A Children’s Defense Fund
Children’s Health
Children’s Health
Stroller Brigade Update!
Millions of child lives depend on what you do today!
These photos were taken at the Children’s Defense Fund Champions for Children’s Health Stroller Brigade when it came through New York City on November 5, 2009. Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children’s Defense Fund was joined by some of New York’s leaders in the faith — Dr. Serene Jones (President of Union Theological Seminary), Dr. Dale Irvin (President of New York Theological Seminary), Rev. Calvin Butts, Senior Pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, Dr. James Forbes, Pastor Emeritus of Riverside Church and Founder of Healing for the Nations — to raise their collective moral voices to demand that children’s needs be addressed through this nation’s current health reform efforts.
Dr. Manel Silva of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center outlined how 66% of the patients who come through her center do not have health insurance, and how many of these children have been traumatized by community violence, family violence, sexual violence and the like.
Actress Lynn Whitfield, Richard Buery (CEO, Children’s Aid Society) and Dr. Drew Giddings (Act for Children) also joined their voices to those refusing to abide with children being left worse off after health reform.
They all came to stand outside of the offices of New York Senators Charles Schumer (D) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D) to say — thanks for the work you have done, but your work is far from done! Children need Champions for the health on the Senate floor!
We need to keep putting the pressure on Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and demand that they include affordable, comprehensive and simple children’s health coverage in any health care reform.
The House of Representatives has just passed a bill that would leave millions of children worse rather than better off after health reform. The same dangerous outcome looms in the Senate – unless you raise a mighty voice – demanding that all children must be better off after health reform; that the successful Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), New York’s Child Health Plus Program, is kept and strengthened in the Senate bill and in the final health reform bill and not killed as the House bill would do to CHIP in 2013.
The voices of so many powerful special interests have been heard in Congress: powerful insurance and drug companies; other business interests; doctors; unions; and many more able to spend many, many millions of dollars on lobbying. Vote-less, powerless children need youto raise your voice for them if their far too invisible health reform needs are to be heard.
Children need your voice today!
We must stop Congress from eliminating the effective and cost effective Children’s Health Insurance Program program and sending millions of children who benefit from this program into a new, untested, and far more expensive Health Insurance Exchange where parents will have to pay more for their children to receive fewer benefits. Why should we sacrifice the health of millions of children to enrich private insurance companies in the Exchange?
What can you do to ensure that millions of children are better rather than worse off in health reform legislation?
Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) will offer an amendment on the Senate floor to:
- Keep and strengthen the Children’s Health Insurance Program;
- Make the Children’s Health Insurance program simple for parents to access;
- Guarantee children in the Children’s Health Insurance Program the same comprehensive benefits as children get in Medicaid; and,
- Provide a health safety net for children in families of four earning $66,150 (300 percent of the federal poverty level) wherever they live in America. We must end the unjust lottery of geography.
Please call your senators and ask them to support and vote for this amendment!
Speak up today and everyday until the Casey CHIP Children’s amendment is passed by the Senate.
Call:
Senator Schumer at (212) 486-4430
Senator Gillibrand at (212) 688-6262
Tell Senators Schumer and Gillibrand the following: “Hi, my name is [your name] and I’m calling from [your city and state] to tell Senator [your Senator’s name] to co-sponsor and support the children’s amendment Senator Bob Casey will introduce in the health reform debate. The amendment will improve CHIP, protect millions of children from being worse off after health reform and is cost-effective for children, families and taxpayers.”
If you are not from New York — Visit www.congressmerge.com to find out the phone numbers for your Senators in their state offices.
Keep contacting your Senators until there is a Senate vote, and until a final bill is enacted that protects rather than hurts children. Call, visit, and email your Senators and get your family, neighbors, and congregation members to do so to!
Millions of child lives depend on what you do today!
Thank you for being a voice for children.
A Voice In Ramah 