KidsWell Campaign Launches Website and Online Resource Hub for Health Reform Implementation

New York, June 29, 2011. KidsWell, a campaign dedicated to the successful implementation of federal health reform for America’s children, launched www.KidsWellCampaign.org, a website monitoring state and national health care reform implementation and opposition across the country.

Drawing on a growing repository of more than 1,200 records from all fifty states and both public and original sources, the website offers users the ability to:

• Track specific health reform provisions and children’s coverage issues state by state;
• Search across multiple states for health reform trends and developments;
• Access state profiles providing baseline information on children’s coverage programs, insurance rates, and key political figures;
• View snapshots of implementation and opposition activities;
• Download weekly newsletters summarizing relevant developments; and
• Access reports and other advocacy resources created by KidsWell partners. 

The website focuses on health insurance coverage programs and provisions under the Affordable Care Act, including Medicaid, the Child Health Insurance Program, Health Benefit Exchanges, and health insurance regulatory reforms.  It was designed to support child health advocates, but also provides transparency and accountability on health care reform implementation more broadly, benefitting policy makers, researchers and the public. 

“We felt it was important to create a home for children’s advocates where they can learn about what’s happening in other states, as well as track progress nationally,” said Donna Lawrence, Program Executive at The Atlantic Philanthropies. “Health reform is our nation’s most viable vehicle for near universal health insurance coverage for children.  This website will help arm advocates for children and families to make the most of it.”

The KidsWell Campaign is an initiative that was launched with funding from The Atlantic Philanthropies and seeks to ensure  health insurance coverage for all children and to build a lasting child advocacy infrastructure for children’s health. www.KidsWellCampaign.org provides a home for the initiative and a resource.

“This website is an invaluable resource for those tracking and seeking to make implementation of health reform work for children and families,” said Joan Alker, Co-Executive Director at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families. “With so much at stake, the need for updated, reliable information can not be overstated.”

A companion Issue Brief, Health Care Reform in the States: A Snapshot, serves as a roll-up of the website’s state and federal tracking content and accompanies the website’s release.  The Issue Brief may be accessed at www.KidsWellCampaign.org.

“The real action on health care reform is happening in the States,” said Melinda Dutton, Partner at Manatt Health Solutions which is responsible for building and powering the website.  “While every state is different, there is enormous value in understanding what is happening around the country.  The goal of this website is to provide timely, detailed and digestible information about activities and trends to help children’s advocates- and others – understand the landscape.”

## For More information, contact Melinda Dutton, Partner, at Manatt Health Solutions, 212-790-4522 or mdutton@manatt.com ##

About The Atlantic Philanthropies

The Atlantic Philanthropies are dedicated to bringing about lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Atlantic makes grants through its four programme areas – Ageing, Children & Youth, Population Health, and Reconciliation & Human Rights – and through Founding Chairman grants. Programmes funded by Atlantic operate in Australia, Bermuda, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam. To learn more, please visit: atlanticphilanthropies.org.

Manatt Health Solutions
Manatt Health Solutions (MHS) is an interdisciplinary policy and business advisory division of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, one of the nation’s premier law and consulting firms. For more information about Manatt Health Solutions please visit: www.manatt.com.

 

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For more information:

• Download the first weekly ACA Issue Brief, a state-by-state snapshot of health care reform implementation progress, particularly pertaining to health care for children.
• Visit www.KidsWellCampaign.org

The KidsWell Campaign is an Atlantic grantee.