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Press Release December 21, 1999 |
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Report Offers Recommendations for Implementing School-based Programs
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Using the federally-funded Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program to reach children potentially eligible for Healthy Families and Medi-Cal for Children -- California's state-sponsored health insurance programs -- is an effective way to inform families about the availability of the programs, according to a new report by Consumers Union.
In The Tie That Binds: Linking Children's Health Insurance with School Nutrition Programs in California, Consumers Union describes the rationale for linking schools with Healthy Families and Medi-Cal and outlines a project undertaken in partnership with California's Departments of Health Services and Education to test the viability of the approach. The effort has shown promising results: as of November 1999, schools -- and the School Lunch Program in particular -- were the number one source of requests for Healthy Families/Medi-Cal applications.
"Using schools to reach uninsured children makes tremendous sense," said Diana Bianco, staff attorney and health policy analyst at the West Coast office of Consumers Union. "And schools have compelling reasons to get involved because healthy children are better learners."
In 1998, Consumers Union established Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools, a project to explore opportunities for connecting schools with Healthy Families and Medi-Cal. The project, funded by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, seeks to form partnerships with schools to increase enrollment of children in state-sponsored health insurance programs. Using the School Lunch Program to reach more eligible children is one of the strategies Consumers Union has researched and employed.
In addition to describing the School Lunch Program pilot, The Tie That Binds outlines challenges and opportunities presented by linking the meal and health programs and presents a summary of lessons learned in the first year of the project along with recommendations for implementing school-based programs. The report also outlines the legal and administrative obstacles presented by aligning the School Lunch Program with Healthy Families and Medi-Cal. Finally, the report discusses the efforts of six school districts in California that are using the School Lunch Program to ensure that families not only learn about Healthy Families and Medi-Cal, but that eligible children actually enroll.
"Studies indicate that approximately 1.1 million children are eligible for, but not enrolled in Healthy Families and Medi-Cal for Children" Bianco said. "The School Lunch Program is one viable way to get more information to families. The next steps are to get children enrolled and utilizing available health services."
[For copies of the three-page executive summary or the 20-page report click here or please call Consumers Union at 415/431-6747.]
