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Members: Amanda Earle, Deborah Gray, Laura Ivey-Glines, Jessica James, Amanda Kralick, Cassandra Meier-Schwandt
=**Uninsured Children In Florida -** Topic approved :) -LL =

I was thinking that once our topic is approved, we should create a list of exact tasks based on the ruberic and other assignment requirements to be completed by each member and set dates to be completed. This would allow those that need and want to start right away the opportunity to do so. What do you ladies think?

I agree I would like to have a due date and a task it will keep me on tract and know what is expected of me. Earle

Information I have gathered so far for our brochure (Amanda Kralick) :

OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEM: The number of Florida residents who are without health insurance is a growing problem needing immediate attention. Rising medical costs in addition to the lack of affordable health insurance is an important issue. In a country as powerful and advanced as the United States, it is inexcusable that there are so many people who are unable to receive quality medical care due to a lack of coverage. Of particular importance is the number of uninsured children in Florida and the impact this has on their lives. FACTS: · In Florida, 719,000 children are uninsured. Of those, 22 percent (160,000) are black, and 36 percent (258,000) are Hispanic. · In Florida, 18 percent of black children are uninsured, and 27 percent of Hispanic children are uninsured, compared to 13 percent of white children. · Nearly three-fourths of uninsured children live in households with incomes <200% of the federal poverty level coverage (Fry-Johnson, Daniels, Levine & Rust, 2005). · Children of the working poor – with parents whose income are too high to receive public assistance and too low to afford insurance premiums, co-payments, or annual deductibles are disproportionately affected by lack of insurance coverage (Fry-Johnson, Daniels, Levine & Rust, 2005). EFFECTS ON UNINSURED CHILDREN: · Uninsured children are more likely to be hospitalized for preventable conditions (Maurer & Smith, 2009). · Poor health in children affects their educational progress. (Maurer & Smith, 2009) · Untreated illnesses and lack of preventative services create or exacerbate health problems that persist throughout life (Maurer & Smith, 2009). · Children with no insurance have significantly higher rates of total hospital admission, as well as admission for chronic illness, asthma, diabetes, vaccine-preventable disease, psychiatric disease, and ruptured appendix. · These children have higher mortality rates, higher severity of illness, are more likely to be admitted through the emergency department and have significantly higher hospital charges per insured child. EDUCATION: · Most of the uninsured children in Florida are eligible for Florida KidCare, Florida’s health insurance program for children without private insurance. However, many parents do not know that their children are eligible or may not know how to enroll in the program. We must educate our communities and launch a mass media effort to be sure that Florida’s families have the facts about KidCare and, if eligible, know how to enroll (Children’s Movement, 2010). · Florida families must be educated that each child needs a “medical home.” This means that children should have a primary care physician who knows the child, has access to their health records, and who can make sure that care is coordinated. Coordinated care cuts down on costs, both by improving prevention and by limiting duplicative care (Children’s Movement, 2010). References: = Children’s Movement of Florida. (2010). Covering all florida’s children with health insurance. Retrieved October 3, 2010 from http://childrensmovementflorida.org/research/health_insurance/ = Fry-Johnson Y., Daniels E., Levine, R. & Rust G. (2005). Being uninsured: impact on children’s healthcare and health. //Current Opinion in Pediatrics// //2005, 17,// 753-758.

Maurer, F. A., Smith, C. M., (2009) Community/Public Health Nursing Practice: Health For Families and Populations (4th eds) St. Louis, Missouri, Saunders Elsevier I am going to start putting a brochure together tomorrow. I will email what I have so far to the rest of you. -Amanda Kralick

I need a little help clarifying the instructions. The project is titled policy proposal and the purpose is to develop a policy proposal but under bullett 2 it reads to include the title of the bill, the number of the bill, any companion bills, and co-sponsors which sounds to me like we are to find a bill already in place and support it. Here are some additional facts from [] (coincidently part of the same site as above) -Laura Here is the bill # information that we were researching. Can you all check it out and see if this is the one we wanted to use. We are also attaching what we have started so far for our brochure. Feel free to add or change any thing we just wanted to get a start on it. ~Amanda Earle and Sandy Meier-Schwandt~ []
 * Ninety percent of human brain development occurs during the first five years of life, making those years crucially important to the overall development of our children.1
 * Florida regularly ranks in the bottom half of states in child health, largely due to the high rate of babies born underweight and children who die within their first year of life.2
 * By most measures, Florida ranks 49th in the nation in the percentage of uninsured children,3 and a recent report places our state last.4 More than 18 percent of Florida’s children – nearly 800,000 children – do not have health insurance, almost double the national average.
 * Thirty-two percent of Florida's uninsured children do not have a regular place of care, compared with only 7 percent of insured children.5 As a result, many uninsured children do not swiftly seek treatment when they are ill.6 When uninsured children finally are able to enter a hospital in Florida, they are 1.5 times more likely than insured children to die in the hospital.7
 * The cost of uncompensated care for uninsured Florida children and adults was around $2.9 billion in 2005 and was estimated to rise to more than $4 billion in 2010.8 To help pay for this, each insured Florida family absorbs a hidden $1,400 insurance premium surcharge, and each insured Florida individual pays a $510 hidden surcharge.9
 * Florida meets just two of eight policy benchmarks aimed at addressing children’s dental health needs. More than half of the children on Medicaid received no dental service in 2007, the last year for which data are available.10
 * Early screening for and treatment of children's special needs can help children thrive and save $30,000 to $100,000 per child.11
 * Research shows that those with better childhood health earn and save more money, are more productive,12 and are less dependent on welfare and public subsidies.
 * Every dollar spent by Florida to improve the health and well-being of children in the state creates an aggregate total of $4.55 in economic output. That is a return on investment of 455 percent.13
 * Florida ranks 47th in the percentage of pregnant women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester.14

