*********************************************************************** Californians for Healthy Kids Update - July 12, 2006 *********************************************************************** www.caforhealthykids.org 1. Support Proposition 86 - the Tobacco Tax Act of 2006 2. Children's Health Insurance and the Final State Budget 3. Child Health Coverage in the News 4. Take Action for Kids' Health Coverage! 1. Support Proposition 86 - the Tobacco Tax Act of 2006 The Tobacco Tax Act of 2006 now has a number - Proposition 86! According to a May 2006 analysis of the economic and health effects of the Tobacco Tax Act by the California Department of Health Services Tobacco Control Section, Prop 86 would: * Prevent nearly 180,000 tobacco-related deaths among California kids * Prevent approximately 120,000 tobacco-related deaths among current California smokers * Prevent more than 700,000 kids from becoming adult smokers * Reduce smoking in California by 312 million packs of cigarettes each year * Save Californians $16.5 billion in long-term health care costs Our coalition of supporters continues to grow. Ask your organization to endorse Prop 86 and educate voters about the initiative. Please visit www.yesprop86.com for more information and an endorsement form, and see www.100percentcampaign.org/assets/pdf/e-alert-content/chc- factsheet-prop86.pdf or www.yesprop86.com/learn.html for the latest newsletter from the campaign. If you would like to learn more about getting involved in the campaign to pass Proposition 86, visit http://www.100percentcampaign.org/assets/pdf/fs-060630a.pdf . *********************************************************************** 2. Children's Health Insurance and the Final State Budget On June 30th, the final state budget for the 2006-2007 fiscal year was signed. As you know, we are disappointed that the budget did not include assistance for local Children's Health Initiatives despite the tremendous effort on your part to support that funding. However, this year's budget does contain some significant help for children's health care, including: * Healthy Families enrollment is assumed to increase to 859,000 children by July 2007. * $50 million General Fund for new efforts such as: > State grants to aid counties in local outreach activities. > Simplification of Healthy Families enrollment and retention procedures. >Increased financial incentives for certified application assistors who help children renew their health coverage and who use the Health-e-App electronic application. For more information about the final enacted budget, please see www.ebudget.ca.gov/ or the Legislative Analyst's Office summary at www.lao.ca.gov/2006/major_features/major_features_2006.pdf Thank you again to everyone who took the time to support children's health coverage in the budget. *********************************************************************** 3. Child Health Coverage in the News "Give Us Your Poor, But Not Your Sick," Los Angeles Times, 7/6/2006 www.100percentcampaign.org/newsroom/coverage/2006/pc-060706.htm "Healthier Kids," Fresno Bee, 7/7/2006 www.100percentcampaign.org/newsroom/coverage/2006/pc-060707.htm "Kids' Health Initiative Seen Through Dickens' Quill," San Diego Union- Tribune, 7/10/2006 www.100percentcampaign.org/newsroom/coverage/2006/pc-060710.htm *********************************************************************** 4. Take Action for Kids' Health Coverage! * Please stay tuned for upcoming action on Senate Bill 437 (Escutia- Chan-Frommer), a bill sponsored by Californians for Healthy Kids to streamline and optimize the state's existing public children's health insurance programs. We will continue to keep you updated as to upcoming legislative action on SB 437. * To stay informed about all of our efforts to cover California's children, go to www.100percentcampaign.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: www.100percentcampaign.org/issues/cahealthykids/cahealthykids- endorseform.htm (ENGLISH) www.100percentcampaign.org/issues/cahealthykids/cahealthykids- endorseform-spanish.htm (SPANISH) *********************************************************************** 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. ________________________________ You are subscribed to this list as rpineda@childrennow.org. Click here to unsubscribe, or send email to unsubscribe.102031.86125779.7682170858472170583- rpineda_childrennow.org@en.groundspring.org. Our postal address is 1212 Broadway, 5th Floor Oakland, California 94612 United States