PICO California affiliates are taking advantage of an historic opportunity to expand healthcare coverage in our state. In January of this year, Arnold Schwarzenegger became the first governor in California history to express his commitment to achieving universal health coverage.
>Click here to read about PICO California’s plan to push for coverage for all Californians.
For more information on PICO California’s healthcare work, click here or call Kiren Rizvi at 916 447 7959 ext. 19.
Thanks to the Senate Budget Committee’s approval of $50 billion over five years for new funding for children’s health, we have taken a step closer to achieving health care for all children. Learn more about what it has taken to get here and how PICO will continue to fight for kids by watching the video below.
[youtube nyRcbGME2Xs Community leaders push for kid’s health coverage]
On Friday March 23, the U.S. Senate approved a budget that includes $50 billion in new funding for reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This funding should provide room for states to offer health coverage to as many as 5 million uninsured children, while protecting the coverage for another 1.5 million who depend on SCHIP.
The floor debate on SCHIP funding, and votes on key amendments demonstrated significant bipartisan support for $50 billion for SCHIP expansion. Twelve Republicans and 46 Democrats supported an amendment by Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) to set aside revenue from an increase in the federal tobacco tax for children’s health.
The fight to cover all children is not over. Congress must still reauthorize the SCHIP program. As part of PICO’s Road Map to Covering All Children by 2012, the PICO network will be organizing to make sure that SCHIP is rewritten to include strong incentives for states to enroll and retain children. PICO will also be fighting for changes in the law that would allow states to provide health coverage to pregnant women and documented immigrant children.
To make sure that states use the new federal dollars, PICO federations are helping to lead state-level campaigns in 10 states to expand coverage for children.
Click here to read more about this historic decision and how PICO will continue to fight for all kids.
A delegation of 40 San Francisco clergy and families along with leaders from across the PICO network met with staff in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office in Washinton, DC. Following up on a February 22 press conference with Archbishop Niederauer, the San Francisco Organizing Project and PICO California pressed Speaker Pelosi to speak out publicly in favor of funding in the budget to cover all children. Shortly after the meeting, Speaker Pelosi issued a statement saying that the “budget resolution…debated later this month in the House will contain…sufficient funding to insure all eligible children.” PICO continues to urge Congressional leaders to include adequate funding in the budget to reach all eligible children and support the growing number of states that are moving to expand eligibility.
Media Coverage
Raise healthiest generation, challenges Archbishop
On March 7 PICO held a Faith and Families Summit on Children’s Health, in partnership with Georgetown Center for Children and Families and First Focus, to press Congress to include $60 billion in the budget for children’s health coverage. Senators Menendez (D-NJ) (Budget), Landrieu (D-LA), Kerry (D-MA) (Finance) and Lautenberg (D-NJ) (Budget) and Representatives Dent (R-PA), DeGette (D-CO) (Energy & Commerce), McGovern (D-MA) (Budget) and Aderholt (R-AL) participated in a bi-partisan Congressional Conversation on Children’s Health. Four hundred clergy and parents participated in the Congressional event and a Budget Rally in the Cannon Caucus Room that included testimony from parents whose children are uninsured or depend on SCHIP funded programs. Read More>>
Media Coverage
Children called gift of God, as faith leaders urge U.S. Congress to expand youth health care
Religious Groups Push Health Coverage for Children
Religious leaders join in backing health care for uninsured children
Resources
PICO Road Map to Covering All Children
SCHIP 101
State by State Information
Links
Cover All Children
SCHIP Reauthorization Resource Center at Georgetown University
Faith and Families Congressional Visits
PICO California invited over one hundred faith and community leaders to Sacramento on February 27th to make their voices heard in the State Capitol. Leaders from across the state met with their elected officials in the Senate and Assembly to talk about issues such as children’s healthcare, affordable housing, education, and other local concerns. Leaders also met with Governor Schwarzenegger’s staff to discuss possible healthcare reform.
An over-capacity crowd exceeding 500 gathered at a Los Gatos synagogue to press county supervisors and state and local legislators to support of legislation that would guarantee health coverage for everyone in the county. Peninsula Interfaith Action and People Acting in Community Together organized the event and have been working together for months to advance the innovative initiative that would cover the estimated 200,000 Santa Clara County residents who have no health insurance. Read More>>
