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The Daily Republic
October 10, 2005
Editorial
Solano County embarked on an ambitious campaign
last week to raise local funds to become the first county
in the state to provide comprehensive health insurance to
100 percent of its children.
Since 1998, the Solano Coalition for Better
Health and its partners worked hard to achieve the lowest
rate of uninsured children in California--connecting about
10,000 children to insurance programs by using creative outreach
efforts and involving schools.
The Solano Coalition for Better Health developed
a strategy to cover Solano's remaining 5,000 uninsured children.
Most qualify for existing public insurance programs and just
need to be found and enrolled. But about 1,200 children will
be insured under a new program known as Healthy Kids.
Solano's Healthy Kids Program resembles the
more than a dozen children's insurance campaigns around California.
Healthy Kids raises the minimum family income for eligibility
to 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($56,000 annually
for a family of four) and does not require legal U.S. residency.
Solano County leaders think it can be the
first county in the state to reach 100 percent of its children.
Four of the five Solano County Supervisors
enthusiastically support insuring all children. They demonstrated
that support by dedicating $300,000 of general fund to match
all community donations to the Healthy Kids program.
The only significant argument against the
proposal is that some of the youngsters may be in the country
illegally and shouldn't benefit from government help.
But the flu and other infectious diseases
don't discriminate based on immigration status - we all send
our children to the same schools where they share the same
space and air. Insuring all children will make the entire
community healthier.
Also, children with health insurance benefit
the bottom line of Solano County. Each 1,000 children insured
brings an additional $1 million public funds to the county.
The children will receive regular health care and therefore
use expensive emergency services less frequently. They will
perform better in school and will be more likely to become
successful adults.
We hope local individuals and businesses step forward and
help the plan to insure all our children, because ultimately,
arguments against this ignore the fundamental reason for the
program: Having healthy kids.
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