Helping Insure Alabama

During the fall semester, Judson students enrolled in Health and Fitness, in partnership with Sowing Seeds of Hope and the Perry County Health Department, offered four opportunities for families to apply for free or reduced-cost health insurance for their children. Students learned how to assist families in completing the online application for services offered by AllKids, the Alabama Child Caring Program, SOBRA Medicaid, and Medicaid for Low Income Families. During this process, several children enrolled at the local Head Start centers were identified as being without health insurance.

Science students in Judson’s chapter of Tri-Beta, a national honor society for the biological sciences, followed up on these findings during the spring semester. Tri-Beta members spent the month of February canvassing the community with information about free and reduced-cost health insurance programs for children that are offered by the State of Alabama. As part of this process, students gained basic knowledge about how insurance works in the United States. They also learned about some of the barriers that prevent Americans from having insurance coverage firsthand as they interacted with uninsured and underinsured families.

Students encouraged families to receive help in completing the online application form for these state-sponsored services during an insurance registration drive on February 23. Several families took advantage of the opportunity, and nine children to date have qualified for state health insurance programs.

For more information about free and reduced-cost state-sponsored health insurance for children in Alabama, please visit the Insure Alabama website at https://insurealabama.adph.state.al.us.