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HOME > ABOUT > PRESS > THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN MAY LOSE HEALTH INSURANCE
Article published - November 19, 2007
Press Release
Thousands of Children May Lose Health Insurance
This week, Congresswoman Woolsey, California Assembly member Noreen Evans, and California State Senator Patricia Wiggins are touring community health clinics in Sonoma County. The purpose of these tours is to spotlight efforts to provide insurance and access to healthcare for children in Northern California. Unfortunately, California’s efforts are being undermined by the stalemate in Congress over reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program or SCHIP. Congresswoman Woolsey stated, “Thousands of north coast children may lose health care coverage in the next few months if we can’t find a solution to the face off in Congress over SCHIP.”
The successful SCHIP program, known as Healthy Families in California, covers over 800,000 California children – 10,668 in Sonoma County, 2,753 children in Marin County, 1,696 in Lake County and 2,272 in Mendocino County.
Congresswoman Woolsey stated, “In America, all children should have health coverage. The Healthy Families program has been very successful in California and enjoys strong public support. A recent poll shows that 83% of Americans support reauthorizing the SCHIP program. California voters overwhelmingly support health insurance for all children in California. But to reach this goal, we need to reauthorize SCHIP at a level that will guarantee coverage for all our kids.”
President Bush vetoed a bill passed by both houses of Congress that would have reauthorized the bill with increased funding. Negotiations have been intense since Congress voted on October 18th to sustain the President’s veto. To keep the program running, Congress passed a continuing resolution at existing funding levels.
“Flat funding is not going to work for California,” responded Dr. Mary Maddux-Gonzalez, Health Officer or the County of Sonoma. “Our state has more eligible children enrolled than the current federal allotment can pay for. We have been living of program savings from the early years of Healthy Families. California needs an increased allotment and a strong SCHIP reauthorization bill if we are going to continue to keep our kids enrolled.”
Plans are currently being made in Sacramento by the state agency that administers the Healthy Families program, the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, to begin cutting children from the insurance rolls as early as January 1, 2008 unless more funding is made available to California. According to the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, as many as 600,000 children, three quarters of those currently enrolled in Healthy Families, could be cut from the program in 2008 if federal funding for the program is not increased. It is possible that cuts could begin as early as January of 2008.
“Children will be unable to get the preventative care they need to stay healthy, Meredith Kieschnick, MD, a Sonoma County Pediatrician explained. “Families will have to choose between taking their children to the doctor or paying other bills. Children will end up having their care delayed and end up in the emergency room. Our community will end-up paying for this one-way or another.”
Walter E. Collins, President and CEO of United Way Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake, added “We are too close to turn back now. At this time of thanksgiving we want to herald the leadership and efforts California has made toward the goal of securing health care coverage for children in need. In California, Healthy Families is a big part of that. Unfortunately, California can’t do this alone. We look to the President and Congress to do their part to ensure that SCHIP is reauthorized at a level that allows California to finish the job of insuring every child.”
Contact:
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey - (202) 225-5161
Dr. Mary Maddux-Gonzalez, MD, Health Officer,
County of Sonoma - (707) 565-4401
Walter E. Collins, President and CEO,
United Way – Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake - (707) 528-4483
Pedro Toledo, Director of Community and Government Relations, Redwood Community Health Coalition - (707)326-7551
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