Monday, January 26, 2009

Quickie: SCHIP

From MomsRising:
It's been a historic week, and not just because of the inauguration of our 44th president. After over a year of your unceasing demands for fair pay, Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and it's headed for the President's signature.

And now for our second act, Congress is poised to substantially expand children's health coverage under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This is a huge step forward, particularly since 1 in every 8 children doesn't have healthcare coverage right now.

There is no stopping us now! Tell your Senators to vote in favor of expanding children's healthcare coverage.

[snip]

Decisive action is needed right away because the number of uninsured children is increasing as families lose employer-sponsored coverage due to record job losses. SCHIP is an effective, established program. Since 1997, the number of uninsured children has fallen by almost a third. SCHIP now covers more than 4 million children, though approximately 9 million children in America still live without the promise of healthcare and job loss is hitting more families every day. By fully funding and reauthorizing SCHIP, we can take a huge step toward healthcare coverage for all kids.

Urge your Senators to expand children's health coverage and oppose any amendments that would create barriers to children's coverage by clicking here.