title: Health inequity: the plight of uninsured children in a rural Alabama county and the plan to cure it.
abstract: Many children in the United States do not have access to health insurance. Providing health insurance for children has been particularly challenging in rural America. This article describes and evaluates a local plan to provide access to health care for school children in a rural Alabama county. A triangulated methodology (personal interviews, ad hoc survey focus groups, US census and health fair data) was used in the evaluation. Gains were made in enrolling children despite some limitations, especially in rural outreach. The most successful aspect of the program was a partnership between local leaders, health providers, and educators to provide impetus for a coordinated plan. The stability of the program is uncertain because of diminishing resources and the negative effects of economic recession.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Rural Medicine, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA. blichten@bama.ua.edu
authors.forename: Bronwen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lichtenstein
authors.forename: Amit K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wheat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000407:Alabama; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D012424:Rural Population