Tell Us Your Story

Great Progress for Children's Health Coverage

Let's keep raising our voices

• Raises the Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women from 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL) to 200% FPL. An estimated 3800 women and their babies will benefit from this expansion.
• Raises the Medicaid/SCHIP eligibility for children from 200% FPL to 300% FPL. Up to 32,000 uninsured children up to age 19 can gain health coverage as a result of this expansion.

• The “premium participation program” which would allow uninsured children in families with incomes over 300% FPL to buy into Medicaid/SCHIP on a sliding fee scale, with those in upper income families paying the full cost. This proposal is especially important for children with special health care needs for whom private health coverage can be unavailable or extremely expensive. 20,000 of Ohio’s uninsured children live in families at this income level.
• Allow children aging out of the foster care system to keep Medicaid coverage until age 21. Currently, when children leave the foster care system at age 19, they lose their Medicaid coverage. 2600 young adults will benefit from this proposal.
• Restoring Medicaid for working parents from 90% FPL to 100% FPL. Parent coverage helps children because children live in families and the health of parents plays an important role in the well being of their children. Over 25,000 working parents lost health coverage when this eligibility was cut from 100% to 90% in the 2006-2007 budget and Sub Bill 119 takes out the Governor’s restoration of this eligibility level to 100% FPL.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Ask your Senator to:


• Support the premium participation program, so all of Ohio’s uninsured children can have access to affordable health care,
• Allow children aging out of the foster care system to keep Medicaid coverage until age 21, and
• Restore Medicaid for working parents from 90% to 100% FPL, to help make sure children living in poverty have healthy, functioning parents.


2. Help identify family stories:


• Do you know a middle-class family who has trouble finding health insurance for their child(ren) and who would benefit from the premium participation program?
• Do you know a parent whose income is between 90% and 100% FPL who would benefit from restoring Medicaid eligibility to 100% FPL?

Stories are helpful to convey the human dimension of these proposals. We will treat families with respect and sensitivity and help them feel comfortable sharing their experience with legislators and the media. We will never share their story or name without their permission. See the attached flyer for more information.


3. Write a letter to the editor to show your support for these proposals. Policymakers pay attention to people’s opinions and a published letter to the editor or opinion editorial is a great way to share your opinion. We can provide samples and key points if you are willing to send a letter or op-ed to your local paper.