FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
For Media Assistance

Statement from Californians for Healthy Kids on ABX1 1:
California's Leaders Must Not Leave Town Without Covering All Children Starting in 2008

SACRAMENTO, California – On behalf of Californians for Healthy Kids, Ted Lempert, President of Children Now, issued the following statement on ABX 1 1 (by Assembly Speaker Núñez and Senate Pro Tem Perata) as it heads for its first hearing in the Assembly Health Committee today. The bill includes policies to cover all children, but fails to start funding for coverage in 2008:

"Almost one year ago, our Governor and legislative leaders declared this would be the year of health care reform in California and committed to covering all children. Children across California are counting on our policymakers. We are at imminent risk of taking steps backward instead of moving forward when it comes to covering all children in California.

"While we support a comprehensive reform package, and are pleased that ABX 1 1 contains the policies to cover all children, we are troubled that, under this bill, children will not receive the health insurance they need until 2010. The financing mechanism for the bill will go on next November's ballot.

"We must ask: What happens to children without insurance, and those at risk of losing their coverage in the meantime? Without interim funding for children's coverage, at least 55,000 children will have lost their coverage in California over the next two years, adding to the 763,000 kids that already lack insurance.

"Our leaders must take care of the health of California's children before they can consider their jobs done this year."

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.