Health Care: Access, Quality, & Cost

Carlos Molina, one of the many Camden children now covered by SCHIP

In 2008 Children's healthcare through the SCHIP Bill (State Children's Health Insurance Program) was a major issue on all three levels of government (local, state, and national) due to the estimated 9 million uninsured children in the country.  In New Jersey SCHIP provides health insurance to 100,000 children, over 250,000 children are uninsured, and over 400,000 children receive insurance through Medicaid. [1]  With the Obama administration transitioning into the White House, CCOP leaders and families have a unique opportunity in 2009 to not only demonstrate the enormous need for affordable health coverage, but play an active part in the policies and programs that will deliver this health care to Camden families

[1] Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; based on analysis of Census Bureau's 2005 and 2006 Current Population

Specific Project Underway

• CCOP Citywide Healthcare Team: Partnering with local doctor and healthcare researcher, Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, a team of CCOP leaders are meeting regularly to develop a pilot project in Camden that works to make improvements on the delivery system of our local healthcare.  Part of this project includes the listening and collection of healthcare stories and experiences.  If you have a story that sheds light on the problems with healthcare cost, quality, or accessability the team would like to encourage you to share it with them by sending it to chisholmccop@verizon.net
  
• Camden Bible Tabernacle: Recently hosted a healthcare Sunday where the entire service was focused on healthcare.  Rev. Wiggins preached on Jeremiah 8: 18-22 reflecting on the fact that healthcare is not a new issue, it is something that has challenged people of faith from the beginning of time.