Montgomery County Receives Incentive Award For Children's Health Program Enrollment

Header--Montgomery County, Maryland. Press Releases

mh/chip.pr 99-45

Contact: Mary Anderson, 301-217-1707
For Immediate Release: February 12, 1999

Montgomery County Receives Incentive Award
For Children's Health Program Enrollment

Montgomery County officials announced today that the County will receive a $15,000 incentive award from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for their efforts to enroll more than 5,000 children in the state's Children's Health Insurance Program. The program, which began July 1, provides primary care and preventive services such as immunizations, dental care and vision care, and is available for households with incomes up to $27,300 for a family of three and $32,900 for a family of four.

"This is terrific news and it brings us one step closer to ensuring that no child of a low-income family that needs health care will be turned away," said Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan. "As I said in my inaugural address, this initiative is a high priority of mine that we must achieve."

"Jurisdictions across the state have worked extremely hard to reach out to their communities and our enrollment numbers reflect that," said Dr. Martin P. Wasserman, secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

In the first five months of the program, the State has extended health coverage to as many as 31,000 children and pregnant women from low-income households. Eight jurisdictions across the state received awards ranging from $5,000 to $35,000.

"Staff from our Department of Health and Human Services have worked hard and in creative ways to get the word out about this program," said County Executive Douglas M. Duncan. "I'm pleased that their efforts have paid off-- both in numbers of individuals enrolled in the program and now in a cash award that we will be put towards making health coverage available for more Montgomery County children."

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