Majority of Undocumented Parents Avoid Treatment Due to a Lack of Health Insurance

PHILADELPHIA (June 16th, 2015) – An overwhelming 85% of parents of undocumented children said they had to delay or forgo care for their child due to a lack of health insurance, according to a new report released today by Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY).

Current state law bans undocumented children from enrolling in the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). An estimated 24,000 undocumented children across Pennsylvania can not access or afford health coverage, leaving their families with few options when their children are sick or injured.

PCCY interviews with 53 parents of undocumented children finds:

• 100% of parents stated that they did not seek care for their child because they could not afford it
• 91% of children received delayed care or went without care for a serious medical need requiring the expertise of a specialist
• 67% of parents reported their child was harmed by delaying or forgoing care
• 43% of undocumented children received zero dental care in the last year
• 42% of parents reported that delaying or forgoing care caused absences, lower grades and behavioral problems in school
• 28% of children required emergency room care because a neglected problem worsened

“Every parent we spoke to had at least one story of hardship that could be easily remedied if they had health insurance,” said Colleen McCauley, Health Policy Director for PCCY and author of the report. “This report provides clear evidence that our state needs to amend CHIP eligibility guidelines to include all children, including those who are undocumented.”

PCCY collected heart-wrenching stories from parents whose children are struggling because they can not get the health care services they need because they are undocumented. One Bucks County parent said “All the year he is sick and I am feeling so terrible because we can’t afford a specialist. I know something is wrong with my son and I know his health is important, but what can I do? There is only so much money we have. If only he had insurance, I could get him to the right place.”

Enrolling children into CHIP is cheaper than paying hospitals for uncompensated care. The FY 2014 cost of coverage in CHIP for one child is $2,568 versus an average of $4,600 that a leading pediatric hospital spent per child- expenses largely paid for with public dollars.

“Putting off routine care or treatment for minor ailments can lead to big problems down the road,” said Dr. Katherine Yun, Pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). “Too often we see children with illnesses that could have been prevented but their families avoid seeking treatment because they do not have health insurance.”

Five states, California (36 counties as of2012), Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Washington and the District of Columbia have already adopted reforms to make undocumented children eligible for public health insurance.

The Commonwealth could expand CHIP access to all children this year at very little cost. Based on experiences in other states, Pennsylvania could expect about 6,000 children to enroll at a cost of $15.4 million or a 10% increase in the CHIP budget. However, the cost will drop starting in October when the state will begin receiving greater federal CHIP matching funds.