Jun 21, 2008 5:00 pm US/Central
State Rallies To Get Kids Health Insurance
Blagojevich Helps Families Fill Out Forms
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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A little girl receives a checkup. (File Photo)
CBS
Hundreds of Chicago families lined up for a chance to fill their gas tanks "for free" Saturday. As CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports, it was also a way to get health care coverage for kids.
The Tapia family gathered at the doctor's office Saturday, not because 7-year-old Marcos is sick, but to help keep him well.
They applied for health insurance for Marcos through the Illinois "All Kids" program.
"My income is very low and we don't have insurance," said Tapia's father, Marcos.
It's a problem that forces Yolanda Lopez to do without doctor's visits for her son. She's applying too.
"I try to take care of him myself because it's hard and it's expensive to take him to the doctor," Yolanda Lopez said.
Medical staff and volunteers handed applicants brochures and answered questions dispelling myths that may have kept them from getting health coverage in the past.
Event supporters here in Humboldt Park say many parents still working on getting their citizenship documents don't explore healthcare insurance options for their kids because they think they won't qualify.
"I've had plenty of patients who will come in here and they are like afraid," said Maribel Garcia of Humboldt Park Access Family Health. "They're afraid immigration is going to do something and they're not going to get their citizenship, residency so they don't do it."
But Saturday, hundreds came spurred by the promise of free $50 gas cards as an incentive.
"The first 1,000 kids who are eligible and sign up for All Kids, those kids will get a $50 gas card, debit card. Basically, depending on what you drive, a free tank of gas," said Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Participants learned the cards will be sent in the mail if their kids qualify for the insurance.
"Gas is expensive and it can help," Lopez said.
"I don't care about the gas card. I care for my kid," Marcos Tapia said.
The recruitment effort was hosted by the Chicago Sun-Times and Resurrection Health Care at 50 locations across the city.
Blagojevich helped families fill out applications at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital, 2233 W. Division St, one of the 50 sites.
Blagojevich launched the All Kids program in July 2006, and about 1.4 million children have enrolled since. It is estimated that some 99,000 Chicago Public Schools students are uninsured.
"Of the 250,000 children in Illinois without health insurance, more than half come from working and middle class families who earn too much to qualify for state programs like KidCare, but not enough to afford private health insurance," Blagoejevich says in an address posted on the Web site for All Kids. "Through All Kids, comprehensive health insurance is available to every uninsured child at rates their parents can afford."
There are no citizenship or income requirements to sign up, and children with preexisting conditions are eligible.
"I have a child and he had a preexisting condition, and he was canceled at one time – the medication was over $1,000 a month, because of his asthma," said Maribel Garcia of All Kids. "All Kids – come on and sign up with us."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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