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The Reporter (Vacaville, CA)
October 6, 2005
Editorial
Business should back coalition's insurance
effortTheReporter.Com
A little bit of insurance can go a long way, especially in
the life of a child.
Nowhere is that more evident than in Solano
County, where, thanks to amazing determination and tireless
dedication, the Solano Coalition for Better Health has managed
to ensure all but about 5 percent of its youthful population
is covered.
Solano County boasts the lowest rate of uninsured
children in California and recently was ranked as one of the
100 best communities for young people in the nation, according
to America's Promise, a national children's advocacy alliance.
Just a few years ago, that was not the case.
With rising insurance costs, more and more families were finding
themselves without an insurance safety net. Sick children
were burdening emergency rooms, impacting school attendance,
and even affecting business productivity, as parents had little
choice but to take time off work to care for ailing children.
The Solano Coalition for Better Health realized
in 1998 that there were about 15,000 uninsured children in
the county, and it set its sights on turning that number around.
In only seven years, the nonprofit organization of health-care
providers, county health and social service workers and community
advocates has insured roughly 10,000 children.
But the coalition is not complacent with
having the very best numbers in California. It insists on
100 percent success. And to achieve that success, the group
is kicking off a fundraising campaign tonight in Fairfield.
The Healthy Kids Campaign hopes to raise
$240,000 from local business and community leaders during
the next two years.
Most of the 5,000 children who remain uninsured
can qualify for state-sponsored health insurance, but there
are an estimated 1,200 who will not.
That's why the group hopes to raise $1,200
per year per child to fill in all the gaps.
The appeal to the business community makes
a lot of sense, on a lot of levels. The business community
is also struggling with insurance costs. In fact, many of
the families without insurance are working families. Their
employers simply can't afford to offer complete packages any
more. And in some cases, employees can't afford to buy in
to the packages offered.
If businesses support the coalition, they
are more likely to have insured workers. Insured workers are
more likely to get medical attention when it is needed. Healthy
children attend school and healthy parents can report to work.
It is a win-win situation.
Should the business community jump in with
support, it will be in good company. Just recently, the Solano
County Board of Supervisors pledged to match funds, up to
$150,000 a year.
It is truly a collective effort, and all
those who have joined to partner with the coalition are to
be commended.
But, as its organizers point out, "Our
job is not complete until every child in Solano County has
health care." And while huge strides have been made,
there is still plenty of good work to be done.
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