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Californians for Healthy Kids Update – May 17, 2006
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http://www.caforhealthykids.org
1. Support Children’s Health Coverage in this Year’s Budget
2. Support Children’s Health Insurance Legislation!!
3. Children’s Health Initiative of Greater LA Gets a Boost from LA Care
4. Take Action!
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1. Support Children’s Health Coverage in this Year’s Budget
State Senate:
Support children’s health at the Senate Budget Health & Human Services
Subcommittee hearing on Friday, May 19 at 11:00am.
Please join Californians for Healthy Kids in urging the Subcommittee to
adopt additional budget recommendations for children’s health, such as
those in SB 437 (Escutia & Chan). For example, the Assembly Budget
Subcommittee adopted many of the provisions in SB 437, including
assistance to local Children’s Health Initiatives. For this issue, the
Subcommittee specified $40 million in bridge funding. Please attend
the hearing in Capitol Room 4203 (subject to change) and/or contact the
three members of the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 (member contact
info:
http://www.senate.ca.gov/ftp/sen/committee/sub/BFR_3_HEALTH/_home1/PROF
ILE.HTM).
State Assembly:
The Assembly Budget Health & Human Services Subcommittee will hold a
hearing in response to the May Revise and other items related to
children’s health issues. As of now, this hearing is tentatively
scheduled for Monday, May 22 upon adjournment of session in Capitol
Room 4202 (please check the Assembly daily file at www.assembly.ca.gov
and/or call the Assembly Budget
Subcommittee (916-319-2099) on Friday for a confirmed time).
Please attend and/or call the Subcommittee members (member contact
info:
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/subcommitteeframe.asp?subcommittee=1 )
to thank the Assembly Budget Health & Human Services Subcommittee for
its proposal and voice your support for increased access to affordable
health insurance for California’s children.
As we mentioned in our last e-alert
(http://www.100percentcampaign.org/resources/updates/2006/update-
060512.txt), we applaud the Assembly Budget Subcommittee for showing
great leadership and a commitment to supporting coverage for all
children.
The Governor also included proposed additional funding for children’s
health insurance in his May Revise. Read more about the May Revise and
our reaction in a press release at:
http://www.100percentcampaign.org/assets/pdf/pr-060512.pdf
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2. Support SB 437: Children’s Health Insurance Legislation
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 Care Coverage.
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
gaps 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.
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3. Children’s Health Initiative of Greater LA Gets a Boost from LA
Care
On May 16, LA Care Health Plan’s Board of Governors allocated up to $11
million to the Children’s Health Initiative of Greater Los Angeles.
This grant will fund health insurance through March 2007 for the nearly
35,000 children currently enrolled in Healthy Kids between 6 and 18
years of age. Without this funding, the program would have lasted only
until October 2006.
This demonstrates that local partners continue to do their part in
providing coverage for uninsured children, but they cannot do it alone.
They need state funding to maintain enrollment through the budget year
and enroll children who are currently on waiting lists.
To read more, please visit:
http://www.100percentcampaign.org/assets/pdf/e-alert-content/la-care-
press-release.pdf.
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4. Take Action
*Check out the 100 Percent Campaign’s new and improved web site at
http://100percentcampaign.org and the special page dedicated to
Californians for Healthy Kids at www.caforhealthykids.org, where you
can stay informed about the effort to cover all California children.
* 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
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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.