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REMARKS BY KEVIN THURM, U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Place: CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM OUTREACH CONFERENCE FOR HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Date: August 13, 1998

It is a great pleasure to join each of you here this morning.

The HBCUs, the States, and the Clinton Administration all share a common commitment to working families and their children - in particular those children who are most vulnerable. At stake is the health of our children; and, indeed, the future of our nation.

Just over one year ago -- with bipartisan support from the Congress - President Clinton signed into law the Children's Health Insurance Program. This landmark program signaled a commitment -- a $24 billion dollar commitment - by the Congress, by the States, and by the Federal Government to join hands and help millions of children of working families obtain affordable and much-needed health insurance.

Who are these children? For most part, they come from working families whose parents work hard and play by the rules, but simply don't earn enough to afford adequate health insurance. They are not poor enough to be eligible for Medicaid, but are just poor enough to slip through the cracks.

I'm talking about kids who are less likely to get annual check-ups; more likely to get care in emergency rooms; and four times as likely to delay needed care for acute conditions. For these children, even common health problems - like an ear ache or allergies -- can lead to more serious conditions that impact them in school and into adulthood.

Indeed, making sure these children are protected is a challenge that faces the entire nation, but in particular many minority communities. A staggering 18.8 percent of the 10 million uninsured children in the country today are African American. It brings to mind the sad, but often true, saying: "When America catches a cold, the African American community gets pneumonia."

But with the help of CHIP's historic partnership between the States and the Federal Government, we're hoping to change that. And we're well on our way.

To date, 28 states and Puerto Rico have joined in this effort to make children's health insurance more widely available than any time in memory. In the last week alone, we approved Children's Health Insurance plans for Arkansas, Nebraska, and Maine.

These approvals mean that, over the next three years, more than 2 million new children will have health coverage. That's 2 million new children who are getting not just an insurance card, but also a passport to a better life - a future of health and hope.

Of course, CHIP won't help a single child if the parents don't know about it.

That's why one of the most important features of CHIP programs is the strong emphasis on outreach. Secretary Shalala and I are using all the tools and resources in HHS as part of the Clinton Administration's government-wide effort to enroll uninsured children. This includes our budget proposal of $900 million dollars over the next five years to find eligible children and inform their parents.

All approved State child health insurance programs will include strategies to educate families and assist them in enrolling children in the appropriate program. In short, we know that to be truly successful, we must ensure that no child is left out - that no opportunity to reach and inform their parents is lost.

In particular, we must break through cultural or linguistic barriers that prevent us from reaching out to all uninsured children - no matter who they are or where they live. We must find new and creative ways to reach kids - where they play, pray, learn, and live.

And that's exactly why this conference is so crucial.

Only by working together - Federal, State and local governments, private foundations, and key institutions like the HBCUs - can we create a seamless system in which no child is missed.

Without question, HBCUs stand on the front lines of many minority communities. In fact, as Chair of the Department's HBCU Initiative, I have had the opportunity to see first-hand the outstanding contributions that HBCUs make every day. Not just in providing educational opportunities to minorities, but also enriching our nation's health care and biomedical fields with dedicated young doctors and scientists, many of whom go on to serve in minority communities.

Indeed, you are uniquely qualified to help us reach not only the children and their parents in these communities - but also everyone who comes into contact with them - from doctors, teachers, and local business owners to church workers and religious leaders. You have the abilities and the experience to help States produce creative and effective outreach initiatives.

For instance, one possible outreach strategy involving HBCUs is getting the CHIP message out through university child care centers and medical centers - with materials in appropriate languages. Another example is helping to enroll kids at HBCU sites where they receive health care.

Ultimately, new outreach strategies will also create new opportunities to identify and enroll kids in Medicaid as well as CHIP. After all, there are about 4.7 million kids who are eligible for Medicaid, but remain unenrolled - and many of them are minorities.

One exciting element of CHIP is its "screen and enroll" requirements - meaning that if you screen a child for CHIP, and find that the child is eligible for Medicaid - you must enroll the child in that program.

I don't want to steal any more thunder from the upcoming presentations, but in closing, I'd like to leave you with this charge: I ask that you hold me and my colleagues here accountable for results and progress, now and over the coming years.

Because like you, the President, Secretary Shalala, and I are personally committed to fostering and strengthening this important partnership. To making sure states and leaders like HBCUs have the support and tools necessary to create effective strategies. Strategies that are culturally and linguistically appropriate.

The keys to success are in place. And we have what it takes to win for all our children. Every child in America deserves a healthy foundation upon which to build their dreams. And working together, I know we can help give every parent the tools -- and the opportunity -- to guarantee it.

Thank you.