On Valentine’s Day, there will be a birthday party to celebrate healthy Kansas children.

Governor Bill Graves and Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) Secretary Janet Schalansky will lead the celebration on the first birthday of HealthWave, the Kansas children’s health insurance program.

The birthday celebration will take place beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Monday in Topeka at 620 Southeast Madison, the headquarters of the SRS contractor for HealthWave outreach, Maximus.

In it’s first year, more than 15,500 children and teens have been enrolled in the program. An additional 17,000 youth were enrolled in Medicaid through HealthWave outreach activities.

"All told, Kansas now offers health insurance to almost 33,000 previously uninsured children," said Governor Graves. "And although there remains work to be done, that kind of early success deserves a celebration."

Created as a joint effort between the state and federal government, the insurance program is for children and adolescents up to age 19 in families at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or $27,760 for a family of three.

Under HealthWave, the state pays premiums for eligible children up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Families who have incomes between 150 and 200 percent of the federal poverty level pay a $10 to $15 portion of the premium with the state picking up the rest.

Services covered under the HealthWave program include physical, dental, mental health, and substance abuse health services. There are no exclusions for preexisting conditions.

The creation of HealthWave, which began providing insurance to Kansas children in January, 1999, offered the state an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of an estimated 60,000 Kansas children who did not have access to affordable health insurance, said Secretary Schalansky. She said HealthWave is a prevention program.

"We have built a system that provides greater opportunity for the children of Kansas – a system focused on health, education, and supportive programs," she said. "By preventing health problems through regular check-ups or minimizing the cost of health problems through early diagnosis, society as a whole benefits."

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001