For Immediate Release
Date: August 13, 2014

“Ready-Set-Go!” back to school rally Saturday marks the start of initiative to get kids insured

On behalf of Mayor Edna B. Jackson, Step Up Savannah, Inc. and Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council are set to launch an ambitious outreach campaign to enroll children and families in Right from the Start Medicaid and PeachCare, on August 16 at the Civic Center. The launch is scheduled as part of the IMA back-to-school rally, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday; the official announcement will occur at 9 a.m.

“Mayor Edna Jackson is committed to cutting the number of uninsured children and teenagers in our city,” said Suzanne Donovan, Step Up’s director. “We have an ambitious goal: to see a 50% decrease in uninsured children and families in Savannah and Chatham County, reducing the number of uninsured children from approximately 4,449 to 2,279 by December 2015.”

Savannah was selected in late May by the National League of Cities as one of eight cities to receive grant funding to conduct an 18-month campaign to increase enrollment of children and families in public health insurance programs.

The campaign’s target population is uninsured kids and families that are eligible for Medicaid and PeachCare.

The plan calls for a two-pronged approach, enrollment assistance and outreach, that relies upon an extensive network of city departments, the Chatham-Savannah Public School System, area hospitals and clinics, and community-based organizations.

The city’s 3-1-1 service will serve as a main information number for families who wish to learn where they can get enrollment assistance. The campaign’s website, www.healthykidssavannah.org, is scheduled to go live on August 16.

Members of the public are invited to the IMA event, where kids can get needed school supplies and learn about the health insurance campaign starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning at the Civic Center.

NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education and Families is coordinating this national initiative as part of a multi-year effort to increase access to health care for children and families, funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies.