Last Friday, Governor Schwarzenegger released a proposal for Phase 1 of “Health Care Reform” in California [visit the (temporary) website http://opr.ca.gov/temp/ for details of the plan]. Disappointingly, this first phase of health care reform omits any policy that would expand health coverage to children.

For more information, please see our letter to the Governor here.

As early as September 2003, Governor Schwarzenegger told the Los Angeles Times: “we have to make sure that every child in California is insured; that is the most important thing.” However, the Governor’s 2008 January budget included several proposals that would have resulted in over half a million children losing health coverage; now, the Governor has failed to prioritize children’s coverage in his latest reform effort.

The need for stable funding for children’s health insurance is particularly urgent. Tens of thousands of children enrolled in county-based programs stand to lose health coverage this year unless coverage for children is a priority in Phase 1 of health care reform. Over the past five years, counties across California have provided health insurance to uninsured children who are not eligible for state programs, but these efforts are unsustainable. In fact, Alameda County’s Healthy Kids program will close its doors on September 30, adding more than 1,000 children to the ranks of the uninsured.

Any effort to reform health care must start with a strong policy to expand children’s health coverage.

TAKE ACTION NOW! Call the Governor’s Office today at (916) 445-2841 and insist that children’s health care expansion be included in Phase 1 of any meaningful health care reform package. You could also use our letter as a guide to write your own letter to the Governor.

ATTENTION LOS ANGELES MOMSRISING MEMBERS: On Tuesday, July 29th at 6:00 pm, there will be a town hall meeting with Assembly Speaker Karen Bass on the state budget at Loker Student Union, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E Victoria Street, Carson. For more information, please click here.

If passed in its current form, the state budget will lead to the disenrollment of over 250,000 children! Unless our elected officials change directions now, the total number of uninsured children in California will increase to over a million. Please attend this important meeting and express your opposition to cuts to children’s health coverage in the state budget.

CHECK OUT THIS NEW REPORT: Even during this economic recession, 79% of likely voters nationwide want to see more money spent to provide health care to uninsured children, according to Homeland Insecurity, a report by Every Child Matters, a national nonpartisan children’s advocacy organization. Furthermore, 96% of all voters are concerned that over 8 million children nationwide have no health coverage.
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On behalf of The Children’s Partnership and the 100% Campaign, I'd like to thank all the MomsRising.org members in California for their steadfast work to ensure that every child has access to health coverage.