TUESDAY, July 30, 2002 (HealthDayNews) -- Spanish-speaking parents can now get information about free and low-cost health insurance for their children through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid.
A 13-page bilingual booklet was just introduced by the Department of Health and Human Services and will be provided to community health centers and other organizations.
The booklet, Proteja la Salud de Su Familia...con Confianza (Protect Your Family's Health...With Confidence), explains the importance of health insurance to your child's health and discusses how you can enroll your children in low-cost or free health insurance and the benefits of doing that. That section also tells parents that their immigration status isn't affected by enrolling their children in SCHIP.
Additional sections deal with common questions about SCHIP and offer a guide to various words and terms, such as Medicaid and public charge.
SCHIP is a federal and state partnership that operates in all 50 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia.
Many children who qualify come from working families who can't afford private health insurance but whose incomes are too high to qualify them for Medicaid. About 4.6 million children received health insurance coverage at some point in the fiscal year 2001.
More information
Consumer information about each state's SCHIP program is available in
English and Spanish at Insure Kids Now or by calling
1-877-KIDS-NOW (1-877-543-7669).
