In Harm's Way: True Stories of Uninsured Texas Children

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True Stories ofUninsured

Texas Children

IN

HARMSWAY

Childrens Defense Fund Texas


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We express our heart-felt gratitudeto the courageous families who told

their stories with the hope of protectingthe children of Texas who cannotspeak, vote or lobby for themselves.May our leaders listen to these stories.May they listen and act.

DEDICATION

This report is dedicated to the memory of Devante Johnson, whocourageously and valiantly struggled against cancer of the kidneys.Devante went without health coverage for four months in 2006while his mother attempted to renew his Medicaid coverage.On March 1, 2007, Devante died at age 14 from complications

of the disease.

Devante was thoughtful, quiet and brave. He never complainedabout his illness and focused on the well-being of his two youngerbrothers and his mother. He was devoted to his family and alwaysput others first.

We dedicate this report to Devante in memory of hiscourage, strength and kindness.

Devante Johnson 1993-2007


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Devante JohnThirteen-year-old Devante Johnson hadadvanced kidney cancer and could notafford to be without health care coverage.

But last year, that is exactly what happened,when Devante spent four desperate monthsuninsured while his mother tried to renewhis Medicaid coverage.

For years, Devante and his two youngerbrothers were covered by Medicaid. Texasfamilies who qualify for Medicaid or CHIPare required to renew their coverage everysix months, and Devantes mother, Tamika,had tried to get a head start by sending inher paperwork two months before Medicaid

was set to expire.

The application sat for six weeks until it wasprocessed and then transferred to CHIP,because an employee believed their family nolonger qualified for Medicaid. At that point thepaperwork got lost in the system. Tamika grewmore and more desperate as she watchedher son get worse. I did everything I possiblycould, Tamika, said I would literally get off thephone in tears, crying because they [CHIPemployees] frustrated me so much.

For four months, Devante went withouthealth insurance as employees unsuccessfullyattempted to reinstate his coverage. As aresult he could no longer receive regulartreatment and had to rely on clinical trialsfor care. Meanwhile, his tumors grew.Time was running out.

It wasnt until a staterepresentative intervened

that Devantes coverage wasimmediately reinstated. Twodays later, Devante was ableto start a promising newtreatment. But it was too late.

Devante Johnson died onMarch 1, 2007.

Kicked offMedicaid dueto bureaucraticmistakes, a

cancer victimspent four monthswithout regulartreatment whilehis tumors grew.

Dependable, year round health coveragesaves money for Texas families and taxpayers, while giving

Texas children the health care they need to grow into productive

workers and responsible citizens.

But requiring parents to renew their childrens health coverage

twice a year instead of once makes Texas childrens health

system less effective and more expensive. The state spends

double the money processing the same childrens

paperwork twice.And parents have to take twice the time

away from work and home to jump through bureaucratic hoops.

Worse yet, these bureaucratic roadblocks cancause children to spend months uninsured or to lose coverage

altogether. This means higher costs for both families andtaxpayers and less effective health care for Texas children.


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AUSTIN

Feeney Family

Bridget Feeney and her teenage daughter movedto Austin from New Hampshire during the summerof 2006, to be near family. It was important forBridget to enroll her daughter Kelley in healthinsurance right away. In New Hampshire, Kelleywas covered by a state-administered health plan.

When the Feeney family initially applied for CHIPat an Austin health fair, Bridget was told that sheearned $100 more than the income limit for a

family of two. Bridget found herself out of workshortly thereafter, and tried to apply for CHIPagain. She was told by the Texas Health andHuman Services office that Kelley would nowqualify for the Childrens Medicaid program.

Bridget proceeded to resubmit her information,and was told that it would take an additional45 days to complete processing. She was nevergiven a client number, and to date, has neverreceived any type of information or confirmationin the mail regarding her application.

Bridget recently secured full-time employmentafter months of searching for work, but the smallbusiness cannot afford to offer insurance coveragefor dependents of employees. Bridget believesthat her new income level may enable her toqualify for the CHIP program, but she is disillu-sioned and frustrated with the applicationprocess.

