Links and Other Resources

School Health Connection's goal is to ensure that children are healthy, ready to learn and on the road to academic achievement. Learning comes easier to a healthy child. Physical and mental health problems cause children to miss school, lack energy, be distracted or have other problems that impair their ability to learn. That is why School Health Connections works hard to increase the number of children and youth with health care access.

What is Health Care Access?
Simply put, health care access refers to having health insurance or health care coverage. Children who are covered by either private or state-sponsored health care coverage programs gain access to the health care system. This means they can see a doctor on a regular basis, for routine care like well-child checkups and immunizations. Children with health care coverage can see a doctor when they are ill, instead of waiting until they have a medical emergency.

The two state sponsored health care coverage programs are:

• Healthy Families Program (HFP), administered by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB), and
• Medi-Cal for Families (MCF), administered by the California Department of Health Services (DHS).,

In addition, there are a number of other affordable health care options for children without health care insurance. Please see the CHAMP-Net website.

Why does having kids covered with health care coverage matter to schools?
Health care coverage can significantly influence children's health status and school performance. Being healthy allows children to concentrate better in school, further develops their cognitive skills, and ensures their regular classroom attendance. Access to affordable health care coverage will give children a healthier start in life and will enhance their ability to succeed in the future. Schools are in a position to implement outreach activities to enroll children in Healthy Families/Medi-Cal for Families.