IEHP Receives $2.45 Million

for Healthy Kids

            Inland Empire Health Plan was granted $2,450,000 for the Riverside and San Bernardino Healthy Kids Programs. The funding is a combination of grants from The California Endowment, the California HealthCare Foundation, and the Blue Shield of California Foundation.

            "These funds will provide a full year of coverage for 2,500 children," said IEHP CEO Richard Bruno. "There is such a need for this program that we greatly rely on additional funding to meet the community's demand."

            Local funding for Riverside County of $6 million will be supplemented this year by a California Endowment grant of $600,000, a California HealthCare Foundation grant of $250,000, and a new grant of $500,000 from Blue Shield of California Foundation.

            San Bernardino's funds of $3.2 million will be augmented by a new $350,000 grant from the California Endowment, $250,000 from the California HealthCare Foundation, and $500,000 from Blue Shield of California Foundation.

            An important component of Children's Health Initiative, the Healthy Kids Program was launched in August 2002 through a partnership of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, the Children and Families Commission (First 5), Riverside Community Health Foundation and IEHP. Less than a year later, IEHP teamed up with First 5 San Bernardino to bring the same program to San Bernardino County. Current efforts are focused on recruiting other community organizations to build a stronger Children's Health Initiative coalition to secure stable, long-term funding for the San Bernardino County program.

            Healthy Kids offers comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance to children who do not qualify for Medi-Cal or the Healthy Families program, and whose family earns less than 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (approximately $4,700 per month for a family of four).

            "As a community, we're taking every step we can to give uninsured children health care coverage," said IEHP Chief Marketing Officer Carl Maier "The support provided by The California Endowment, the California HealthCare Foundation, and the Blue Shield of California Foundation will help us make a big difference in the lives of thousands of San Bernardino and Riverside families. Our total funding this year will cover approximately 12,000 children."

            "To apply for Healthy Kids, all parents need to do is call us. Our bilingual staff will help them apply on the phone," said Thomas Pham, IEHP marketing manager. "The only residency requirement is to have lived in Riverside or San Bernardino County for 90 days. A low annual fee of $5 or $20, depending on the doctor chosen, covers all children in the family. It just doesn't get easier than that."

            IEHP, Inland Empire Health Plan, a Knox-Keene licensed health plan located in San Bernardino, is organized as a not-for-profit public agency. The IEHP service area includes San Bernardino and Riverside Counties and currently serves over 270,000 members in the following three distinct programs: Medicaid (called Medi-Cal in California), the Healthy Families Program, and the Healthy Kids Program.