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Action Needed to Secure Children’s Access to Affordable Health Care
04-17-2007
Please contact key legislative leaders and members of the House Finance Committee and ask them to support proposals in the Biennial Budget, HB 119, that will provide access to affordable health care for Ohio’s uninsured children. Specifically, ask that they support:- Expanding Medicaid/SCHIP coverage to children to 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), through which approximately 20,000 uninsured Ohio children will gain access to health care, and
- Establishing a “premium participation program” so parents of uninsured children with incomes over 300% FPL can buy Medicaid coverage on a sliding fee scale according to family income. Approximately 4,000 uninsured Ohio children will gain access to health care through this proposal.
Taken together, these two proposals will allow Ohio to “solve” the uninsured problem for our children.
BACKGROUND:
Access to quality health care is especially important for children because they are growing and developing. Preventive care and early detection and treatment of child health and developmental needs are some of the most cost-effective investments we can make.
An estimated 156,000, or 5.4%, Ohio children are uninsured. The majority of these children live in families with incomes under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level ($34,340 annually for a family of three--2007) and already likely qualify for Ohio’s Medicaid/SCHIP program for children. Ohio needs to do a better job of finding and enrolling these children in coverage.
The remaining 50,000 uninsured children live in families with incomes over 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and will benefit from proposals to expand children’s health coverage.
Rep. Jimmy Stewart (R-Albany), introduced HB 6 on February 20, 2007, to “expand coverage under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to children living in families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level.”
HB 119, the Governor’s proposed 2008-2009 state budget, includes expanding Medicaid/SCHIP to 300% of FPL (as proposed in HB 6) as well as establishing a “premium participation program” which would allow parents of uninsured children in families with incomes beyond 300% FPL to buy into Medicaid/SCHIP on a sliding fee scale.
Together, these two proposals, expanding Medicaid/SCHIP coverage to 300% FPL for children and establishing a premium participation program, will allow Ohio to “solve” the uninsured problem for our children.
WHO WILL BENEFIT? HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
The total costs for children’s health expansions as proposed in HB 119 is $23.6 million in state funds over the biennium.
By the end of the biennium (June 30, 2009), an estimated 24,000 Ohio children will gain access to health coverage as a result of these proposals: - 20,000 will enroll as a result of the Medicaid/SCHIP expansion to 300% FPL, and
- 4,000 will enroll as a result of the premium participation program.
PLEASE CONTACT THE FOLLOWING LEGISLATORS:| SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: | | The Honorable Jon Husted, (R-Kettering, 37th district) | 614.644.6008 | | MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE: | | NAME: | PHONE: | | Rep. Matt Dolan, Chair (R-Russell, 98th district) | 614.644.5088 | | Rep. Jon Peterson, Vice-Chair (R-Delaware, 2nd district) | 614.644.6711 | | Rep. Michael Skindell, Ranking Minority Member (D-Lakewood, 13th district) | 614.466.5921 | | Rep. Kevin Bacon, (R-Minerva Park, 21st district) | 614.644.6030 | | Rep. Linda Bolon, (D-East Palestine, 1st district) | 614.466.8022 | | Rep. Barbara Boyd, (D-Cleveland Heights, 9th district) | 614.644.5079 | | Rep. Edna Brown, (D-Toledo, 48th district) | 614.466.1401 | | Rep. Armond Budish, (D-Beachwood, 8th district) | 614.466.5441 | | Rep. Kathleen Chandler, (D-Kent, 68th district) | 614.466.2004 | | Rep. Bill Coley, (R-West Chester, 55th district) | 614.466.8550 | | Rep. Anthony Core, (R-Rushsylvania, 83rd district) | 614.466.8147 | | Rep. Kevin DeWine, (R-Fairborn, 70th district) | 614.644.6020 | | Rep. Steve Driehaus, (D-Cincinnati, 31st district) | 614.466.5786 | | Rep. Clyde Evans, (R-Rio Grande, 87th district) | 614.466.1366 | | Rep. Larry Flowers, (R-Canal Winchester, 19th district) | 614.466.4847 | | Rep. Jennifer Garrison, (D-Marietta, 93rd district) | 614.644.8728 | | Rep. Robert Hagan, (D-Youngstown, 60th district) | 614.466.9435 | | Rep. Clifford Hite, (R-Findlay, 76th district) | 614.466.3819 | | Rep. Jay Hottinger, (R-Newark, 71st district) | 614.466.1482 | | Rep. Shannon Jones, (R-Springboro, 67th district) | 614.644.6027 | | Rep. Ross McGregor, (R-Springfield, 72nd district) | 614.466.2038 | | Rep. Thomas Patton, (R-Strongsville, 18th district) | 614.466.4895 | | Rep. Chris Redfern, (D-Catawba, 80th district) | 614.644.6011 | | Rep. John Schlichter, (R-Washington Court House, 85th district) | 614.644.7928 | | Rep. Dan Stewart, (D-Columbus, 25th district) | 614.466.1896 | | Rep. Jimmy Stewart, (R-Albany, 92nd district) | 614.466.2158 | | Rep. Fred Strahorn, (D-Dayton, 40th district) | 614.466.2960 | | Rep. Peter Ujvagi, (D-Toledo, 47th district) | 614.644.6017 | | Rep. Mark Wagoner, (R-Toledo, 46th district) | 614.466.1731 | | Rep. Shawn Webster, (R-Hanover Township, 53rd district) | 614.644.5094 | | Rep. Tyrone Yates, (D-Cincinnati, 33rd district) | 614.466.1308 |
Mary Wachtel
Director of Public Policy
614-648-1450
mwachtel@vfc-oh.org
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