The COVID-19 outbreak has created an extremely difficult time, especially for at-risk families who are already dealing with the stress of caring for a sick or injured child.
Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are anticipating that we will see increased demand for assistance from our existing Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals families as well as an increase in applications from new families. Our estimate is that we will see at least a 10-20% increase in direct family assistance requests in the Ozarks. Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals COVID-19 Bridge the Gap Campaign will help provide the resources needed to provide a safety net for these families, many that are at their breaking point. These families should not be forced to make a decision between paying medical expenses to keep their child healthy, paying the rent, paying the utility bill, or paying to put food on the table. The purpose of this important campaign is to raise the funding needed to help keep our local children healthy and to save lives. During fiscal year 2019, 60% of the CoxHealth patient visits from children were funded through Medicaid or self-pay.
As the COVID-19 crisis continues, desperate parents caring for seriously ill children will turn to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for assistance. With your help, we will be able to reduce their burden, help provide funding needed for their children’s health and in some cases, save them from the devastating carnage of financial and emotional stress.