With children's health enrollment, faster is better

In my decades of work at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, I've seen over and over how damaging and costly it is to treat a child who lacks health insurance.

I've seen children show up in the emergency room and get admitted to the hospital for conditions that never would have gotten so out of control with regular care in a doctor's office.

That's why I'm thrilled to learn that Washington is enrolling children in the newly expanded children's health coverage program even more quickly than anticipated. The short-term investment may be higher, but the long-term savings are huge.

When legislators passed, and Gov. Chris Gregoire signed, the Cover All Kids bill this year (Senate Bill 5093), Washington stepped to the forefront of states creating a healthier future by making sure all children have health coverage. The program is comprehensive -- including dental and mental health coverage -- and affordable, with coverage available on a sliding scale to middle-class families with no other reasonable options.

All families will be able to get the health insurance they need for their children. That coverage is available to all families is critical. In recent years employers have cut back dependent coverage, making it harder for working families to get and afford insurance. And, the fact of the matter is that all children get sick.

No matter where parents work, no matter where children come from, we all pay when children get sick and can't pay to see a doctor. We pay for "charity care" in hospitals. We pay when they come to the emergency room. We pay because of overcrowding of these facilities. We pay when sickness spreads through schools. We pay if an uninsured child ends up needing extensive care that could have been circumvented through early detection and treatment.

Just as important, we all pay when children can't live up to their full potential because they're hampered by illnesses or other medical conditions that shouldn't have to stand in their way.

Washington doesn't pay for children's health coverage alone. Tens of millions of dollars come from the federal government through Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Those who are concerned about how Washington will pay for making sure all children can get medical care can make a difference right now.

Congress is considering legislation to renew the SCHIP program, which covers children in low-income families. This highly successful federal program has cut the uninsurance rate among low-income children in our nation by a third. Now is the time to build on SCHIP's success.

What's more, a relic of a rule from when SCHIP was first created a decade ago means that Washington state doesn't get all the federal help it should. Everyone who cares about children's health should urge Congress to update the SCHIP rules and invest more in the program.

Sen. Maria Cantwell and members of the Washington congressional delegation are leading efforts to improve the SCHIP program and need to know that Washingtonians support their work.

Over several years, Washington has successfully pushed the children's uninsurance rate to 4.4 percent. We are so close to finishing the job.

With help from the federal government and the efficient enrollment of eligible children we can make this generation of children the healthiest ever.