Chronically ill children in Utah enrolled in either of the two state insurance programs have access to medical care equal to kids covered through plans at their parents' workplaces, but sick kids who aren't insured generally see a doctor only if their illness becomes an emergency.

That is the finding of a new report released last week by the child-welfare advocacy group the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in an effort to encourage parents to enroll children in available health-insurance programs before they enroll them in the new school year.

About 15,000 children — approximately 19 percent of all kids in the state — with chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes are covered by the state's Children's Health Insurance Program or Medicaid, the joint state/federal insurance program for low-income Utahns.

The report supports survey findings by child advocates in Utah that having health insurance makes an enormous difference in whether kids receive the care they need, especially if they are chronically ill.

Findings by researchers at the University of Minnesota show that insured children are three times more likely to visit a doctor's office in the course of a year than are uninsured children. In addition, insured kids are far more likely to have had a regular or back-to-school checkup to keep them healthy.

It underscores how vital Medicaid and the state Children's Health Insurance Program — called Utah CHIP here — are in keeping kids with chronic illnesses well and out of the hospital.

More than one in three chronically ill children nationwide is enrolled in one of these programs and has consistent access to needed care because of them.

"SCHIP and Medicaid provide an important safety net for America's families, especially for families with chronically ill children," said Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "These programs allow kids to get the care they need so that they can feel better, grow stronger and thrive in school."

When children who need care do not receive it, their conditions worsen and are harder and more expensive to treat later, she said.

"Because of Medicaid and SCHIP, millions of kids can get regular checkups, take the medications they need to stay well and see a doctor when they are sick," she added. "Parents of any uninsured child should find out if their family is eligible for low-cost or free insurance before sending their kids back to school."