Nice job, Ladies! It contains the overview of the problem, major points, contact information, the bill is stated, and is very visually appealing. What else can we add?--Laura Where do the references go? There are no references on the similiar example. I also noticed a few gramatical errors. Page1 left column: a comma is needed after "rising medical cost" and again after "in addition to the lack of affordable health insurance". Page2 left column: a comma is needed after "now that this bill has been approved". Replace period after "low income children" and lower case R in removes as this is not a complete sentence. Alternate option is to add "and" in place of comma or begin next sentence with "It also". I have reviewed the brochure and compared it against the ruberic and I think we have everyting covered. .-Laura

Looks really great! Good job including all of our research and the added photos look good as well. I looked over the ruberic and it looks ready to go! And Laura, thanks for the gramatical help :)

I believe that the references go on a separate page. Also does anyone have any input on the bill itself. I think that this is the correct bill to use, but it is from 2009, do you think that is ok? -Sandy Meier-Schwandt

Yes, the directions say to include an APA styles reference list on a separate page. My references are listed above and in APA format, so they just need to be copy and pasted onto a reference sheet along with any others used. Also, I think that is the correct bill. The directions state, "Select a recent or current health policy issue (within this past year) from the state of Florida or at the federal level." This is from the fall 2009, so it is from the past year and does work. -Amanda Kralick

Ok I will go in this week and change the errors and will add the referances to the last page. I dont know if there is a way for anyone else to do the changes? It may just be easier for me to do it. I am kind of busy the next three days so I will do it by the weekend. I'm so glad you all like it Sandy and I worked hard! :) ~ Amanda Earle ~

Everything looks great! It covers all the criteria. What can I do to contribute? --Deborah Gray

Ok everyone I just made 2 new pages so can someone please make the reference sheet and someone else do the editing. I just trying to let someone else do some work because I think two people have not been able to do anything yet. Let me know if you are unable to do the editing. Thanks guys ~Amanda Earle~

I think Laura and I did all of the research, but I will also do the reference sheet. It will be easy for me to do since, I know what references I used. I'll do it this weekend and will post it on here or if I can't fingure out how to upload it on here, I will send it to everyone's course email. As far as the editing, I will do it if nobody else offers, but would Deborah or Jessica possibly like to do it?? ~Amanda Kralick

I agree Amanda K. I can copy and paste as well I was just giving the other two girls a chance to do something since you and Laura did the research and Sandy and I put it together. So lets give them a few days Deborah already asked what she could do to contribute and since it is not due until the 15th we have a little time. By the way thanks for the reseach you and Laura did a great job! :) ~Amanda Earle ~

I will do the editing! Thanks guys for all your hard work! --Deborah Gray

The reference page is under "Brochure References" to the left. I also emailed it to everyone. Anyone know what happened to Jessica?

Thanks Deborah! -Amanda

Okay guys! Here is the edited version of the brochure. It was really put together well so there wasn't much editing to be done, however I did fix a few things. It really looks great though! Well done! -- Deborah Gray

Hi ladies, sorry I went MIA there for a bit, but I will be on the site every day so let me know what needs to be done and I will do it! You ladies did a great job, way to be motivated!!! I only found one missing period as far as grammer goes. I was a little confused about the uninsured childrens household incomes <200% of the federal poverty level coverage under FACTS and also under EFFECT ON UNINSURED CHILDREN the last statement about the children having higher hospital charges per insured child. Is that supposed to be uninsured? Under Overview of the problem I thought we could add overwhelming to the number of chilrden in Florida and the impact this has on their lives. There are some extra spaces in our names on the back of the brochure. When I found the topic and bill I did it according to the rubric so I think we're fine there. If you ladies want me to make these changes let me know. It seems like I can edit it. I just didn't wanna try saving it until I got all okays. Good job!!!! Jessica James

I was unable to edit the reference page. There is a missing comma after Fry-Johnson on the second reference and a missing period after (2009) on the third refernce. Jessica

You can only edit it after saving it to your computer. I have done that and made the changes. I beleive we are ready to turn it in! Any objections? Please response with yes or no.Let's get this off our to do list-Laura No objections here! --Deborah

Everything looks good to me. I think that only one person has to submit it. Does anyone want to be responsible for that? -Sandy Meier

Looks good to me. I can submit it, but I will wait to get okays from the Amandas. Jessica

Amamnda Kralick responded to the course email that I sent to our group giving her OK.The reference page posted on this website is NOT corrected. I have a saved corrected version on my computer. Have you corrected it and saved it also.? -Laura

I have made the corrections to the reference page. I will wait until tomorrow to subit in case anybody notices any needed changes. I will check this before I submit say around 5:00pm sound good? We need to respond to another proposal as a group for next week. I would like to do it today and tomorrow to get it finished, but I can't figure out how to view the other proposals, any ideas? Jessica

Go to search wiki. Then type in the same group identifier as ours (4837-F10- ) other groups will be listed as A, B, C, D, we are E. Click on one and post. Don't forget the identify us as group E--Laura

Your awesome Laura!! Don't know that I would ever be able to figure that out. Here is the beginning to a responce to group G. Just started it and will return to it tomorrow. Let me know what all of you think. Jessica I agree that everything is good thank you all for everything. ~A. Earle

The brochure and references have been submitted to the assignment area and discussion area. I supppose our responces can now go in the discussion area rather than on the actual wiki. Am I guessing right on that one? I will work on it some more. Jessica

I submitted the response. Good luck ladies on the rest of the semester!! Jessica