Medical Center community benefits coordinator.

What some parents don’t know is that medical coverage is available for children younger than 18 with no monthly premiums, providing the family is in a certain income bracket.

The brackets are as follows: a two-adult household grossing less than $1,671 monthly; three-adult household grossing less than $2,098 monthly; four-adult household grossing less than $2,525 monthly; and five-adult household grossing less than $2,951 monthly.

Basic Health began in 1987 as a pilot program, and state legislators adopted it as part of the health care reform of 1993, Rogers said.

At this time, adults signing up for subsidized coverage will be put on a waiting list, as funds for the program are running low, Rogers said. A political tug-of-war is currently under way to get additional funds for the plan; more than 60,000 are on the waiting list for adult subsidies. Adult-subsidized subscribers will be hit with new costs in January, imposed by the Republican-dominated Legislature.

But coverage for children is readily available, said Rogers. Coverage for youths combines Basic Health, which covers major medical, lab work and X-rays, emergency care, prescriptions, provider visits and hospital care, and Medicaid, which provides vision and dental coverage.

Kids can get enrolled within about eight weeks from their sign-up date, said Rogers. Children with acute medical conditions such as asthma or epilepsy can usually get signed up within a few days, she said.

Basic Health is available to any Washington resident who is uninsured, said Rogers. The premiums, of course, depend on income level, she said. The program is funded by the State Health Services account using a combination of HMO insurance tax dollars and tobacco and alcohol tax dollars, she said.

“We want people to know that there is free/affordable health care for kids,” said Marianne DeMarco, downtown Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs (SNAP) coordinator.

SNAP offices are encouraging families without medical insurance to sign up for the plan, DeMarco said. About 17,300 people in Spokane County benefit from Basic Health, Rogers said.

“Basic Health Plus also offers coverage from HMOs,” said DeMarco. Participating companies in the plan are Blue Cross, Good Health, Group Health, Medical Service Corp., PacifiCare and Unified Physicians.

“People also need to realize that Basic Health is also for the marginal working class,” DeMarco said. Many parents are stuck in low-paying jobs with no benefits, and what money there is still isn’t enough to get health insurance, she said.

Application forms for Basic Health, and help filling them out, are available from Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs, 112 S. Wall, or by calling 456-7164.

Toll-free lines are available for assistance with the application and premium estimate: 800-529-7639, call the automated enrollment number at 800-826-2444, or call Rogers at 636-4518.

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