The County Executive’s FY25 Operating Budget proposal, under County Council consideration, includes $180,000 for the Care for Kids program to improve reproductive healthcare access for uninsured teens. Motherhood can significantly impact the health, well-being, and life trajectory of young women and their babies, and parents under the age of 18 have lower mental health scores than teens who delay having children.
The Care for Kids program is administered by the Primary Care Coalition and funded by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. The program currently serves 8,648 uninsured youth from 75 countries. Forty percent of the participants are over 14, and nearly three-quarters are from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
If the Council approves the new contraceptive care program within Care for Kids, funding will begin July 1. The program would be rolled out in stages, starting with estimating patient needs, conducting human-centered design research to understand their priorities and preferences, reviewing and establishing best practices, and defining and refining the patient journey. The program would be fully operational before the end of the calendar year.
The new contraceptive program would allow uninsured teens access to a variety of contraceptive options, education, and counseling, including abortion services. It will also help engage young men in the responsibility of planning and preventing pregnancies.
The Care for Kids program provides participants with primary care visits, immunizations, discounted lab and radiology services, medicine, dental services, vision care, behavioral health care, and specialty care. Only medically necessary contraceptive care is currently covered.
In addition to the new contraceptive funding, the County Executive’s budget proposal for next year includes a $2 million (24%) increase in Montgomery Cares provider reimbursement rates and $140,000 for administrative support to accommodate increased enrollment and to handle billing.
The Care for Kids program is administered by the Primary Care Coalition and funded by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. The program currently serves 8,648 uninsured youth from 75 countries. Forty percent of the participants are over 14, and nearly three-quarters are from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
If the Council approves the new contraceptive care program within Care for Kids, funding will begin July 1. The program would be rolled out in stages, starting with estimating patient needs, conducting human-centered design research to understand their priorities and preferences, reviewing and establishing best practices, and defining and refining the patient journey. The program would be fully operational before the end of the calendar year.
The new contraceptive program would allow uninsured teens access to a variety of contraceptive options, education, and counseling, including abortion services. It will also help engage young men in the responsibility of planning and preventing pregnancies.
The Care for Kids program provides participants with primary care visits, immunizations, discounted lab and radiology services, medicine, dental services, vision care, behavioral health care, and specialty care. Only medically necessary contraceptive care is currently covered.
In addition to the new contraceptive funding, the County Executive’s budget proposal for next year includes a $2 million (24%) increase in Montgomery Cares provider reimbursement rates and $140,000 for administrative support to accommodate increased enrollment and to handle billing.
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