1. What is the California Children’s Health Initiatives (CCHI)?

CCHI is a collaboration of 29 local Children’s Health Initiatives (CHIs) who work to expand access to health care coverage for all California children. Developed from public-private partnerships at the county level, CHIs integrate outreach and enrollment processes across all public health insurance programs, and operate locally funded insurance programs for those children ineligible for public programs.

2. What are the goals of CCHI?

Mission: The mission of CCHI is to create sustainable health care coverage for all children in California and maximize Federal and State participation in funding that health insurance.

Vision: The vision of CCHI is that every child who lives in California will have access to affordable and quality health care through health insurance.

3. How many CHIs are there?

There are 29 Children’s Health Initiatives covering the following counties:  Del Norte, Fresno, Humboldt, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Napa, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento Sierra Regional (Colusa, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yuba), San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Tulare and Yolo.

4. How many California children are uninsured?

According to the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, 763,000 California children are uninsured, of which 71% come from working families.

5. What health insurance programs are available to California children?

Medi-Cal
Medi-Cal is a federally and state funded program that provides eligible individuals and families with medical, dental and vision coverage, as well as prescription coverage and emergency care. This program is available to California residents who meet federal income and eligibility guidelines, those who are over 65 and some disabled.

Healthy Families
Healthy Families is the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) which is funded through federal and state matching dollars. Healthy Families is low cost insurance that provides comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage to children who do not have insurance today and who do not qualify for no-cost Medi-Cal.

Healthy Kids
Healthy Kids is a county-based, community-supported health insurance program which is funded through grants and private donations. Healthy Kids is low cost insurance that provides comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage to children who do not have insurance today, and who do not qualify for no-cost Medi-Cal or Healthy Families. All children regardless of immigration status may apply for coverage.

CalKids
California Kids (or CalKids), is a nonprofit health insurance program for children who are ineligible for no-cost Medi-Cal or Healthy Families. CalKids provides preventive and primary health care, and dental and vision care to all eligible children regardless of immigration status.

CalKids is available in the following CCHI counties:
Del Norte
Humboldt
Marin
Mendocino
Orange

Kaiser Child Health Plan
Kaiser Permanente Child Health Plan provides low-cost comprehensive health care coverage to children ages 0-18 who do not qualify for no-cost Medi-Cal or Healthy Families.

6. How can families receive assistance to enroll their children into available health care coverage programs?

Children’s Health Initiatives assist families in completing one application to determine a child’s eligibility for any of the available programs. For more information, contact your local Children’s Health Initiative.
Click here for a complete listing of CHIs by county.

7. Why should all children have access to comprehensive health insurance?

Every child deserves to grow up healthy and strong, and health insurance helps ensure they have the opportunity to do so.

Prevention and early treatment of complicated conditions such as asthma and diabetes also prevent costly emergency and inpatient care, which must be provided to all residents regardless of immigration status.

This is a matter simple economics. Providing health insurance to all children is the most cost-effective way to ensure prevention and timely treatment of communicable diseases that impact all Americans.