1-800-QUIT-NOW                                                                 

Everyone who is interested in kicking smoking is encouraged to call this 

statewide quitline for free support in quitting, a quit kit of materials and / or referrals to local community resources.  As well as free Nicotine Replacement Therapy products while supplies last. Or directly access the www.indianaquitline.net  web site for assistance. 

 In addition, free nicotine patches and gum are available NOW through Healthy Communities of LaPorte County by calling 326-6232. The products are underwritten by a Drug Free Partnership grant.

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Nine working age Hoosiers die each week as a direct result of being uninsured; Covering the Uninsured Week begins

By Cara Logan

Coordinator for Covering Kids and Families of LaPorte County

a council of Healthy Communities of LaPorte County

A report from Families USA published this month states that nine people ages 25-64 die each week in Indiana due to lack of health coverage. The report also notes that uninsured adults are more likely to be diagnosed with an advanced stage disease than insured adults.

The new Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) assists in providing health coverage for adults (ages 19-64) that are uninsured. This first come, first serve plan is funded by last year’s tobacco tax increase, and has the potential of covering almost 140,000 uninsured adults in Indiana this year.

There are modest monthly contributions for the plan that range from $0-$200 depending on income and family size. This small payment covers all the health care services, such as inpatient hospital stays, tests, physician visits and prescriptions. It requires no co-payments or deductibles.

It is important that the income-eligible residents of LaPorte County who have been uninsured for six months and who have no employer coverage apply soon - because once this plan reaches its limit of applicants this year it will close. As an example of an income limit, a family of four can make up to $3,534 per month, to qualify for both HIP for uninsured adults and Hoosier Healthwise for uninsured and underinsured children. 

There are also health coverage programs available for children in Indiana. Currently there are 161,444 children ages 0-18 who are uninsured – that is one out of ten children in Indiana. And 77.5% of the uninsured children live in families where at least one person is employed full time. Uninsured kids are less likely to receive care for childhood illnesses such as sore throats, earaches and asthma. These children are less prepared to learn in school and to succeed in life. Allowing our kids to start out at such a disadvantage is simply unacceptable.

The governor of Indiana signed a contract last year with an IBM-led group that has “modernized” the eligibility determination process for Food Stamps, TANF and Hoosier Healthwise. LaPorte County is expected to move to this new system tentatively in August 2008. This move will rely heavily on technology with online and telephone applications, leaving some advocacy groups worried that individuals will have difficulty with applying and re-enrolling.

In LaPorte County, the Covering Kids and Families Council works together with coalition members such as the hospitals, clinics, schools and social service agencies. Together we hope to reduce the number of uninsured persons in LaPorte County. Healthy Communities is the lead agency for Covering Kids and Families, and the work of the Covering Kids and Families Council is supported by Duneland Health Council, HealthLinc, Managed Health Services (MHS), Saint Anthony Memorial, LaPorte Regional Health System and MDwise. Our thanks to these generous organizations for their recognition of the continued need for reducing the number of eligible but uninsured children and families in our county.

That is why Covering Kids and Families of LaPorte County is joining thousands nationwide to demonstrate the need for continued awareness to the plight of the uninsured. April 27-May 3, 2008 is Cover the Uninsured Week, the centerpiece of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Cover the Uninsured campaign.

If you are interested in more information about Covering Kids and Families of LaPorte County or would like to apply for Hoosier Healthwise or the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), please call 219-210-9147 or email: logancara@yahoo.com.

Who We Are

The Healthy Communities movement began in the mid-1980s, aiming to spread positive change across the country. Its ambitious goal is to measurably improve residents' health and long-term quality of life.

Healthy Communities of LaPorte County (HCLC) takes a broad view of health, forming new collaborative efforts with individual and organizational partners, and sharing resources to address unmet needs and to build stronger communities.

Our History

The group organized in late 1996 with leadership from LaPorte Regional Health System (LRHS) and LaPorte Hospital Foundation. Saint Anthony Memorial was invited to join the effort, and the two health systems continue to be major supporters of the organization.

The next year, public meetings were sponsored to introduce the Healthy Communities concept and invite participation in the process. The Healthy Communities Initiative advanced to identify unmet health-related needs.

In April of 2000 the group formed plans to expand to a countywide "quality of life" organization and recruited dozens of community leaders to help redefine its direction.

A year later, a full-time director was hired. That fall, "visioning" sessions were held throughout the county to find out what area residents felt were the most important unmet needs. At a countywide meeting in November 2001, results of these meetings and other research assessments were presented, and new priority issues were adopted for the organization.

Since its inception, the number of Healthy Communities' issue councils has quadrupled, to include the important quality of life efforts listed in the column at right.

Early Achievements

• In its early years, Healthy Communities collaborated with 13 organizations and agencies, with major contributions from LaPorte County Public Library, to develop a computer-based Community Information Resource to help people locate needed human services. You can access this database by clicking on the LaPorte County "helping services " box in the upper left corner of this page.
• HCLC also coordinated development of a dental clinic, located within Community Health Center at 400 Teegarden Street, LaPorte, to provide basic dental care for Medicaid beneficiaries, low-income and uninsured county residents.

Where We Are Now

HCLC currently focuses on the following important areas, tackling these topics through a collaborative council structure:

• Health
• Tobacco Prevention and Cessation
• Transportation expansion
• Literacy
• Covering Kids & Families (Hoosier Healthwise enrollment)

The mission statement of Healthy Communities of LaPorte County is to initiate and support a dynamic community-wide change process that will enable LaPorte County residents to identify, take ownership of, and find solutions to critical issues that impact their emotional, physical and spiritual health, and hence, the overall quality of life in LaPorte County.

Call 326-6232 to find out how you can contribute to Healthy Communities' vision.