Health Insurance is an issue for many families.

Today’s post shares information about CHIP, The Children’s Health Insurance Program. CHIP is a low-cost health insurance coverage for children in families who earn too much income to qualify for Medicaid coverage but can’t afford to purchase private health insurance. CHIP is a state and federal partnership program that works closely with Medicaid.

Every state operates a CHIP, although most states have unique names for their programs like Child Health Plus (New York), Healthy Families (California), and Hoosier Healthwise (Indiana).

In several states, CHIP and Medicaid are combined into one program.

Here are some Children’s Health Insurance Program Basics:

• Basic eligibility for CHIP: Children up to age 19 in families with incomes up to $45,000 per year (for a family of four) are likely to be eligible for coverage. In many states, children in families with higher incomes can also qualify.
• Eligibility and pregnancy: Pregnant women may be eligible for CHIP. Coverage for expectant mothers generally includes lab testing and labor and delivery costs, and at least 60 days of care after delivery.
• Citizenship and immigration status: CHIP covers U.S. citizens and certain legal immigrants. States have the option of covering children and pregnant women who are lawfully residing in the United States. Undocumented immigrants aren’t eligible for CHIP.

Health insurance through CHIP is designed to be affordable for families.

Routine well child doctor visits are provided free of charge, but there may be co-payments for certain other services. Many states also charge a monthly premium for coverage. The costs you’ll be responsible for under CHIP are different in each state, but cannot be more than 5% of your family’s income each month.

To find information about children’s coverage programs in your state and other options available to you go to finder.healthcare.gov

The benefits covered through CHIP are different in each state, but all states are required to cover these services:

• Routine check-ups
• Immunizations
• Dental and vision care
• Inpatient and outpatient hospital care
• Laboratory and X-ray services

Source – healthcare.gov.

In a news release in late November of this year, Dr. Mark Zonfrillo, an attending emergency physician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, reported on a new study that looked at nearly 1,000 children, aged 1 to 8 years, who were involved in crashes. All of the children were properly restrained in the correct child safety or booster seat for their height and weight

Dr. Zonfrillo, the lead author of the study stated, “Given that nearly 32 percent of children in the United States are categorized as overweight or obese, and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for all children, we wanted to better understand how these two threats to children’s health interact.

“This research should reassure parents that their only concern when it comes to car seat safety should be to follow the most recent guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics,” he added.

Those guidelines, revised earlier this year, outline the use of car safety and booster seats based on a child’s height, weight and age.

“A good time to re-evaluate child safety seat needs is during your child’s routine medical visits. Compare your child’s weight and height measurements to the manufacturer’s acceptable ranges on the seat’s labels or instructions,” Zonfrillo recommended.

“There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all.’ If your older child moved to a booster seat at age 5, don’t necessarily assume it will be the same for his or her younger siblings,” he said.

He and his colleagues also said pediatricians and family doctors should advise parents to check their child’s height and weight measurements against their safety seat specifications.

SOURCE: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, news release, Nov. 29, 2011)

Merry Christmas from “Can Do Street”!

Dogs are amazing creatures who can make a difference in our lives in so many ways!

Recently I came across an article about dogs helping children to read. I am sharing the article in its entirety as it appeared on http://www.supportdogs.org/Programs/PAWS-For-Reading.

The PAWS for Reading Program places dogs in a classroom or library setting in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. The dogs act as an incentive for the children to read. A dog is viewed as a non-threatening entity to promote reading, writing, and increased interaction and social skills in children.

The dogs that participate in the program have been trained through the TOUCH Program (Therapy of Unique Canine Helpers) and selected by the Support Dogs staff based on the qualities that make them suitable for the program. These dogs are especially calm and unobtrusive and settle in as part of the class. The children view the dogs as lovable and non-judgmental, which are the keys to success in this program. Children have said that the dogs give them confidence because the dog does not make fun of them if they read slowly or mess up pronouncing a word. The dogs are great listeners and give the child a sense of comfort while reading. Children have been known to practice with their personal pets at home in preparation for the Paws for Reading dogs.

Support Dogs, Inc. has developed an incentive program for the classroom in which children that read a specific number of books receive a special book of their choosing and a certificate signed by the canine classmate. If the child reads a high number of books, a special book is donated to the school library in the student’s honor. The incentive program can stand alone or be used in conjunction with a current incentive program already being offered by the school.

The PAWS for Reading Program serves children in first to tenth grades in St. Louis area schools and/or who attend the St. Louis Public Library program. Results have shown an increase in reading levels and word recognition, a higher desire to read and write, and an increase in intra and interpersonal skills among the children.

When you are on prescription medications, traveling can be a challenge if you need to go through security checkpoints.

Should you choose to put your prescription medications in the luggage that you check in at the airport or cruise terminal, you run the risk of being separated from needed medications due to lost luggage.

Delayed delivery of your luggage can sometimes happen on cruise ships due to the sheer volume of luggage to be delivered to ship’s cabins.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests these precautions for air, ship and any distance travel where being without your prescription medications, for any length of time would be a health risk

• Pack your medications in a carry-on (carry with you) bag, so they don’t get lost.
• Bring a list and keep it in your carry with you bag of your prescriptions, including brand and generic names.
• Have a letter, on your doctor’s letterhead, with his or her  prescription for any controlled substance or medication that needs to be injected
• Be sure that a family member or friend, at home, has an extra copy of your prescription medications.

• If you are going to be traveling internationally, check beforehand with the American Embassy or Consulate to ensure that your medications are allowed in the country you will be visiting.