Answers for 16,000 uninsured children

King County Executive Ron Sims' plan to extend health coverage to the county's 16,000 uninsured children is a smart, cost-effective idea that ought to prod similar state and federal initiatives.

The best part of Sims' plan is it doesn't require much money. Half of the county's uninsured children are already eligible for Medicaid or other publicly funded insurance programs but aren't enrolled. Six outreach workers would be hired to pair up the children with the appropriate coverage. The remaining children would have their coverage paid for by the county for three years. Then Sims expects Gov. Christine Gregoire's pledge to insure all children by 2010 to kick in.

Insuring children is the right thing to do and it is relatively inexpensive. Kids are generally healthy and their medical needs are few. But without access to health care, children's care can be costly. Things like annual well-child visits are ignored and medical treatment comes via emergency rooms.

If children are covered, it is likely King County can begin to reduce the $3.7 million it shells out to clinics annually for uncompensated care.

Nationwide, between 8 million and 11 million children don't have health insurance. Congress has yet to come up with a workable solution. States vary in their approach, with Washington state covering more children than most other states. Still, kids are falling through the cracks. King County doesn't propose to solve the problem, merely provide a useful catalyst for addressing it.

Many families don't know they are eligible for government-sponsored health-care coverage. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sponsors a national hotline; parents of noninsured children can call 877-543-7669 (877-KIDS-NOW) to determine if their children are eligible.