Children’s health a top issue for Chafee

PROVIDENCE – Gov.-elect Lincoln D. Chafee used his first public appearance since last month’s election to highlight children’s health issues, saying that he would advocate policies to help uninsured children get health insurance.

Chafee appeared at the 10th annual Celebration of Children’s Health hosted by Rhode Island Kids Count on Nov. 15. The event celebrated the successful outcomes achieved by RIte Care in providing health insurance coverage to Rhode Island children and their families who otherwise would be uninsured, with demonstrated results in improving access, improving quality and reducing health care costs.

In 2008, for example, children and families enrolled in RIte Care had the lowest rate (27 percent) of emergency admissions to hospitals, lower even than those covered by private insurance (39 percent), reducing costly emergency room use and emergency admissions.

Chafee’s appearance highlighted a shift in Rhode Island’s political fault lines. In his speech, he voiced strong support for efforts to provide health insurance for all of Rhode Island’s children who are now uninsured, saying he hoped that Rhode Island would again become the nation’s leader again in the number of children who had health insurance.

In an interview before the event, Chafee called Gov. Donald L. Carcieri’s attempt to join the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new health care reform law “unfortunate.”

“Anybody that has had to pay for health insurance knows the burden,” Chafee said. “Let’s give this national health care a try, before we start repealing it.” Chafee said one of his major priorities was to position Rhode Island to successfully implement the new law. “It’s a huge task,” he continued. “We need to make sure that Rhode Island sets the national standard in preparedness.”

Three state agency leaders – Gary Alexander of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Dr. David Gifford of the R.I. Department of Health, and Deborah Gist, commissioner, R.I. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – also addressed the crowd of more than 150.

Alexander told the story of his 7-year-old son’s recent hospitalization for asthma. His son, after listening to the plaintive cries of a baby in the room nearby, urged his father to go hold the crying baby to comfort him. Alexander said his story illustrated the need for continued outreach to children who are “alone” and not yet insured.

Alexander also touted the increasing the number of Rhode Island participants in the federal food stamp program, or SNAP, from 70,000 to 150,000. As a result, he said, more than $40 million was put back into the local economy. “As federal health reform moves forward, we want to build on our successes with the RIte Care program, and move it out across the population base,” Alexander said.

Gifford spoke about the value of the RIte Care program from an “investment” perspective, saying that for every dollar invested by the state, $5.70 was returned in federal funds. He also pointed out what he called a very troubling statistic that he hoped would soon be reversed: children today are projected to have a shorter lifespan than that of their parents.

Gist, in turn, praised Chafee for “his lifelong commitment” to championing the well-being of children in Rhode Island, said she looked forward to “working in partnership” with Chafee to improve the Rhode Island educational system.

At the event, elected officials Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, and Rep. Frank Ferri received awards for their contributions to increasing access to health insurance for children.

Also honored were community leaders Jorge Adensas, a founder of the Back to School Celebration of Rhode Island; Zulema Gonzalez, a family resource counselor at the Providence Health Center; and Dr. Pablo Rodriguez.