U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell will participate in a school-based health enrollment event in Washington, D.C. at Cardozo Education Campus on Wednesday, Aug. 31. They will join a roundtable with Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children's Defense Fund; Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association; Kaya Henderson, chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools and local health and education leaders. The discussion will focus on the importance of ensuring that quality health care is accessible to all students and will share best practices of these organizations to enroll students in health care through routine school registration. A media availability will follow the roundtable at 11:30 a.m.
While the nation has made significant progress expanding health insurance for more children—nearly 4.5 million children under age 18—about one in 17 remain uninsured. School-aged children (ages 6-17) are more likely than younger children to be uninsured, and account for nearly three out of four uninsured children in the nation. Schools and districts have an opportunity to help close these gaps.