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Providers'
Factsheet
Fact #1: Too Few Eligible Farmworker Children are
Enrolled in the State Children's Health Insurance Program
(CHIP) or Medicaid.
Fact #2: You Can Help!
Fact #3: Changes in the law have made more children
eligible for free or low cost health insurance from states
than ever before! Children of families you work with may be
missing out on benefits that can provide their children with
checkups, immunizations, dental care, prescription medications
and more through age 18.
What
Can You Do?
- Encourage farmworker parents to apply for the benefits
available to them through the CHIP and Medicaid programs.
- Give farmworkers the Insure Kids Now toll free number,
1-877-543-7669. This national toll free number can be called
from any point in the U.S. and will ring at the CHIP office
in the state where the call originates. Most states have
bilingual personnel who will assist callers trying to find
out where and how they can apply for benefits.
- Give farmworkers the Call For Health toll free number
1-800-377-9968. This national toll free bilingual health
information and referral service for farmworkers is provided
by the National Center for Farmworker Health. Farmworkers
are welcome to call for assistance if they have problems
or misgivings about calling the state CHIP office.
- Give farmworkers the ESCORT toll free number 1-800-234-8848.
This national toll free bilingual health information and
referral service for farmworkers is provided by Migrant
Education.
- Arm yourself with these facts, so that you can help correct
common misperceptions that discourage families from applying.
- Families do not have to receive Welfare to get this
insurance.
- Parents do not have to be unemployed or single to
get this insurance for their children.
- Families can have a higher income than they may expect
and still be eligible to get this insurance for their
children. In many states a family of four with an income
of more than $33,000 a year is still eligible for this
coverage. It is a mistake to assume that they make too
much money to qualify. Getting this insurance will not
count as Public Charge against a legal resident (Public
Charge can hurt a person's chances of eventually becoming
a U.S. citizen).
- Even if they applied, and couldn't get benefits in
the past -- their children may be eligible NOW.
- Free or low cost insurance for children is available
in all states, although eligibility and benefits do
vary from state to state.
- Policies about making the insurance available to legal
residents or to undocumented people are different from
state to state. If a family is uncomfortable calling
the state CHIP office to ask questions about legal status,
give them the Call For Health number, 1-800-377-9968
for confidential assistance.
You may also order an Outreach Handbook on CHIP, titled Start
Healthy/Stay Healthy from the Center on Budget Policies
and Priorities by calling 202-408-1080
For more information, contact Sylvia Partida (
).
This is a NCFH project with support from US Department of Health and Human Services (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
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