Medical Society Of Delaware announces contribution from AstraZeneca to continue program to increase access to health insurance
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
$300,000 contribution to Covering Kids & Families will help reach 25,000 Delawareans eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP
The Medical Society of Delaware announced today a $300,000 contribution from AstraZeneca to extend the Delaware Covering Kids & Families (CKF) program, a public outreach effort to enroll the 25,000 state residents who are eligible for public health insurance coverage, but have not signed up.
Part of a nationwide grassroots initiative, Delaware CKF provides uninsured families information and application assistance for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), known in Delaware as the Delaware Healthy Children program. CKF began in 2003 with a four-year grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which expired in March 2007. The $300,000 contribution from AstraZeneca will provide funding to allow the program to continue in Delaware for two more years.
“Delaware’s uninsured rate has remained stable, in part, because of the many people working hard to enroll residents in programs for which they are eligible,” said Janice E. Tildon-Burton, M.D., President of the Medical Society of Delaware. “Our goal is to educate people about programs that are available, and to enroll them if they qualify.”
“Access to health care through insurance is key to improving the health of people and their families,” said Glenn Engelmann, Vice President of Policy, Legal & Scientific Affairs, General Counsel, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, US. “AstraZeneca is committed to helping reduce the barriers to health care so patients can get the treatment and medicines they need.”
"It is wonderful to see AstraZeneca helping the uninsured in Delaware with this contribution. I am proud that AstraZeneca is leading the healthcare community by reaching out to the uninsured and helping improve the quality of health for Delawareans," said Congressman Mike Castle.
Delaware CKF has helped enroll nearly 3,000 people in Medicaid. Additionally, Delaware CKF has worked within the medical community to target uninsured pregnant women for early access to prenatal services by expediting enrollment for them, their newborns, and other members of their household. During the three-year project, 1,075 applications were submitted for pregnant women and resulted in an astounding 975 adult Medicaid enrollments, 418 child Medicaid enrollments, and 58 Delaware Healthy Children Program enrollments.
“This announcement is one more step in the right direction for helping children and families across Delaware access the quality health care they need,” said Delaware Lt. Governor John C. Carney, Jr. “Twenty-four percent of uninsured Delawareans are eligible for existing public coverage, but are not enrolled. Through the collective efforts of the Medical Society of Delaware and AstraZeneca, along with a broader coalition of state officials and policy makers, we can empower Delawareans to not only maintain, but improve their health and the health of their families.”
About Delaware Covering Kids & Families
The Delaware Covering Kids and Families Program is a grassroots initiative to reach the uninsured with information and application assistance for public health insurance coverage. The program is carried out by a large and diverse coalition. The coalition also works with state officials and policymakers to suggest policy and procedures that simplify enrollment so that eligible individuals maintain enrollment in health benefit programs. The program is led by the Medical Society of Delaware and was established in 2003.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $26.47 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.
In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $12.44 billion healthcare business with more than 12,000 employees. For nearly three decades, AstraZeneca has offered drug assistance programs side by side with its medicines, and over the past five years, has provided over $3 billion in savings to more than 1 million patients throughout the US and Puerto Rico. AstraZeneca has been named one of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” by Working Mother magazine and is the only large pharmaceutical company named to FORTUNE magazine’s 2007 list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.” In 2006, for the fifth consecutive year, Science magazine named AstraZeneca a “Top Employer” on its ranking of the world’s most respected biopharmaceutical employers.
For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit: www.astrazeneca-us.com
Media Contacts:
Betsy C. Wheeler, Delaware Covering Kids & Families: 302-335-1560
Laura King, AstraZeneca: 302-885-1087