Oregon extends health coverage to 80,000 children – only one of 12 states to cover kids.
Gov. Kulongoski signed a bill today that will provide health coverage to children, regardless of whether their parents can afford or qualify for health coverage.
“It is one of those great events,” Kulongoski said. Spending on health care, Head Start preschool and other programs for children, he said, means kids “are going to be healthier and smarter, and we are all going to benefit from it.”
By insuring all kids, Oregon should see better health outcomes for its children, including improvements in vaccination rates, dental decay, asthma management and early detection of autism and other developmental issues, said Dr. James Lace, a Salem pediatrician. Better health means children will be better prepared for school, said Lace, who founded Childhood Health Associates of Salem, a team of 11 pediatricians who run a clinic 12 hours a day, seven days a week, serving 36,000 children a year.
Read the full story at OregonLive.com.
