News release
Mom Speaks in Support of CHIP Enrollment Efforts in Dallas
April 8, 2015
Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996
Delivers Giant Thank You Card to Mayor for His Dedication to Children’s Health
Members of MomsRising.org – the online and on-the-ground organization for moms and everyone who has a mom – will present a giant "thank you" card, signed by 300 members, to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to thank him for his dedication to children’s health. The card delivery will be held in conjunction with the city’s announcement of a new campaign to enroll more eligible children and families living in Dallas in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Dallas recently received a National League of Cities (NLC) grant to fund a campaign to enroll more eligible children and families in Medicaid and CHIP. More than half of uninsured Texas children, including 60,000 Dallas county youth, are currently eligible for the programs but not enrolled. Details about the new program will be discussed during the city council meeting and a subsequent reception and press conference. Both events are open to the media.
April 8, 2015
9:00am: Dallas City Council Briefing (Council Briefing Room)
10:30am: Press Conference and Reception (City Hall Flag Room, 6 E North)
Dallas City Hall
1500 Marilla St.
The card will be presented to the Mayor by MomsRising member and volunteer organizer Julie Pippert, who is also speaking in support of CHIP at the city council briefing. MomsRising families will be in attendance during both events, as well as local officials, coalition partners and health experts. Please see the Dallas City Newsroom for details on additional speakers.
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Testimony of Julie Pippert, Organizer for MomsRising
Dallas City Council Meeting
April 8, 2015
Good morning, my name is Julie Pippert and I am proud to be here on behalf of MomsRising, a national online and on-the-ground grassroots organization of more than a million members, to express our appreciation to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and the other city leaders who are going the extra mile to make sure our kids have the health coverage they need through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid. I have been working with MomsRising in Houston to increase the number of CHIP enrollees there, and I am thrilled to see this important outreach work also being done in Dallas, where there is such need.
Dallas recently received a National League of Cities (NLC) grant to fund a campaign to enroll eligible children and families in Medicaid and CHIP. More than half of uninsured children in Texas are eligible for these programs, but not enrolled, including 60,000 children in Dallas county alone. This campaign can help us go a long way toward decreasing the number of uninsured children in Dallas and throughout Texas. [1, 2]
Increasing enrollment is vitally important because when children have health insurance, they enjoy better health throughout childhood, demonstrate greater academic performance, and are less reliant on emergency healthcare services. Nationally, we have seen the difference this program can make, with more than 8 million children currently enrolled. Since it went into effect in 1997, CHIP has helped reduce the number of uninsured children by half, from 14% to 7% nationwide.
The goal of this NLC initiative is to replicate this success locally and help cut in half the uninsured rate for children in Dallas. The city will work with a coalition to coordinate resources and communication in order to strengthen and expand outreach, education, utilization, and retention of Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries.[3]
Families lacking health insurance miss out on important preventative care and are forced to rely on expensive emergency services that frequently plunge them into financial crisis, leading to significant cost burdens for cities. In contrast, kids who have health insurance are more likely to:
- have a usual source of care,
- have access to preventative care, and
- be better equipped to do well in school. [4]
In addition to helping families, CHIP saves money for Texas because the federal allocation takes some budget pressure off of cities for health care costs such as vaccinations and other preventative medicine.
Personally, I have the seen the important role that CHIP can play in the life of a child and his or her family. My close friend’s daughter has a rare disorder, mitochondrial disease, and is frequently hospitalized because of this life-threatening condition. Symptoms of this genetic disorder can include poor growth, loss of muscle coordination, muscle weakness, learning disabilities, heart disease, neurological problems, and dementia among others. Thanks to CHIP she was able to get coverage and the medical attention that she needs, and I’m thrilled to say that she is now a thriving 10 year old.
Texas has one of the biggest uninsured child populations in the nation. That is why MomsRising is so appreciative of Mayor Rawlings and all of the Dallas leaders who are working hard to ensure the city’s children are covered. MomsRising just delivered a Thank You card to Mayor Rawlings signed by more than 300 members, including Patricia, a MomsRising member from Dallas.
Patricia says that because her dear friend was able to enroll her son in CHIP, he was able to get the medications he needed to treat his ADHD. He was also able to schedule valuable check-ups with doctors. Having this kind of hope and ability to treat his condition has made a difference to the entire family, Patricia says.
Although my family has insurance through our workplaces and doesn’t need CHIP, I understand the importance of affordable health coverage for kids and families. My youngest daughter has had to have two auditory surgeries, both of which were very expensive. It gives me great peace of mind to know that CHIP is there for families who may face a similar situation without the benefit of employer-sponsored insurance. With this campaign, more Dallas children than ever will have the health coverage that is so vital to families.
CHIP is an economic lifeline that delivers peace of mind for millions of working families. Working parents know that a job loss won’t mean losing health insurance for their children, and a sick child won’t mean bankruptcy. Most importantly, healthy children have the opportunity to grow and thrive, and be productive members of their families and our communities.
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Media Inquiries: Kim Hayes, kim@prsolutionsdc.com; or Gretchen Wright, gretchen@prsolutionsdc.com; or (202) 371-1999.
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[1] Texas Medical Association, The Uninsured in Texas
[2] Kids Count, Uninsured children at or below 200% of the federal poverty level
[3] Dallas City Newsroom, City of Dallas Receives Grant From National League of Cities
[4] Campaign for Children's Health Care, Why Health Insurance Matters for Children, http://action.momsrising.org/go/4836?ak_proof=1&t=14&akid=.2076905._o1npP