Hawaii is one of 23 states that expanded or improved children’s health coverage this year despite a struggling economy, according to a report released yesterday by the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute.

The report — “Weathering the Storm: States Move Forward on Child Health Coverage Despite Tough Economic Climate” — cited Hawaii’s Legislature for overriding Gov. Linda Lingle’s veto of a bill approving $200,000 per year for the next two years for Keiki Care.
The program is a limited-benefit coverage for children who are not otherwise eligible for Medicare. The bill requires that they receive care through federally qualified health centers.
Other states cited were Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
“Last year, the strong support for children’s health coverage at the state and national level helped to drive the number of uninsured children to the lowest level in two decades,” Jocelyn Guyer, Co-Executive Director of CCF, said in a statement. “By making sure children’s health care coverage continues to be a top priority, these states are extending a lifeline to uninsured children just when they need it most.”
For more information on the report, visit CCF’s Website at: http://ccf.georgetown.edu/ or Say Ahhh! A Children’s Health Policy Blog at: http://theccfblog.org/