A new study released today by the Urban Institute Health Policy Center estimates that there were 7.3 million uninsured children in the U.S. on an average day in 2008, and five million of them (65%) were eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) but were not enrolled in either plan.

The study was published today in the journal Health Affairs and was highlighted at an event in Washington D.C. this morning featuring DHHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who renewed a challenge to political leaders and others to enroll all of the country’s eligible uninsured children into coverage over the next five years.

“No child should have to skip a doctor’s appointment or go without the medicine they need because their family can’t pay,” Sebelius said, challenging state and local officials to “find and enroll those five million kids.” The Secretary unveiled a list of influential leaders and national organizations who have accepted that challenge and will strive to improve outreach, enrollment and retention of children, until all eligible children are enrolled in health insurance programs.

According to the Urban Institute’s findings, 81.8 percent of American children eligible for Medicaid or CHIP were enrolled in 2008. Wisconsin was well above average, at 86.8 percent, but still trailed 11 other states and the District of Columbia. (I suspect Wisconsin will move up in those rankings once comparable data is available for 2009, showing the effects of longer implementation of BadgerCare Plus.)

The improvements made by BadgerCare Plus have formed a solid foundation that our state leaders can build upon as they move forward to make the promise of the Affordable Care Act (federal health care reform) a reality for all residents of our state. In the meantime, we can prevent children from slipping through the cracks by reaching all eligible children so they get the care they need to do well in school and be successful in life.

One way that Wisconsin is stepping up to the “Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge” is by participating in a pilot project called Get Covered, Get in the Game, which uses a sports focus to reach out to and enroll eligible children. To read about that initiative and the Milwaukee press conference, see our August 20 blog post.

To learn more about the Challenge and steps for improving coverage, click here.