Garden State Times

In response to 16,000 children in South Jersey losing health insurance coverage last year, the Board of Commissioners, the Camden Coalition, and Mayor Victor Carstarphen have partnered with several local organizations to launch the Cover All Kids initiative. This campaign aims to raise awareness and enroll as many children as possible who are eligible for free or affordable government health insurance.

According to the Camden Coalition’s redetermination data, a total of 16,000 children were terminated in the three-month period between September and November 2023, with 60% of them being terminated for administrative reasons, such as missing paperwork, not because they were found to be ineligible. In Camden City alone, 3,000 children were terminated from Medicaid in the six-month period between June and November 2023.

"Every family should have access to health insurance for their children," expressed Commissioner Jeff Nash. "Economic circumstances or communications issues should not cause children to go without coverage. By spreading the word and getting kids enrolled, this partnership will make a difference in the lives of countless children and families."

The Commissioners, the Camden Coalition, and Mayor Victor Carstarphen have been working to engage schools, immigration organizations, health care providers, and others to spread the word that coverage is available. Organizations such as the Center for Family Services, Citizen Action, the Osborn Family Health Center, CAMCare, South Jersey Family Medical Center, and Cooper University Health Care provide free assistance in many languages to parents and caregivers to fill out the insurance applications.