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New Hampshire Ranks 3rd in Nation for Children's Health Insurance Coverage
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Added: 09/27/2004
Type: Summary
Viewed: 971 time(s)
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New Hampshire Ranks 3rd in Nation for Children's Health Insurance Coverage
Concord, NH September 10, 2004 -- U.S. Census data just released show New Hampshire maintaining its gains in children's health insurance coverage, with the state ranking third in the nation for the lowest percentage of uninsured children. For the second year in a row, New Hampshire was number three behind Vermont and Rhode Island. According to the 2003 Census data, just over 5% of New Hampshire's children have no health coverage. This is an improvement after being 20th during the 1993 Census.
Sandi Van Scoyoc, President of the HNHfoundation, one of the partners in New Hampshire's State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), says "Children's health insurance is a perfect example of doing things 'the New Hampshire way.' There's a role for each of us to play in strengthening the health care system in New Hampshire and HNHfoundation's contribution is to participate in a unique and successful public-private partnership between our Foundation, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Government and the Healthy Kids Corporation." She added, "Let's celebrate healthy children."
Local educators and healthcare professionals agree. Teri Grant, a longtime educator in the Concord, NH school district adds, "I know first hand that children learn better when they are healthy. They are more able to focus, have more energy and feel confident. Also, they don't miss as much class time due to illness when they've had the preventive care that children's health insurance offers."
Dr. Chuck Cappetta, President of the New Hampshire Pediatric Society and a Nashua, NH-based pediatrician, sees the investment in healthcare paying off. "Healthy children grow into healthy adults. That not only saves the healthcare system money, but makes for better lives. With children?s health insurance we can improve our kids' nutrition, oral health, provide immunizations, and get ahead of more serious illnesses. When caregivers and kids visit my office, I can also use the opportunity to scan for family health problems. This makes for a wonderful chance to view the child in the context of the rest of their lives and we all work together to look after this young person," he says.
The HNHfoundation, formally called the Healthy New Hampshire Foundation, was incorporated in October, 1997 as a result of the merger between NH Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Matthew Thornton Health Plan and operates exclusively for charitable purposes. The mission of HNHfoundation is to evaluate and promote access to health care insurance and to promote healthy lifestyles for the residents of New Hampshire
For more information, visit www.hnhfoundation.org
ADDITIONAL MEDIA RESOURCES AVAILABLE:
- Opportunities for interviews with Sandi Van Scoyoc, President of the HNHfoundation and other local opinion leaders (call 620-1453 to schedule)
- Written quotations from opinion leaders about the importance of SCHIP in New Hampshire (including a school nurse, economist, pediatrician, business leader, and hospital administrator).
- A history of Children?s Health Insurance in New Hampshire.
- A fact sheet on SCHIP in NH.
- A press release from the NH Healthy Kids Corporation.
- A backgrounder on the HNHfoundation.
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