Kelley, a 16 year old who suffers from chronicasthma, feels fortunate that she has remainedhealthy since the move to Texas, but she was

accustomed to the regular check-ups that helpedkeep her condition under control. She hopes tohave regular doctor visits again in the near future.

Bridget misses New Hampshires plan, which shesays is similar to CHIP in theory, but was mucheasier to apply and qualify for, and much moreaccessible to families.

A family at risk of

becoming uninsured.

Shame on you, Texas! Texas could learn a lot bylooking at the other states that have accessible,affordable health care coverage for children.Bridget Feeney

Waiting and Worryin

THE 90-DAY DELAY


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PunitiveAssetsThis isnt just an issue of children being inconveniencedand having to wait a little longer for health coverage. This

isa matter of LIFE and DEATH

for many Texas children.This is a matter of the parents having to look at themselveseach day and feeling like they have failed their children.

They see them suffering but cannot do anything to helpbecause their hands are tied. How many parents are watchingtheir children suffer because they dont know they have a

voice? The saddest fact of all is that it shouldnt be thatway; we live in a country where our children shouldnt

have to suffer. The fact that we have childrens healthinsurance programs in place but children are being unjustly

denied benefits should boil every Texans blood.Karen Rohrer


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Dumas Family


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When a Fixed IncomeIsnt Enough:

Grandparents Raising Grandchildr

HOUSTON

Dumas Family

Deanna is a veteran and mother ofthree children ages eight, six and four.She earns $1,200 a month working fulltime. She is also a full-time studentattending college through the GI bill.

In April 2006, her children lostMedicaid and became uninsured.Deanna was told that they did notqualify because she has two vehicles in

her name. Deanna owns a 2002 HondaAccord and used her good credit toco-sign a vehicle for a friend. Deannawas referred to CHIP and told to wait

another 45 days. Although it is evidentthat this family of four making $1,200monthly should qualify for Medicaid, themother attached a copy of the Medicaidreferral letter along with the CHIPapplication and sent it in. Deannaschildren were bounced betweenMedicaid and CHIP, and their coveragewas in limbo. Deanna found the entire

process very confusing andfrustrating.

While they were between coverage,one of the children had to be taken

to the emergency room twice andwas hospitalized with mononucleosis.In addition, Deanna had to cancel muchneeded dental appointments and hasvisited area clinics for vaccinations.

After several months without healthinsurance, the issue was resolved andthe children are now insured. Deannais still trying to resolve the emergency

room bills but she is relieved to knowthat she can take the children to thedoctor when needed.

Lawmakers should not judge. They need to investigatewhat the situation is. They took me off assistance becauseof assets. I was never given time to explain my situation,and my children were denied everything.

Deanna Dumas

Sick Child DeniedMedicaid Coverage.


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No ReliefAfter the Storm:

Hurricane Katrina


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Allen Family


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The Solution isClear and Doable:

Cover All Uninsured ChildrIts the Smart Thing to Do for Texa

Children and Texas Taxpayers.

AUSTIN

Allen Family

Valencia Allen and her three children,12 year old Kevin, 16 year old Monicaand 18 year old Pedro are still adjustingto life in the Texas after HurricaneKatrina. Veronica is disabled andprovides for the family on a fixed income.

After temporary Katrina Medicaidended for evacuee families, Valenciafound it difficult to access health care

for the children, and they lost theircoverage. It took more than a year forthe coverage issues to be resolved.

The process to get healthcoverage for my children wasvery complicated and difficult,Veronica said. I was stressedand depressed.

The children were in desperate needof help while they were uninsured.Valencia thought the children weresuffering from Post Traumatic Stress

Disorder (PTSD), but without insur-ance, she was unable to get themevaluated for counseling or treatment.

Her oldest child, Pedro, sufferedepisodes of depression and droppedout of school because he couldnthandle the stress. Monica had to gowithout treatment for Sickle Cell Anemia.

Today, the children have healthinsurance and Valencia is able to gether children much needed help. It isimportant that my children are ableto function and make good choices,

she said.

The health coverage process in Texas is too complicated.Is Texas really trying to provide medical care for theless fortunate? The entire process needs to be revamped.

