In response to 16,000 children in South Jersey losing health insurance coverage last year, the Board of Commissioners, the Camden Coalition and Mayor Victor Carstarphen have partnered with several local organizations to launch the Cover All Kids initiative. This campaign aims to raise awareness and enroll as many children as possible who are eligible for free or affordable government health insurance.
Last year, as pandemic-related programs wound down, people on NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid were required to re-enroll and have their eligibility redetermined.
The Camden Coalition’s redetermination data shows that a total of 16,000 children were terminated in the three-month period between September and November 2023 and 60% of them were terminated for administrative reasons, such as missing paperwork, not because they were found to be ineligible. In the Camden City alone, 3,000 children were terminated from Medicaid in the six-month period between June and November 2023.
“Every family should have access to health insurance for their children,” Commissioner Jeff Nash said. “Economic circumstances or communications issues should not cause children to go without coverage. By spreading the word and getting kids enrolled, this partnership will make a difference in the lives of countless children and families.”
The Commissioners, the Camden Coalition and Mayor Victor Carstarphen have been working to engage schools, immigration organizations, health care providers and others to spread the word that coverage is available and that organizations such as the Center for Family Services, Citizen Action, the Osborn Family Health Center, CAMCare, South Jersey Family Medical Center and Cooper University Health Care, provide free assistance in many languages to parents and caregivers to fill out the insurance applications.
