25% OF LATINO KIDS LACK HEALTH PLANS VOID IN COVERAGE THREAT TO STATE'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, STUDY SAYS.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer

Nearly one-fourth of California's Latino children don't have health insurance, potentially leading to missed school days and a downward spiral that can have enormous implications on the state's economic prosperity, UCLA researchers said Tuesday.

As kids grow up without vaccinations, physical checkups and routine exams - some children as young as 5 need root-canal surgery because they've never seen a dentist - their future productivity can be diminished, according to the study released by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture.

``Given that we need to be preparing the work force of tomorrow, we're not dealing with just a Latino issue. It's a work-force issue,'' said David E. Hayes-Bautista, director of the center and a study author.

``Even though these things are concentrated as Latino issues, they are societal. They impact all of us,'' he said. ``It's the educational preparation of that labor force in the future. We need to be making these education decisions and labor decisions now.''

The study's authors surveyed available data and literature to ``connect the dots'' and show the damage that can unfold without medical care for the state's estimated 3.7 million Latino children under age 18.

Kids are likely to miss school when they're sick, the study said, noting that in the Los Angeles Unified School District, where 70 percent of the students are Latino, kids miss an average of 27 days of school a year.

Without higher education, U.S.-born Latinos are more likely to rely on public assistance and will have lower earning potential, less chance of homeownership and will be less likely to vote.

``We know what the costs of health insurance are, but equal attention needs to be devoted to the costs of not having health insurance,'' the authors wrote.

Health care providers say they see first-hand the problems youngsters experience because of poor preventive care.

With next week designated as ``Cover the Uninsured Week,'' many clinics and foundations are sponsoring events to get the word out that free and low-cost care is available for many of Los Angeles County's 235,000 uninsured children.

``You just see a lot of families who have gone without insurance for so long,'' said Julie Cha, a spokeswoman for the Northeast Valley Health Corp., a nonprofit center that operates various facilities in the San Fernando Valley.

``A lot of them could end up with chronic diseases ... from obesity to diabetes to asthma. These can become chronic lifelong problems that they carry into adulthood,'' she said.

``You can imagine if they're always sick and getting worse and not getting treatment how that would affect the general society. There are just so many ramifications on kids if they don't have access to health care.''

Thousands of youngsters up to age 5 could be receiving care through First5 LA, the program funded by the tobacco sales tax.

And last year, L.A. Care Health Plan launched a massive effort to provide care to older kids through a $128 million effort. With nearly 35,000 kids ages 6-18 now signed up, program operators expect to start a waiting list next month.

Under both programs, kids can get medical, dental, vision and emergency room care, as well as prescription drug coverage. The programs generally cost up to $6 a month per child, with a $5 co-payment for most services. Families generally must earn less than $48,000 annually for a family of three to qualify.

L.A. Care also has a pilot program to offer $4 million in rebates for families that are paying for their own medical insurance - giving families $20 a month, up to $100, toward the costs of their insurance.

``We feel very strongly that kids deserve a good start in life ... We believe preventive health care is preferable and much less expensive and psychologically costly on the members than ending up in an emergency room situation,'' said Andrea Van Hook, spokeswoman for L.A. Care Health Plan.

``We have statistics about kids who can't see the blackboard, kids as young as 5 having to have root canals. Things like that just should not occur.''

The researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, and experts in the field say a convergence of events in recent years has led to so many kids going without coverage.

In Los Angeles, the economic base has come to include more small and midsize businesses that don't offer health insurance. Plus, the state and county have been forced to cut back funding for health care programs.

But the researchers said studies show gains can be seen as soon as kids are enrolled in health care programs - starting with better school performance.

They said more statewide efforts to provide health care are needed.

``It would be to the state's advantage,'' said Hayes-Bautista. ``Some counties are ahead of the pack. There's no reason they should have to have their children suffer.''

Lisa Mascaro, [phone]

lisa.mascaro(at)dailynews.com

AVAILABLE HEALTH CARE

Free and low-cost health care is available for qualifying families:

The Northeast Valley Health Corp.'s San Fernando Health Center will hold a health insurance fair, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4 at 1600 San Fernando Road. For more information, call [phone].

L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest public health care plan in California, offers various free and low-cost health care options, including insurance for children, families and rebates for those paying for their own health insurance. Call (888) 4LAKIDS.

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(color) Erika Sandoval, left, talks with nurse Patricia Elizarraraz during a checkup Tuesday for her daughter Desiree, 5, at a Canoga Park clinic.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

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AVAILABLE HEALTH CARE (see text)