Recently, I had the opportunity to share how I have tirelessly fought for my children's health at a CHIP event on the Capital with MomsRising and Senator Stabenow.

My name is Connie Cavara. I’m a nurse and a single mom to three beautiful children, including Carmen and Diego, who attended the event with me and were helped by the Children's Health Insurance Program, commonly known as CHIP.

I’m fortunate enough to work in a good job that offers benefits. My employer-sponsored health insurance is high-quality and affordable -- but only for me. If I want to add my children to my plan, I’d have to pay an additional $900 a month. That’s almost an entire paycheck for me, BEFORE co-pays and deductibles. I simply can’t afford it.

Thankfully, my children, Carmen and Diego, are covered under CHIP. It has been a lifesaver for me and my family. With CHIP, I know that I can afford routine health care for my kids, and that a medical emergency won’t send us into bankruptcy.

CHIP has already seen our family through trying times. When I was pregnant with Carmen, doctors noticed a mass on her adrenal gland that was evident in an ultrasound. She needed extensive testing that began the day she was born to find out if it was cancer and what care and treatment she would need.

Without CHIP, the medical expenses from all her tests would have buried us, limiting our family’s prospects for years to come. Fortunately, the mass was benign, and after CHIP covered the costs of her medical procedures, Carmen was able to get the healthy start in life that every child deserves.

Our family is lucky. We don’t have major health problems or require expensive medications, and I have a stable job. Still, no one can predict the future -- and without insurance, I don’t know how we’d recover financially from a medical emergency down the road.

CHIP is the only way many working parents, like me, can afford quality health care for our kids. As a nurse, I spend every day taking care of others’ family members. Without CHIP, I wouldn’t be able to take care of my own.

Connie at the United States Capitol, sharing her family's story and why we need to extend CHIP. _12.13.17.jpg

I’d like to thank Senators Stabenow, Casey, & Hirono for urging the Republican Congress to extend CHIP funding. Members of Congress need to come together immediately to renew funding for this invaluable program.

Whatever our political differences, I think we can all agree that nothing is more important than protecting our children.