TV time: Is your child one of the 5 million?’
The Kaiser Family Foundation has joined with Viacom Outdoor Group and CBS Television in a campaign to tell parents about public health coverage options for uninsured children. The campaign will use TV public service announcements, bus posters, and bus cards to ask "Is your child one of the 5 million?" — referring to the estimated 5 million uninsured children eligible for public health insurance coverage.
The yearlong effort urges parents to call a toll-free telephone number, (877) KIDS-NOW, for more information on getting coverage for their children.
There are more than 9 million children uninsured in the United States, with more than half of them eligible for Medicaid or State Children’s Health Insurance Program but not enrolled.
"Lack of insurance leads to delayed or foregone care," says Diane Rowland, Kaiser Foundation executive vice president.
States have had some success enrolling more children in recent years, but outreach to low-income families is always a challenge. Studies have shown that one of the primary barriers to enrollment of eligible children remains a lack of awareness or confusion among parents about existing programs.
Those who call the toll-free number maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are connected with enrollment workers in their home states. National TV spots will air on CBS for a year, with a new version of the ad aired every four months. Transit print ads are localized for New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. They are in English and Spanish.
[View some of the ad materials at www.kff.org/cbs.]
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