*********************************************************************** Californians for Healthy Kids Update – May 12, 2006 *********************************************************************** http://www.caforhealthykids.org 1. May Revise & Assembly Budget = Positive Results for Children’s Health 2. SB 437 (Escutia & Chan) Amended 3. Signatures Delivered to Qualify Tobacco Tax Act of 2006 to Fund Children’s Health Insurance 4. Take Action! *********************************************************************** 1. Positive Results for Children's Health in Governor’s May Revision and Assembly Budget Committee! The May Revision of the state budget (officially released May 12) provides $22.8 million in General Fund spending for 18 local Children's Health Initiatives, in addition to the $35 million state General Fund proposed for children’s health programs in the Governor’s January Budget. The Administration estimates 24,000 children will be covered with these funds. This step is necessary and welcomed to help local communities cover uninsured children in the short-term. To finish the job, funding needs to be long term and the coverage needs to be statewide—which the Tobacco Tax Act of 2006 would offer. The Legislature also has the opportunity to pass statewide coverage for children by adopting and funding the Assembly Budget Subcommittee’s proposal. Read more about the May Revise and our reaction in a press release at: http://www.100percentcampaign.org/assets/pdf/pr-060512.pdf On May 8th, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services approved many provisions to increase access to affordable health insurance for California's children. The Subcommittee supported: * Providing health coverage to all children living in families with income less than 300% of FPL (phasing in by covering children with incomes up to 275% of FPL in 2007-08 and children with family incomes less than 300% of FPL in 2008-09). * $40 million in funding for local children's health initiatives. * $5 million for administrating the program and activities for enrolling eligible children. * $250,000 to design and develop a unified electronic gateway. * Expanding the Medi-Cal to Healthy Families Accelerated Enrollment Program and improving the bridge programs between Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. * The Administration’s proposals to waive the requirement that families pay premiums up front, or choose a health plan, before they are enrolled in Healthy Families and expand the availability of Health-e- App. Representatives from Californians for Healthy Kids, as well as many other supporters of CHK, testified at the hearing in support of children’s health issues. We will continue to work with legislative staff to ensure children’s health remains a priority in this year’s budget, and we will keep you posted as the budget process moves forward. Thank you for all of your work in support of children’s health – it is definitely making a difference. * Budget panel adds funds for kids' health insurance: http://www.100percentcampaign.org/assets/pdf/pc-060509.pdf *********************************************************************** 2. SB 437 (Escutia & Chan) has been amended to secure policy changes to help California move smoothly and quickly to a statewide solution for children’s health insurance. Californians for Healthy Kids needs your support for this important legislation. Please send a letter today supporting SB 437, Health Insurance for California Children. Simply download the sample support letter (http://www.100percentcampaign.org/assets/doc/update-SB437- supporterletter.doc), fill out your organization’s information, and mail or fax – the address and fax numbers are on the letter. Specifically, SB 437 will: * Make it easier for families to enroll their children in health insurance programs, * Ensure that enrolled children stay insured without experiencing breaks in coverage, and * Support local children’s health insurance programs to provide coverage to all kids. For the amended language and status updates on SB 437(Escutia & Chan), please visit: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi- bin/postquery?bill_number=sb_437&sess=CUR&house=B&search_type=email. For a fact sheet on SB 437, please visit: http://www.100percentcampaign.org/assets/pdf/fs-060508.pdf We will keep you updated about the dates and times of upcoming legislative action on SB 437. *********************************************************************** 3. Signatures Delivered to Qualify Tobacco Tax Act of 2006 to Fund Children's Health Insurance On May 4th, The Children’s Partnership, Children Now, and PICO California, children and volunteers from throughout California held press conferences at county registrar offices in Fresno, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco and San Diego to turn in more than 1.1 million signatures calling for the Tobacco Tax Act to be placed on this November’s ballot. The initiative gained substantial media coverage – see one example below. Thank you to all the volunteers, signature gatherers, and supporters - we are continuing to gain ground on ensuring all California children have access to affordable health care! * Tobacco tax plan closes in on ballot: http://www.100percentcampaign.org/assets/pdf/pc-060506.pdf *********************************************************************** 4. Take Action * To stay informed about our efforts to cover all California children, go to www.caforhealthykids.org and click on “take action” to sign up for email updates. * Join a growing list of Californians for Healthy Kids supporters by signing on to our goals: http://www.100percentcampaign.org/priorities/healthy-kids-signup.htm (ENGLISH) http://www.100percentcampaign.org/priorities/healthy-kids- signup-spanish.htm (SPANISH) * Locate your legislators: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html *********************************************************************** 5. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe Send an email to info@100percentcampaign.org and include one of the following messages in the BODY of the email: SUBSCRIBE UNSUBSCRIBE Californians for Healthy Kids is a collaboration of the 100% Campaign (a coalition of Children Now, Children’s Defense Fund and The Children’s Partnership), PICO California, and more than 300 supporters, with the goal of ensuring that all children in our state have access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance.