Children's Alliance opposes state
rule changes affecting Healthy Kids health insurance program

Changes would eliminate specific mention of "Healthy Kids" in rules and allow critically needed program to be put out to bid

Testimony of Kelly Laflamme, Children's Alliance of NH Program Associate, before the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules

June 4, 2004

It is bad business for New Hampshire to dissolve a successful public-private partnership that has ensured health insurance for our state's most vulnerable children. Yet that is what the Dept. of Health and Human Services (DHHS) threatens to do by removing the name of NH Healthy Kids Corporation from the state rules as the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) administrator.

This public-private partnership has cut the percentage of uninsured children in NH in half. Since the Legislature established NH Healthy Kids in 1993, the percentage of uninsured children has declined from 10.7% to 4.8%, making NH the third best state in the nation at providing health coverage for kids.

Just yesterday, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its national Kids Count Data Book, ranking NH second in the nation for the health and well-being of our children. The success of Healthy Kids is reflected in this high ranking of our state.

Healthy Kids has increased family health and well-being by encouraging families to take advantage of preventive care, thus reducing delays of needed care, reducing inappropriate and expensive use of the emergency room, and helping kids stay healthy and in school.

The partnership has been successful because of an experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated staff with a proven track record of improving the lives of NH's most vulnerable children. Why would we want to dismantle it? Disrupting the successful partnership puts in jeopardy the very improvements in child health coverage of which the Legislature is so justifiably proud.

We view the proposed rule change as a step away from quality, away from outreach, away from a commitment of health insurance coverage for all children. Consider the Request for Proposals issued for SCHIP this spring – it specifically weighted 80% of the grade on cost containment, and only 20% for breadth and quality of services. This proposed rule change sets the stage for a significant policy change that will harm children.

On behalf of the Children’s Alliance of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Child Advocacy Network, I respectfully request that you do not allow this proposed rules change to go forward.

Note: The rule change was not approved.