tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323091736407766631.post5601881554881662408..comments2021-04-29T16:30:40.564-07:00Comments on Parenting for Peace: Kids and Health CareUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323091736407766631.post-24072346588412211292007-09-15T11:18:00.000-07:002007-09-15T11:18:00.000-07:00Children’s Health InsuranceLetter Writing Campaign...Children’s Health Insurance<BR/>Letter Writing Campaign to First Lady Laura Bush to try and change the President's decision to veto any SCHIP reauthorization that will be helpful for kids.<BR/><BR/>What is SCHIP?<BR/>The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was created in 1997 to provide health<BR/>care for children in working families who are too poor to afford private coverage on their own.<BR/><BR/>In Maine we have increased coverage to an additional 14,800 children with SCHIP and without reauthorization at a substantially higher level then the President currently will support, many Maine children will not continue to have health insurance. Nationally, there will be millions fewer kids with coverage and we will not be able to reach any of the 6 million without coverage.<BR/><BR/>Prior to the creation of SCHIP, about 15 percent of all children were uninsured. Since 1997, the number of uninsured children has fallen by almost a third, and today SCHIP covers more than 6 million children. If a program can produce those results in just ten years,imagine what it can accomplish in another ten. <BR/><BR/>However, in order for that to happen, Congress must renew the SCHIP program this year.<BR/><BR/>The SCHIP Debate and the Threat of a Veto<BR/><BR/>Just a few weeks ago, Members of Congress in both the Senate and the House of Representatives agreed to renew the SCHIP program. Soon they will vote to pass a bill that will extend the program for another five years. Once the bill is passed by Congress, it will be sent to President Bush. At that time, President Bush will have the choice to sign the legislation into<BR/>law, allowing the SCHIP program to continue, or to reject the program with a veto, sending the bill back to Congress. President Bush is threatening to veto the SCHIP program because he does not agree that more money should be spent on it. If this happens, millions of American children will lose their healthcare coverage, and will not be able to receive the check-ups,<BR/>flu-shots, and vaccinations they need to grow up healthy.<BR/><BR/>The Letter Writing Campaign<BR/><BR/>In an effort to stop the President from vetoing the renewal of the SCHIP program, First Focus, a<BR/>bipartisan advocacy organization affiliated with the America’s Promise Alliance, is launching a<BR/>letter writing campaign to First Lady Laura Bush. As a long standing champion for children,<BR/>particularly in the areas of education and early childhood development, we are hoping to use<BR/>Mrs. Bush’s strong record and credibility on these issues to persuade her to weigh in on SCHIP’s<BR/>future and to take a favorable stance on this important debate.<BR/><BR/>Specifically, the campaign will call for letters to Mrs. Bush from children from across the nation,<BR/>with each letter highlighting the importance of health care for children and including a personal<BR/>plea to Mrs. Bush.<BR/><BR/>We Need Your Help!<BR/><BR/>Did you know that over 9 million<BR/>children growing up in our country<BR/>do not have access to health<BR/>insurance? Without health<BR/>insurance children are unable to<BR/>receive the check-ups, flu-shots,<BR/>vaccinations and dental visits they<BR/>need in order to grow up healthy.<BR/><BR/>By participating in this letter writing campaign you will help strengthen support for the reauthorization of<BR/>the State Children’s Health<BR/>Insurance Program, or SCHIP,<BR/>which was created to provide<BR/>health insurance for children whose<BR/>families otherwise cannot afford it.<BR/><BR/>Learn More...<BR/><BR/>Learn more about First Focus<BR/>and the State Children’s Health<BR/>Insurance Program by visiting:<BR/>www.firstfocus.net. First Focus is a national partner of the Maine Children's Alliance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com