Dr. Tommy Schechtman, Special to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
With the culmination of Children’s Week in Tallahassee, I am reminded of the number of children who still don’t have access to quality health care. More than 377,000 Florida children are uninsured, and about 28,673 of those children live in Palm Beach County, which has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the nation’s top 20 counties with the highest number of children without health insurance.
To acknowledge that the county where I live and work makes up that extensive of a percentage of the state’s uninsured children is alarming, but I remain motivated because I know Florida can and must strive for better. I’m inspired by programs like Florida Healthy Kids that work to help kids have access to health care.
Florida Healthy Kids, created by the Legislature decades ago, has a strong record of success helping many children ages 5 through 18 across the state get covered with affordable, comprehensive health insurance that includes dental and behavioral services. It’s exciting to see this program begin to change the tide, but we must continue to support it.
Evidence-based research has shown that preventive health care, like vaccinations and routine check-ups, are instrumental not only in keeping children healthy, but also in keeping families and our community healthy, too. Making sure that children receive all recommended vaccines will not only keep them safe from vaccine-preventable diseases but also protect our most vulnerable — those with cancer, infants too young to be vaccinated and the elderly — from them as well.
All children should have access to quality health care. Healthy children perform better in the classroom and will improve our state’s educational outcomes and success. However, because many parents feel they can’t afford health insurance, their kids, in return, don’t receive the preventive care they need and deserve. The reality is that many of these parents could be insuring their children with child-centered health care for as little as $15 or $20 per month.
Ensuring access to health care through insurance will go a long way in reducing unnecessary burdens and stressors for the entire family and the community as a whole. We all have an obligation to our state’s children to give them the chance to lead the most successful and healthy lives possible. If we take the time now to support organizations like Florida Healthy Kids and encourage parents to research available insurance options, we will be protecting the future of our state and our country.
This year, let’s make a resolution to reduce the number of uninsured children and help make sure these kids have healthy and fulfilling childhoods.
For information about Florida Healthy Kids and Florida KidCare, visit healthykids.org and floridakidcare.org.
Dr. Tommy Schechtman is a pediatrician in Palm Beach Gardens, president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a Florida Healthy Kids board member.
by 
February 1, 2016
Blog