Families do not need the misery. Childrens healthshould be the number one priority. Valencia Allen

Harvey Fa


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M

Harvey Fa

Kyle Harvey is a nineboy with vibrant red wide smile. At first glooks like a typical heBut Kyle has chronicmigraines and AttentDeficit/Hyperactivity that require ongoing attention. His motheris a small business ocannot afford privateinsurance. She learn

CHIP during an awaday in Houston and cprogram with improvquality of life and helperform well in schoo

Before Kyle enrolledthree years ago, he dhave a pediatrician awent to the emergenwhen his asthma andflared up. His ADHD

left untreated and hesignificant difficulty in

With CHIP, Kyle is aa doctor regularly anthe medications he nHe is finally earning Agrades and making fand was healthy enoattend summer campfirst time.

Without CHIP, Lornawould have been ablthe $770 in medicatKyle takes each monmanage his ADHD ahealth conditions.

CHIP helped childdo better in school.Childrens health insurance programs that workeffectively and efficiently can make a tremendousdifference to low-income working families and tolocal taxpayers. Children receive care for chronicconditions and perform better at school. Parentsdont have to worry about how they will pay forthe medical bills if their children are sick andinjured. Local taxpayers dont have to absorb thestaggering costs of emergency room visits. Small

businesses are able to offer low-cost healthcoverage to their employees without jeopardizingtheir bottom line.

With effective and cost-effective childrenshealth insurance programs, everybody wins.

Alarcon Family


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INSURETEXAS KIDS

CAMPAIGN

ODESSA

Alarcon Family

WACO

Hernandez Family

Connie Alarcon works for a localnonprofit organization. Although shehas access to private health insurancethrough her job, she can not affordto cover her children. Since birth,her 13 year old daughter, Olivia, and11 year old son Eddie have gotten theirhealth coverage through CHIP.

Connies children rely especiallyon CHIP for affordable vision anddental care. Affordable visionand dental care is really importantfor my children, and withouthealth insurance it would be veryexpensive, Connie says. She is

especially appreciative that dental andvision have been restored to CHIP,as she had difficulty providing theseservices when they were removedfrom the CHIP benefit package from2003 to 2005.

Connies children have never lostcoverage, but there was a time duringthe renewal process that her children

were in jeopardy of losing their healthinsurance. She often took extendedlunch breaks, waiting in long lines towork out coverage issues. Connie isgrateful for the affordable coverageprovided by CHIP and Medicaid andwants lawmakers to know how valuablethese programs are for Texas children.

Maria Hernandez and her husband arethe parents of ten year old Vanessa and

five year old Samantha. Both parentswork full-time and for many years wereable to provide private health insurancefor the family. When their financialcircumstances changed for the worse,they could no longer afford privatehealth care premiums and enrolledtheir daughters in CHIP. Since 2005,the girls have received routine medicalcheck-ups and regular school vaccina-tions. Maria feels confident allowingthe girls to participate in school activitiesand sports. Knowing that the girlsare covered gives her peace of mind,especially because they will be able toreceive medical attention in the caseof an emergency.

Medicaid and CHIPmake affordablevision and dentalcare a reality.

When private insurance became

unaffordable, CHIP made healthcare possible.

We are very fortunate to have thisprogram for our girls. If CHIP didnot exist, our daughters and many

other children would have to gowithout adequate medical coverage.Maria Hernandez


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remember us and act!

CDF MissionThe Childrens Defense Funds Leave No Child Behind

mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start,a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral

Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with

the help of caring families and communities.

CDF CONTACT INFORMATION

www.cdftexas.org

www.childrensdefense.org

CDF HOUSTON (State Office)4500 Bissonnet, Suite 260

Bellaire, TX 77401713-664-4080 phone

1-877-664-4080 (toll free)

713-664-1975 fax

CDF AUSTIN and TECEC316 W. 12th Street, Suite 105

Austin, TX 78701512-476-7939 phone

512-480-0995 fax

CDF RIO GRANDE VALLEY944-A West Nolana Loop

Pharr, TX 78577956-782-4000 phone

1-866-581-5437 (toll-free)

956-283-7975 fax

In Harm's Way: True Stories of Uninsured Texas Children

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