UPMC for Kids Passes 15,000-member Mark

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), brought to you by UPMC for Kids™, has passed the 15,000-member milestone.

To celebrate this achievement, UPMC Health Plan has made a major contribution to Reading Is FUNdamental (RIF) Pittsburgh. UPMC Health Plan also designed a special bookplate that RIF Pittsburgh will place in brand-new books delivered to daycare centers served by the Storymobile throughout the Pittsburgh region. Children will be able to take these books home, keep them, and have a special place to write their name on the bookplate. This is a fun way to spark an interest in learning and will help economically disadvantaged children in our community begin a lifelong love of reading.

UPMC for Kids, which is available in 32 counties in Pennsylvania, is one of the fastest-growing CHIP programs in Pennsylvania.

"The continued growth of UPMC for Kids shows that more and more families trust us to provide health insurance coverage to their children and teens," said John Lovelace, who oversees UPMC for Kids in his role as Vice President of the Children's Health Insurance Program for UPMC Health Plan. "Throughout the state, we have established a reputation for service and quality."  

CHIP is available to uninsured children and teens (up to age 19) who are not eligible for Medical Assistance. No family's income is too high to qualify for CHIP.    

UPMC for Kids, which was started in August 2006, provides a wide range of benefits, including preventive care and doctor visits, hospital and emergency care, behavioral health care,  prescription drug coverage, and dental and vision care. Also, UPMC for Kids provides coverage for medically necessary orthodontia.  

All UPMC for Kids CHIP members have access to UPMC Health Plan's large network of world-class doctors and hospitals.

About UPMC Health Plan

UPMC Health Plan, the second-largest health insurer in western Pennsylvania, is owned by UPMC, one of the nation's top-ranked health systems. The integrated partner companies of the UPMC Insurance Services Division – which includes UPMC Health Plan, UPMC WorkPartners, LifeSolutions (EAP), UPMC for You (Medical Assistance), and Community Care Behavioral Health – offer a full range of group health insurance, Medicare, Special Needs, CHIP, Medical Assistance, behavioral health, employee assistance, and workers' compensation products and services to nearly 1.6 million members. Our local provider network includes UPMC as well as community providers, totaling more than 125 hospitals and more than 11,500 physicians throughout Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland. For more information, visit www.upmchealthplan.com.

SOURCE UPMC Health Plan