When children lack health insurance — as more than 8 million American children do — there is a good chance they are not receiving much-needed medical care. Among that number are 250,000 Arizona kids — one of the highest percentages of uninsured children in the nation.

This means that 250,000 of Arizona's children are far less likely than their insured peers to visit a doctor's office for regular checkups or low-cost preventive care. And they are far more likely to visit an emergency room and be admitted to a hospital. This is not good for them, their families, our schools or our future.

The good news is that there is an answer. Most of Arizona's uninsured kids are eligible for low-cost or free health care coverage through Medicaid or KidsCare. In fact, a family of four in Arizona can earn up to $40,000 a year and still qualify. The problem is that many parents don't know this.

Today, the Children's Action Alliance and our coalition partners will launch the Arizona Covering Kids & Families Back-to-School Campaign as part of a national drive to get qualified uninsured children enrolled in available coverage programs. Miguel Batista, a pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, will be the spokesperson for the campaign and will help initiate it today at Chase Field in Phoenix.

In Arizona, KidsCare provides a lifeline for working parents faced with the difficult choice between putting food on the table and taking their kids to the doctor. Once covered, children have access to doctor visits, prescriptions, dental and hospital care. Access to this care ensures that minor health problems don't become major ones, placing a child's health and a family's financial well-being at risk.

As families prepare their children for another school year, we urge parents to call 1-877-KIDS-NOW to learn more about health coverage available under those programs. This toll-free call can provide the information parents need to find out if their children are eligible and begin the enrollment process.

Over the past few years, Arizona has reduced its rate of uninsured children from 25 percent to 15 percent. We're making real progress — rounding second base and running hard toward home. Let's build on that success.

No child in Arizona should have to go without medical care when there's an affordable answer. Let's give Arizona's kids the very best chance for success — a healthy start.

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Guest Opinion: Carol Kamin
Carol Kamin is president and CEO of the Children's Action Alliance, a nonprofit child-advocacy group based in Phoenix. Write to her at ckamin@azchildren.org.

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