The grant was already anticipated by the agency, which applied to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and wrote the funds into its budget, according to HCA spokeswoman Sharon Michael.
The Children’s Alliance advocacy group in Seattle announced the award earlier in the week, saying in a press release:
This is the third year in a row that Apple Health for Kids has earned this federal recognition.
“This is something to celebrate,” said Jon Gould, deputy director of the Children’s Alliance. “In a few short years, advocates for kids and lawmakers have built Apple Health for Kids into a national model for children’s health coverage.
“This honor is richly deserved – and it’s another reason for legislators to protect Apple Health for Kids when they return to Olympia in January.”
The state Legislature created Apple Health for Kids in 2007 for families with no other options for affordable coverage. It quickly became vital to ensuring family stability during the recession.
Between 2006 and 2010, nearly 165,000 children lost health coverage via their families’ employers. During that time, Apple Health for Kids enrolled 208,000 more children. The program now covers more than 4 out of every 10 children in the state (733,000 children).
In its news release, the Health Care Authority said the state showed it had “at least five Medicaid program features known to promote enrollment and retention in health coverage for children.”
