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Californians for Healthy Kids Update – May 30, 2006
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http://www.caforhealthykids.org <http://www.caforhealthykids.org/> 

 

Support Children’s Health Coverage in the State Budget Now!

 

Dear Children’s Health Supporters: 

 

This is a crucial moment for children’s health coverage.  Starting 
TOMORROW May 31, the Budget Conference Committee will convene to hammer 
out differences in the current Senate and Assembly versions of the 
budget.  The budget contains many items that can smooth the way for 
implementation of a statewide solution with long-term funding to 
provide access to affordable health coverage for all children.  

 

Please call the committee members (listed below) TODAY and wednesday 
morning to ask them to support health insurance for California’s kids, 
especially the following three issues:

 


* Support the Assembly version of Department of Health Services and 
Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB) issue #160, which would 
provide state resources to begin establishing a comprehensive health 
care program for children in families with incomes at or below 300% of 
the poverty level.  The Senate took no action on this item.


 

* Support the Assembly version of MRMIB issue #128, which would provide 
a total of $40 million for local Children’s Health Initiative programs.  
This proposal was adopted as part of the health care coverage for all 
low-income children program.  The Senate approved the Governor’s 
proposal of $22.8 million for these programs to enroll 24,000 children 
in 2006-07 with priority on programs that have established a waiting 
list to serve children.  

 

* Support the Assembly version of MRMIB issue #124, which would provide 
incentive payments to Certified Application Assistants to help families 
renew health coverage for their children, and an extra incentive for 
Assistants to use an electronic enrollment application called Health-e-
App.  The Senate approved the renewal payment but not the extra 
electronic enrollment incentive.

 

 

Members of the Budget Conference Committee include:

* Senator Wesley Chesbro (D – Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, 
& Sonoma counties), 916-651-4002

* Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny (D – Imperial, parts of San Diego & 
Riverside counties), 916-651-4040

* Senator Dennis Hollingsworth (R – parts of Riverside & San Diego 
counties), 916-651-4036

 

* Assemblymember John Laird (D – Santa Cruz), 916-319-2027

* Assemblymember Judy Chu (D – Monterey Park (in LA County)), 916-319-
2049
* Assemblymember Rick Keene (R – Chico), 916-319-2003

 

Other legislators we urge you to contact on these issues include:

Senate Democratic Leader Don Perata (Oakland), 916-651-4009

Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman (Irvine), 916-651-4033

 

Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (Los Angeles), 916-319-2046

Assembly Democratic Floor Leader Dario Frommer (Glendale), 916-319-2043

Assembly Republican Leader Plescia (San Diego), 916-319-2075

 

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Other Ways to Support Children’s Health Coverage 

 

*  Ask your organization to endorse the Tobacco Tax Act – visit

    www.healthycalifornia.com for information and an endorsement form

 

*  To stay informed about our efforts to cover all California children, 
go to 

    www.caforhealthykids.org <http://www.caforhealthykids.org/>  and 
click on “get involved” 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

 

*  Permission to forward or reprint the content herein is granted with 
complete 

    attribution.  View back issues of this e-update on the Web at:

    http://www.100percentcampaign.org/take-action/ud-index.htm

 

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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 <or> 
UNSUBSCRIBE

 

Californians for Healthy Kids is a collaboration of the 100% Campaign 
(a coalition of Children Now, 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.