Call-In for Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Advocacy Day
Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Your call is critical: CHIP has not been fully restored!
If you can't come to Austin to visit with your local legislators, please call their offices to voice your support for FULL RESTORATION of CHIP!
Although dental and vision benefits restoration are included in both the House and Senate budgets, we are very concerned that neither budget includes adequate funds to allow for any increase in CHIP enrollment.
However, many legislators believe that "CHIP has been restored". Now is our opportunity to advocate for funding of full CHIP restoration.
Thank you for supporting CHIP!
Key Message for Legislators:
1. We appreciate restoration of dental and vision benefits.
2. But CHIP is not fully restored.
3. Adequate funds are not in either the House nor Senate budget to allow for any increase in CHIP enrollment. In fact, enrollment would decrease below current levels.
4. Current enrollment is now 328,350; under the House/Senate budget, enrollment would decrease to 324,750 in 2006.
5. Texas will again miss out on millions of federal matching dollars.
6. Children who need health insurance will remain uninsured.
What Legislators Can Do:
**When the conference committee meets on the budget, please support funding for 12-month continuous eligibility which will add funds to allow for an enrollment increase.
**Support SB 59, Senator Kip Averitt's bill, which would fully restore CHIP, if adequate funds are included in the budget. There is not a House version of SB 59 at this time. One is needed!
For more information: Call CDF Texas at 512.480.0990.
It is a matter of faith, values and justice!
Emailed my Senator (Royce West) to ask for his support, and also emailed Representative Bill Keffer to ask him to propose a similar bill in the house.
ReplyDelete