LaCHIP to hold enrollment drive at kids’ event

Parents will have the opportunity to sign their school-age children up for the state’s health insurance program Oct. 6 at the Kids Extravaganza in Thibodaux.

The Louisiana Children’s Health Insurance Program (LaCHIP) and Medicaid programs provide public health coverage for uninsured children.

The two-month outreach campaign – held in conjunction with the start of the new school year – will end locally at the Thibodaux event. The Kids Extravaganza will be held at the Thibodaux Civic Center, 310 North Canal Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“There is no better time to focus on health care priorities for children than when they head back to school in the fall, DHH Secretary Dr. Fred Cerise said. “We know that healthier children perform better in school.”

“Identifying those uninsured children and making certain they have the health care coverage they need is an important preparation step for the school year,” he added.

LaCHIP provides low- to moderate-income families the opportunity to get health care coverage for their children at little or no cost. The program is available to Louisiana children under age 18. Families must have an income at 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (5,163 gross monthly income for a family of four).

LaCHIP representatives will be distributing information about various health coverage programs and processing LaCHIP and Medicaid applications. Families seeking to renew coverage or update information can also do so at the Kids Extravaganza.

For more information, contact LaCHIP’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-252-2447.