9 News, Legal Aid Society team up to get health care coverage for children

CINCINNATI - If your children do not have health care coverage, help is on the way.

9 News and the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati are teaming up again on Tuesday to get uninsured Ohio children signed up for Medicaid. Legal Aid estimates that 18,000 children in Southwest Ohio are uninsured. Two-thirds of uninsured children and teens are eligible for Medicaid.

Legal Aid staff members will answer phones from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4. They will help identify if a caller’s children are eligible for Medicaid. Operators will also help callers with getting signed up, and follow the paperwork all the way through the process.

Children in a family of four earning up to $46,000 can still qualify for Medicaid, for example. Operators can evaluate individual callers’ financial situations to help determine eligibility.

Medicaid provides free or low-cost health coverage for doctor visits, hospitalizations, check-ups, dental and vision care, immunizations, mental health and prescriptions. Medicaid can be a short- or long-term solution, depending on a parent's employment and financial situation.

For help, the number to call on Tuesday is 513-749-9400. If you are unable to call during those times, call the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio at (513) 362-2787 during regular business hours or or visit the enrollment website at www.covercincy.org/?page_id=18 .

If you have questions about your child's eligibility, email your questions to ckfswo@gmail.com or ask your questions in the comment section below and we will post answers on WCPO.com.