LORAIN -- U.S. Congressman Sherrod Brown (D-Lorain) today held a press conference in Lorain to join a campaign to enroll eligible but uninsured children in the new federal Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid.  Brown, the top Democrat on the Commerce Health and Environment Subcommittee, held the event to highlight the need to provide health insurance to roughly 324,000 uninsured children in Ohio and more than 11 million nationwide.  The data was provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

     "Eleven million children across the country do not have health insurance.  In other words, nearly one out of six children never see a doctor.  And we know how vulnerable children are to illness and injury.  A child's ear infection left untreated can cause deafness.  Strep throat left untreated can damage a child's heart.  The flu left untreated can be fatal," Brown said.

     "In Lorain County and throughout northeast Ohio, there are still too many working parents who don't know their children may be eligible for health insurance -- and we must reach them.  We owe it to all children to give them a healthy start in life by making sure they and their families have access to quality, affordable health care," he added.

     At the Lorain City Health Department today, Brown joined parents with uninsured children, community leaders, and local public health officials to talk about fully utilizing CHIP -- known as Healthy Start in Ohio -- and the Medicaid programs to find and enroll uninsured children.  According to the Ohio Department of Human Services' Medicaid Division, there are 5,625 uninsured children in Lorain County -- roughly seven percent of the county's 75,466 children.

     The CHIP program, created in 1997 with Brown's support, provides health insurance to eligible children under 18 in working families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, but too low to afford private family coverage.  Brown credited the state of Ohio for its efforts to enroll eligible children.  He said a new national toll-free hotline -- 1-877 KIDS-NOW -- for families seeking information about obtaining health insurance for their children will close the gap further.

     Brown also discussed new legislation he has introduced in Congress to enroll more uninsured children by expanding state outreach efforts and streamlining application processes.  The Improved Maternal and Children's Health Coverage Act would require states to develop a uniform application and enrollment process for families seeking health care for their children, and would require delivery of coordinated services to families out of one state agency.

     "This measure will steer resources in every state to the task of making sure every child who needs health insurance is able to obtain it.  A nation as wealthy as ours should not leave one infant or child behind.  This initiative combined with the vigorous public awareness campaign we've launched today will reduce the number of children without health insurance," he added.

     "It's difficult for government and communities to get the word out that many low-income families can obtain health coverage for their children.  This bill aims to cut through the maze of regulations and paperwork to enroll more uninsured kids," Brown said.

     This initiative also would provide federal resources to states and grant funding to local and community service organizations to expand outreach and enrollment efforts in the Medicaid and state CHIP programs.  In addition, the bill would allow all children within a family to receive medical care from the same pediatrician. Currently, many families have children enrolled separately in a state's Medicaid and CHIP programs and receive health services from different providers.  The bill also provides states the option of providing prenatal care services to pregnant women to improve the birth and outcomes for their children.

     "The bottom line is every child deserves and needs quality health care.  We're attempting to provide health insurance to more children, and we're also attempting to improve the quality of life for families who are working hard to make ends meet," Brown said.