1. What is the Healthy Kids program?
2. What does the Healthy Kids plan cover?
3. Who is eligible for Healthy Kids?
4. How many children are enrolled in Healthy Kids?
5. Do families pay a share of costs?
6. How do families enroll their children?
7. How does the Healthy Kids program differ from the Healthy Families and Medi-Cal programs?
8. Who manages and administers Healthy Kids?
9. Will children be linked to a Primary Care Physician?
10. How much does the Healthy Kids program cost, and where does the funding come from?
11. What does the future hold for Healthy Kids?

What is the Healthy Kids program?

The Healthy Kids Health Plan is a locally developed and funded plan that provides comprehensive health coverage for children of low and middle income families in Santa Cruz County. Children who don't qualify for the state sponsored programs (Medi-Cal or the Healthy Families program) are eligible for Healthy Kids.

What does the Healthy Kids plan cover?

The Healthy Kids program provides comprehensive health, dental, vision and mental health services.

Who is eligible for Healthy Kids?

All children are eligible for Healthy Kids if they are:

1. Under the age of 19
2. Residents of Santa Cruz County
3. Living in families with incomes below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (for example, about $60,000 for a family of four)
4. Not insured through their families' employer-sponsored insurance within the last three months
5. Not eligible for Medi-Cal or the Healthy Families program

How many children are enrolled in Healthy Kids?

Nearly 2,000 children are currently enrolled in Healthy Kids. Since 2004, Healthy Kids has enrolled over 15,000 local children into Healthy Kids, Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs.

Do families pay a share of costs?

Families pay a share of costs, depending on their income level. Premiums range from $12-$36 per child per quarter. There are $5 co-payments for some medical, dental and vision services with a co-payment maximum of $250 per family per year for medical services. No co-payments are required for preventive or inpatient services.

How do families enroll their children?

Healthy Kids has partnered with the Santa Cruz County Healthcare Outreach Coalition to help families enroll their children. Specially trained Certified Application Assistors (CAAs) are assigned to districts throughout the County to provide application assistance at no charge. CAAs are available to families at local health fairs, clinics, community centers, schools and medical offices. For a complete list of CAAs, see our Enrollment Assitance Locations

How does the Healthy Kids program differ from the Healthy Families and Medi-Cal programs?

Healthy Kids extends health coverage to children not eligible for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs, but whose families cannot afford private insurance. First, Healthy Kids raises the income eligibility limit to about $60,000 for a family of four or 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. Second, unlike the other public insurance programs, Healthy Kids does not consider immigration status when determining eligibility for enrollment. Finally, Medi-Cal and Healthy Families are funded by a combination of State and Federal dollars, while Healthy Kids is funded with local contributions only.

Who manages and administers Healthy Kids?

The Healthy Kids Health Plan is administered by the Central California Alliance for Health, a locally governed and operated public health plan already serving nearly 100,000 Medi-Cal and Healthy Families enrolled members of Santa Cruz, Merced and Monterey Counties. The Alliance maintains linkages to a vast network of both public and private medical providers and employs a professional staff with the expertise necessary to effectively manage the Healthy Kids Health Plan. The Healthy Kids program (outreach, policy, fundraising, and other administration) is managed by the Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County.

Will children be linked to a Primary Care Physician?

Healthy Kids program members have an option to choose their Primary Care physician, or one will be assigned to them. Healthy Kids reimbursement rates are competitive so that the program has attracted the participation of about 400 local providers. Healthy Kids is endorsed by the Santa Cruz County Medical Society, local hospitals and leading physicians.

How much does the Healthy Kids program cost, and where does the funding come from?

The Healthy Kids program costs approximately $2.8 million for premiums, outreach and enrollment. Funding for the Healthy Kids Program comes from a combination of public and private sources. Generous commitments have been made by the First 5 of Santa Cruz County, the County of Santa Cruz, the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust, United Way of Santa Cruz County, Dominican Hospital, Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Santa Cruz Region and other local individuals, businesses and foundations. A fundraising committee works to further help finance the program.

What does the future hold for Healthy Kids?

There are currently 29 Healthy Kids programs in California, and the goal is to expand these programs to all counties in order to serve all California's children. Children's advocates, State legislators, and our local Healthy Kids coalition support an expansion of Healthy Kids to all California kids, which would be maintained and operated by the State of California. Meanwhile, given our State’s economic challenges, Healthy Kids of Santa Cruz County remains committed to raising the funds necessary to cover as many local children as possible. For more information on the state-wide coalition of Healthy Kids programs, see the California Children's Health Initiatives, at: www.chi4kids.org