PRIVATE PROGRAM PROVIDES HEALTH CARE FOR NEEDY CHILDREN

"Everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it."

During our typically erratic Missouri springtime, that familiar line rings true, and it applies equally to many social issues, including affordable health care for children. The issue has been debated at all levels of government and is currently on the front burner in Washington, D.C.

The Caring Program for Children is a model program -- working today -- to deliver free health care to children of working families. More than 1,000 physicians, 80 hospitals, thousands of pharmacies, dozens of corporate donors and thousands of individual contributors are helping children receive free primary health care, preventive care and prescription medication now through the Caring Program for Children, a private, not-for-profit organization.

In the past 10 years, the Caring Program for Children has helped 20,000 children whose families don't qualify for Medicaid but aren't covered by employer-sponsored plans and can't afford private insurance. This year alone, we hope to have adequate funding to serve 6,000 children. The program has broad community support of corporations, hospitals, physicians and private individuals. We county Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri, Mallinckrodt, Solution Consultants, Monsanto, McDonnell Douglas, Maritz and NationsBank among our major corporate partners. The St. Louis City School District and school districts around the state, the Division of Family Services and other agencies provide an important link, referring children in need to the Caring Program.

Scores of volunteers invest their time and effort in the program. The media and sports community, especially the Cardinals and Rams, enthusiastically participate in and publicize our many activities and fund raisers. Because the program's administrative costs -- including enrollment, provider relations and claims processing -- are funded entirely by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri, 100 percent of all donations go directly to services for children and are kept in the local community.

The true measure of this effort is found in the individual stories of families who receive free care through the program. Children are able to attend school regularly and participate in athletics because they have access to a primary-care doctor and emergency care, if needed.

The program's streamlined application process reinforces the dignity of families applying for and accessing care through the Caring Program. There are no intrusive questions about the children's health or family status. Once eligibility under income guidelines is established, a membership card is issued to the family. It works just like private insurance, because it is private insurance.

The legislative process could take until the start of the new millennium before services are available to our children. Meanwhile, the Caring Program for Children will have continued to provide invaluable health-care services to our uninsured youngsters -- helping an additional 15,000 children by the year 2000.

Supporters of the Caring Program for Children are concerned that Missourians will perceive involvement from the state as a replacement for private support of this worthy effort. But the opposite is true. Today, the Caring Program for Children must place one out of 10 participants on our waiting list while we generate funds to pay for care. The Caring Program is asking local businesses, corporations, organizations and individuals to increase their financial support of the program and be heard as other health-care initiatives are considered in the Missouri Legislature. Our children's futures depend on it.

Lee Michelson of St. Louis is the executive director of the Caring Program for Children.