Kids need to be able to see a doctor, have good nutrition, opportunities to run and play and receive health care that prevents problems later in life. Parents need to be healthy to care for their children and provide for their family. Thanks to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), children’s health coverage rates have reached historic high levels– with 94 percent of Idaho’s children covered. Unfortunately, too many parents lack access to health coverage and live in fear that one medical emergency could bankrupt their family. To insulate families from the financial insecurity that comes from being uninsured, the whole family must have access to affordable health coverage.
We lead Idaho’s largest health policy advocacy network, Close the Gap Idaho, and are developing a new network focused on improving access to mental health and substance use treatment, the Idaho Behavioral Health Alliance.