1. Ready Services – Health
Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

2. Ready Services – Health
Having health insurance that covers regular preventive health check-ups including:
social and emotional/mental health
dental health
regular screenings to identify problems early on
consistent health care in a “medical home” and
referrals for additional services when needed
saves employers and taxpayers money by decreasing costly visits to emergency departments and reducing absenteeism.
Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

3. Ready Services – Health
Alabama ranks better than the national average
in number of children with health insurance
Coordination between public and private – single
application process for Medicaid, AllKids, and
Alabama Child Caring Foundation
Public-private partnership model
Realistic goal of having EVERY Alabama child
covered by health insurance
Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

4. Ready Services – Health
An ounce of prevention is actually worth
a pound of cure.
A simple ear infection can be treated with
a $20 antibiotic. . . or if left undetected can result in lifelong learning problems and related costs associated with language delays.
 Routine childhood vaccination saves nearly $10 billion in direct medical costs.
Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

5. Ready Services – Health
Obesity is the single biggest reason for the increase in health costs, accounting for more than 9% of all spending. Alabama has the 2nd highest rate in the country.
Overweight preschool children are 5 times more likely to be overweight by age 12, and for 50-80%, obesity persists into adulthood.
Health care costs average 37% more than for people of normal weight, adding $732 to the
annual medical bills of every American.
Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

6. Ready Services – Health
Mental health problems often begin early in life, and if untreated can carry long-term consequences.
Persistent problems interfere with education, social development, and employment: higher dropout rate, unemployment and juvenile justice involvement.
Costs to society are 10 times higher than those without such problems.
Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama

7. Ready Services – Health
Depression, the most common mental disorder, costs employers
$44 billion a year in lost productivity
(including worker absenteeism and
reduced job performance).
And maternal depression is one of the adverse experiences that interferes with healthy brain development of very young children.
Making Young Children the Top Economic Priority in Alabama