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Statement

MomsRising Celebrates Second Anniversary of Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act

February 4, 2011
Health Care

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director, MomsRising, On the Second Anniversary of the Signing of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act
Two years ago, President Obama signed into law the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act. This important law has helped ensure that millions of kids received much-needed health care and has turned out to be even more important to America’s families in these tough economic times than we imagined. In combination with Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) serve more than 42 million children.
 
That’s 42 million kids whose parents even as they struggle to their families afloat during tough economic times can have peace of mind that a playground injury or flu outbreak won’t drive the family deeper into debt.
 
Even with these important programs in place, too many kids are still missing out on much-needed health care. Often this is because their parents, grandparents or guardians dont know they’re eligible or don’t know how to enroll them. Fortunately, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced $40 million in grants to support efforts to increase awareness of CHIP and enrollment in the program. So, as we celebrate the second birthday of this law, we also look forward to working with the Secretary and parents across the country to help spread the word about the availability of children's health coverage. And we want to thank the administration for providing these important new grants.
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.