Two years ago this week, Congress and President Obama delivered bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known here in California as Healthy Families. We are offering a birthday observation for the new law, and we can all celebrate the gift of health this law gives to California children.

Thanks to Healthy Families and Medi-Cal, 4.4 million children in California can get the checkups and preventive care they need to stay healthy and see the doctor when they get sick or injured.

These programs make California families stronger and better able to weather tough times, so parents struggling to keep their families afloat can rest easier, knowing that a playground injury or flu outbreak will not drive the family deeper into debt.  Healthy Families and Medi-Cal also strengthen our economy. They help California use health dollars wisely – keeping children healthy, rather than spending more on emergency room care when a child’s preventable illness becomes more serious and more expensive to treat. An uninsured child costs our community $2,100 more than a child enrolled in Healthy Families or Medi-Cal.  What’s more, these two programs bring over $27 billion in California federal tax dollars back into our economy, which means more local jobs.

Unfortunately, there are still close to 700,000 children in California who are eligible but not enrolled in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families, and a total of over 1.5 million uninsured children in California. We must all act now to make sure our children get the care they need. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, children with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or cancer can no longer be denied coverage in the private insurance market. In California, it is important that families act by March 1st to take advantage of an “open enrollment” period when premiums for enrolling children with pre-existing conditions will be limited. After March 1st, premiums for health coverage for these children will likely rise, perhaps substantially. If commercial insurance is unaffordable for families, Healthy Families or Medi-Cal may be able to help.  Families and caretakers seeking coverage for their children can call 1-877-KIDS-NOW or visit www.finder.healthcare.gov.

Let’s all celebrate this important anniversary with a renewed commitment to keep the Healthy Families and Medi-Cal success stories going. Let your representatives in the State Legislature know that you want health coverage for uninsured children to be a top priority for them this year. Spread the word about Healthy Families and Medi-Cal at your PTA meeting, your workplace, your union, your faith community, your children’s day care, or your neighborhood association so we can help more uninsured children get the care they need to grow and thrive. To learn more, visit www.100percentcampaign.org.

Kim Brettschneider

State Coordinator

Children’s Defense Fund-California