Why It’s Important

We know that investments in children’s health coverage are returned many-fold over the life of a child. Children with access to coverage are more likely to grow up healthy, do better in school, and be ready to contribute to the future work force. They also receive regular preventive care, which ensures that small medical problems do not become costly emergencies.

Knowing the benefits of health coverage for children, CDF-Minnesota works with policy-makers, advocates and the public to ensure every child is covered. Such investments are critical not only to the future success of our children, but also to the future of our families, our communities, and our state. Read the October 2010 fact sheet, Child Health Disparities in Minnesota. 

Minnesota’s Challenge

There are 75,000 uninsured children in Minnesota and ten of thousands more who are underinsured. With the economic downturn and ever-rising health costs, even more Minnesota families cannot afford coverage.

To address this problem, CDF-Minnesota, in coalition with several other Minnesota health care advocacy organizations, developed the “Minnesota Health Security Act” (MHSA), which was introduced in the 2009 state legislative session. Based on the “Children’s Health Security Act,” which successfully passed the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2007 but did not become law, the MHSA charted a clear path to affordable, guaranteed health care coverage for all Minnesotans, starting with children.

During the 2009 session, the MHSA finally passed.  The bill removed all barriers to MinnesotaCare coverage for children whose families earned less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.  Now, these children could get health coverage at no cost, with no waiting period, even if private insurance was available at their parents’ workplace. It is estimated that at least 22,000 more children will have health coverage as a result.

However, the legislation requires Federal approval before it can be implemented. This is necessary because Minnesota operates its health coverage programs somewhat differently and requires some flexibility. This approval is done through a waiver process that allows Minnesota to continue to receive significant Federal funding to cover the additional children. The waiver request was submitted last fall and usually takes up to one year to process. We urge fast resolution on this so that thousands of Minnesota’s children receive the health care coverage they need.

Health Reform: What Does it Mean for Children?

By ensuring every child access to health care coverage, we as a nation are committing to our children and their future success. There are more than 8 million uninsured children in America—that's one in ten. CDF works hard to build support for children’s health and has been instrumental in passing legislation to expand access to comprehensive and affordable health coverage for children, including the landmark health reform bill passed in 2010 that now provides access to health coverage for more than 95 percent of all children. Unfortunately, in most states eligibility for coverage does not automatically translate into enrollment in coverage. About two-thirds of the more than 8 million uninsured children are currently eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but are not enrolled due in large part to bureaucratic barriers. Getting eligible children enrolled remains a challenge and CDF will continue to work hard to ensure every child has the healthy start they need to survive and thrive in life.

Learn more about what the national CDF office is doing to ensure all children receive health care coverage and why it's so important to our nation's future.

Health Reform: Implementation Timeline

President Barack Obama signed into law landmark health care reform legislation that will guarantee access to health coverage for 32 million people in America, including more than 95% of all children and millions of young adults.  With the passage of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, Congress and the President have taken a major step towards ensuring affordable and comprehensive health coverage for all children and families in America.

Learn more about what the legislation means for children and young adults.

Implementation Timeline