As Health Care Reform continues to be debated by ournations' leaders, the media, and in the public arena, as well as around privatedinner tables, child advocates urgently raise the need for children's healthcare to be included in the reform. We cannot afford to leave the health of our children to ourpresent system where more than 9 million children are going without coverage.

Under the current proposals, children will be covered under eitherMedicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Medicaid will coverchildren in families earning up 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Guideline(about $22,050 for a family of four). CHIP, which allows states to settheir own eligibility levels, will end in 2013 under the current authorization. At this time it is estimated that 14.1 million children will be coveredby CHIP.

It is crucial that these children are allowed to continuecoverage at the same level. If these children are moved from CHIP into an "Exchange"where they will shop for coverage that is affordable for their families, manychildren will go into programs that carry higher premiums, co-pays andcost-sharing than they have had under CHIP, as well as programs that are not ascomprehensive but less expensive, or go uncovered due to the difficulty of thechoice. No child should be left worse off as a result of health care reform.

An uninsured child costs the local community $2,100 morethan a child with Medicaid or CHIP. Children covered by insurance miss fewerdays of school and perform better than uninsured children. Primary care doctorvisits cost less than emergency room visits. Good oral health care begun early,in the first year of life, cuts average cost of dental care in half. Every $1spent on vaccinations for children saves $16 in medical and other costs. Thecost effectiveness of providing health care to all children makes soundfinancial sense. And children are the least expensive population group tocover.

Health care reform is complicated, but ensuring thatchildren have access to the health care they need is not. Just as Medicare forour senior population created a whole generation with longer life and greaterhealth, providing easily accessible, affordable and comprehensive health carefor every child would do the same for each new generation.

Changes that Would Provide REAL Health Care Reform for OurChildren:

Coverage must be affordable for all children and pregnant women, with a national eligibility floor of 300% of the federal poverty level ($66,150/yr for family of four) and an affordable sliding scale buy-in above that level. Research shows that high premiums prevent families from applying for coverage, and also cause them to drop coverage. In addition, high co-pays can dissuade families from accessing needed services.

  1. Benefits must be comprehensive, and guarantee every child access to all medically necessary services, mental, dental and physical, beginning with pre-natal care.
  1. The system must be simple and seamless with short applications, without asset and resource tests or waiting lists, and moves children into coverage as fast as possible with a 12-month enrollment and automatic renewal.

Providing all children quality health coverage makes sensemorally as well as economically. It is the right thing to do and the smartthing to do. Healthy children mean a healthy community and a healthy future foreveryone. We can't afford to leave them out. CHIP must be expanded andextended.

"In a decent society, there are certain obligations that arenot subject to tradeoffs or negotiation – health care for our children is oneof those obligations." President Obama, Feb.4,2009

With thanks to NormaBourland, Children's Defense Fund