Children's Universal Healthcare Legislation Approved by Assembly Committee

Bill Seen as Key Element of Comprehensive Healthcare Reform Effort

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) today announced the Assembly Health Committee has approved a bill to provide health insurance coverage for every child in California.  The bill, AB 1, passed on a 12-4 vote and is sponsored by the 100% Campaign and PICO California.

“Insuring every child in California is a logical and important first step in the effort underway to reform California’s healthcare system,” said Assemblymember Laird.  “Covering all of California’s kids is a goal supported by a strong majority of Californians, as well as business leaders, children’s and healthcare advocates, and educators across the state.  Children with health insurance are healthier, are more likely to succeed in school, and their parents miss fewer work days.”

Katy Boriack, a working single parent who testified in favor of children’s health coverage said, “I think about the ‘what ifs’ and I think about what would happen if my child didn’t have affordable and accessible coverage.  I just don’t know what I would do.”  Boriack recently enrolled her child in the Healthy Families program in Santa Cruz County, one of just 18 counties with such a program.  AB 1 would expand the program statewide.

What AB 1 would do:           

AB 1 seeks to do several things that, combined, will result in coverage for all children in California:

• Expands eligibility for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families to all children in families with income up to 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL).
• Allows families over 300% of FPL to buy coverage in Healthy Families at cost.
• Increases enrollment and retention of eligible children in Medi-Cal and Healthy families by:
• Reducing required paperwork when applying for Healthy Families;
• Extending presumptive eligibility coverage to children who apply for coverage through county offices and appear to be eligible for Medi-Cal;
• Creating a seamless transition for children moving from Healthy Families to Medi-Cal; and
• Improving state electronic enrollment systems to most efficiently keep kids covered.

Children’s Health Insurance Background:

Nearly 763,000 children in California lack health insurance coverage, almost 7% of all California children. Approximately 447,000 of these uninsured children (58%) are already eligible for state-sponsored health insurance programs, Medi-Cal and Healthy Families.

More than 87,000 children are enrolled in 18 different local Children’s Health Initiatives (CHIs). CHIs are local efforts that combine public and private funding to provide health insurance coverage to children who are not eligible for Medi-Cal or Healthy Families. While CHI’s are an excellent model for covering all children, most counties do not have them, and they are dependent on county general funds, foundation funding and/or private donations. Most of this funding has been given on a short-term basis thereby making it difficult to sustain programs in the counties that have CHIs. Today, more than 12,000 children are on CHI waiting lists, and this number does not reflect the total need since some CHIs do not keep waiting lists or have enrollment caps. 

Why All Children Should Have Health Insurance: Children require ongoing preventive care, such as immunizations and routine screenings, to maintain optimal health. Uninsured children are less likely to receive this care and often see doctors only when preventable or treatable conditions have become serious. Children need access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance in order to receive preventive care, ensure healthy development and improve their ability to learn. Children with health insurance also benefit the economy.

Children with health insurance are healthier, at less risk of suffering from preventable illnesses, and have better access to needed health care services: Once enrolled in health insurance, children receive more preventive care, have fewer needs that go unmet, and have better access to health care providers. Programs like Healthy Families improve access to and utilization of care and have a statistically significant and clinically meaningful impact on children’s physical, emotional and social well-being.

Children with health insurance perform better academically: Unhealthy children miss more school days, are less attentive, and have a harder time learning. For example, children covered by Healthy Families showed a 63% improvement in “paying attention” and a 64% improvement in “keeping up with school activities” as compared to their performance when uninsured.

Children’s health insurance is good for the economy: When children have to wait until common health problems become emergencies to seek treatment, the result is often the high cost of emergency care, which is passed on to the State, local communities and individuals. Furthermore, insuring all children actually brings money into the state and local communities. California currently receives up to two dollars from the federal government for every dollar it spends to cover children in Healthy Families. As a result of enrolling more children in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families, the Santa Clara County Children’s Health Initiative increased federal spending in Santa Clara by an estimated $24.4 million during the initiative’s first two years.

Supporters of AB 1:

100% Campaign, PICO California, American Nurses Association California, Asset Policy Initiative of California, California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies, California Medical Association, California Nurses Association, California School Health Centers Association, California Teachers Association, Children’s Health Initiative of Greater Los Angeles, Community Health Councils Inc., First 5 Marin Children and Families Commission, Health Access California, Insure The Uninsured Project, Jaeger Family Olive Oil, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, Los Angeles County Office of Education, Mental Health Association in California, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Service Employees International Union, Small Business California, United Way of the Bay Area, United Way of Santa Cruz County, United Ways of California, Western Center on Law and Poverty

Additional Contacts:

Katy Boriack, working single parent, 831-325-7873 or 831-420-1500

Ted Lempert, president, Children Now, 510-763-2444 x155 or 650-245-8166

Deena Lahn, policy director, Children’s Defense Fund California, 510-663-2984 or 415-279-4672

Wendy Lazarus, co-founder/co-president, 310-260-1220 x11 or 310-710-9830

Kristen Golden Testa, California program director, The Children’s Partnership, 415-505-1332

Jim Keddy, director, PICO California Project, 916-402-5802

Rebecca Stark, program coordinator, PICO California Project, 916-447-7959 x11

Judy Darnell, state advocacy director, United Way's Covering California's Children, 831-246-3099