On the bus to better health

When Spud Edmondson of Yakima visited the Apple Health bus Thursday, he didn't know what to expect. But after listening to state and local officials, he learned obtaining health coverage for children is not only easy. It's necessary.

"A lot of people don't know this is available," said Edmondson, who was doing research for his daughter. "You don't have to be on poverty row to get assistance."

The Apple Health bus rolled into Yakima on Thursday to promote a new Washington initiative to enroll uninsured children in state-sponsored health coverage. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Yakima Mayor Dave Edler, State Medicaid Director Doug Porter and others spoke out about the program's importance.

"Untreated health care affects everything, including their ability to learn," said Murray, a former preschool teacher. "Kids need preventative care. It's critical."

In the past several years, the state Department of Social and Health Services has enrolled about 84,000 children into the medical program, now known as Washington Apple Health for Kids. A remaining 75,000 are still uninsured statewide, 6,800 of whom live in Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties, said DSHS spokesman Jim Stevenson.

This means that 4.7 percent of all kids in these counties aren't covered, slightly more than the 4.4 percent not covered statewide, he added.

"Most families can qualify but don't believe they can," he said. "We need to put a spotlight on this issue. We need them to come out."

The new enrollment process includes a one-page application designed to be simple and direct. After parents fill it out, the state determines which programs are applicable for each child, such as Medicaid.

Selika Holloway of Selah is grateful for the state-sponsored health coverage. She first began receiving assistance when she gave birth to her first child as a teenager. Now a mother of three young children, Holloway said having health insurance for kids is crucial.

"I know it's really important for children to have any kind of insurance, just because of all the doctor visits and the shots," she said. "The healthier your kids are, the happier they are."

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.