Launched four years ago, MHIP has 11,812 enrollees -- ranging from millionaires to people with incomes below the poverty line, said Richard Popper, the program's executive director. They see physicians and go to hospitals that are part of the CareFirst network.

It is not a panacea, Popper said, acknowledging that premiums, which range from $135 to $500 per month depending on age, income and health, are too high for many. Also, a condition diagnosed in the six months before joining MHIP generally won't be covered for the first two months, though enrollees can pay higher premiums for those two months to get the condition covered.

In all three local jurisdictions, children who lack coverage may be eligible for the State Children's Health Insurance Program. President Bush recently vetoed a bill to extend the program from the 6 million children nationwide who receive benefits to as many as 4 million more. Maryland's SCHIP currently covers children in families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $60,000 for a family of four.