Connecting to health coverage.(Local) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

By Cheryl Ross

The Virginian-Pilot

Iris Wimbush went to a Norfolk Health Department clinic to get a free physical for her grandson, Schileiar Fonfield. He needed to enroll in school and she didn't have enough money to take him to a doctor.

They left the health department with much more: free health insurance for 8-year-old Schileiar.

Schileiar (pronounced Skylar) is the 50,000th child to be enrolled in a state health insurance program by Project Connect, an initiative designed to sign up children eligible for the benefits.

The demand for the program is much higher these days, Project Connect and state health officials said.

FAMIS, which stands for Family Access to Medical Insurance Security, provides health care to uninsured children throughout the state.

More families are seeking the insurance because of the increasing number of parents losing their jobs or unable to pay higher insurance premiums, said Judith Cash, deputy director of the foundation that runs 10-year-old Project Connect.

This year, from about 4,000 to some 8,000 children statewide have joined the health insurance program per month, compared to typical monthly enrollments of about 1,200 to 4,000 last year, according to the foundation.

As of Nov. 1, more than 523,000 children were enrolled in FAMIS, said Rebecca Mendoza, a director in the state agency that administers the program.

The most recent state figures estimate that more than 100,000 children in Virginia are eligible for FAMIS, Mendoza said. At least 20,000 of them live in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Suffolk , health officials said.

Higher demand for insurance is why people such as Denise Parker, a Project Connect outreach worker who enrolled Schileiar, are now especially important, Cash said.

Parker makes the rounds at health departments, churches and workshops, among other places in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Suffolk and Hampton, to get people on board.

Most don't know much about the program, she said. 'Then you sit down and talk to them and find out they may have heard of it, but didn't take the time to learn what it was about,' Parker said.

Schileiar's grandmother fell into that category. She knew about FAMIS but had no idea that families like hers could qualify.

The retired special education teacher's assistant and bus driver learned that her grandson could enroll in FAMIS because her family falls within the qualifying income bracket of $3,675 monthly income for a family of four.

Schileiar has multiple health problems, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Wimbush knew he needed medical help, but she just couldn't afford it.

Now, Schileiar is seeing a therapist and is on medication to help with his disorders.

'It has put me at peace to get him the treatment that he needed,' Wimbush said.

Among other things, doctor and hospital visits, dental and vision care, prescription medicine and vaccinations are covered by the program. Regular check ups are free and there are no co-pays for some who meet minimal income levels. Co-pays can be as high as $25, however, depending on the family's income level and the type of medical service.

There are no co-pays for well-child check ups, immunizations and dental care, Mendoza said.

Project Connect just won a federal grant of nearly $1 million that it plans to use to fund additional outreach workers. The new staffers, with the 14 currently employed, will be responsible for enrolling another 7,000 children in FAMIS within the next two years, Cash said.

The extra cash, they hope, will help them find many more Schileiars and families like Benjamin and LaVerne Fuller. The couple's family of four was insured under LaVerne Fuller's health insurance until she lost her job in September.

It was especially nerve-wracking for the couple, who have a 2 -year-old daughter, Nadia Jean.

'At the time, I was thinking, ' I hope nothing happens urgently,' ' LaVerne Fuller said.

What happened is that the Fullers met Parker. 'Miss Parker was very, very good to us,' LaVerne Fuller said. 'I found comfort in her words.'

Parker helped them sign Nadia Jean up for FAMIS.

'We're just grateful that we finally got it for her,' LaVerne Fuller said. 'Now we need to work on us.'

Cheryl Ross, (757) 446-2443, cheryl.ross@pilotonline.com

CAPTION(S):

Bill Tiernan | The Virginian-Pilot

Iris Wimbush and her grandson, Schileiar Fonfield, are served by a state health insurance program that now provides the medical help he needs but she couldn't afford.