|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
For Media Assistance
Ads Intended to Strengthen
Support for Kids Coverage in California
SACRAMENTO, CA--The 100% Campaign announced today
that it has launched a statewide radio campaign aimed
at strengthening already considerable support for providing
health coverage for all of California's kids. The
radio ads, which underscore the common-sense arguments
for covering all kids, are scheduled to run in nearly
every media market in the state over the next five weeks.
"There are compelling reasons why every Californian, including those with
health insurance, should care about making sure the 763,000 uninsured children
gain coverage this year," said Ted Lempert, president of Children Now. "Independent
reports confirm what we already know, that the cost of not covering kids is too
high--too high in emergency room costs; too high
in costs passed along to those with health care coverage;
and too high when it comes to the uninsured kids who
are less healthy and less likely to succeed in school
than their insured counterparts."
Two different 60-second ads--"Emergency Room" and "Doctor
Visit"--highlight the hidden health care
costs of caring for the uninsured that are passed along
to those who have health insurance. According to an American
College of Physicians and American Society of Internal
Medicine study, providing health coverage to one California
child costs approximately $100 a month. By comparison,
the average emergency room visit for children is approximately
$435.
The radio ad campaign is the second-phase of a multi-pronged
public education campaign emphasizing the importance
of providing health coverage for all children. The campaign
began two weeks ago with full-page ads in major newspapers
across the state.
"For the past three years, we have worked with the Administration and legislators
to gain health care coverage for all California kids, but nearly 800,000 children
still remain uninsured," said Wendy Lazarus, founder and co-president of
The Children's Partnership. "There is overwhelming
support among voters to cover all kids, and key legislators
and Governor Schwarzenegger have stepped up to finish
the job for all of our children. We need to support these
leaders and listen to the voters to make sure this happens
this year."
Click here to listen to
the ads.
The 100% Campaign, a collaborative
effort of Children Now, Children's Defense Fund and The
Children's Partnership, with primary funding from The
California Endowment, was created to ensure that all
of California's children obtain the health coverage they
need to grow up strong and healthy.
The PICO California Project is the united effort
of 20 California congregation-community organizations
affiliated with the PICO National Network. Collectively,
we represent 350 congregations and 400,000 families statewide
and are actively organizing in over 70 cities in Northern
and Southern California.
|
