Campaign Update
Wednesday, April 11, 2007

AB 1 (Laird & Dymally) and SB 32 (Steinberg): Covering all Kids in the Context of Broader Health Care Reform

The current health reform debate across California offers a promising opportunity to ensure that all California children gain access to affordable comprehensive health insurance coverage this year. To that end, the 100% Campaign and PICO California are sponsoring two identical children's health bills -- AB 1 (Laird & Dymally) and SB 32 (Steinberg) -- to outline how best to cover all children in the context of the larger, comprehensive health care reform movement. The well-established policies contained in AB 1 and SB 32 will serve as a model for the children's coverage section of any larger health reform bills that move forward. We support the broader reform efforts and advocate for enactment this year.

AB 1 and SB 32 would finish the job of providing all of California's children access to health insurance by:

• Extending Medi-Cal and Healthy Families eligibility to all children in families with incomes below 300% FPL ($51,510 annually for a family of three);
• Providing affordable health insurance options for children in families with incomes above 300% FPL;
• Simplifying the enrollment and renewal process for families so that children can easily obtain coverage and stay covered for as long as they are eligible; and
• Creating a smooth transition for children enrolled in local Children's Health Initiatives to state health insurance programs.

For more information, please see this factsheet. The text of the bills can be downloaded from Leg Info.

AB 1 will be heard in the Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday, April 24 (Room 4202 at 1:30pm). SB 32 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Health Committee on April 25 (Room 4203 at 1:30pm). The 100% Campaign and PICO California will testify at both hearings and we would truly appreciate your support.

The deadline to send support letters to both the Assembly and Senate Health Committees is Wednesday, April 18 by noon.

• Please personalize this AB 1 sample support letter and fax it to Chairman Dymally in the Assembly Health Committee at 916-319-2197 and to Assemblymember Laird at 916-319-2127.

• Please personalize this SB 32 sample support letter and fax it to Chairwoman Kuehl in the Senate Health Committee at 916-324-0384 and to Senator Steinberg at 916-323-2263.

As always, thank you for your work to help give every child a healthy start! Please call Alani Cridge Navarro at 916-443-1869 with questions.

The 100% Campaign, a collaborative effort of Children Now, Children's Defense Fund and The Children's Partnership, was created to ensure that all of California's children obtain the health insurance they need to grow up strong and healthy.
www.100percentcampaign.org

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.
www.picocalifornia.org