ALL Kids Should be Part of Healthy Kids Program
Our colleagues at the Oregon Latino Health Coalition and CAUSA are asking for our help.
We hope you’ll support work to assure that all kids are eligible for the state’s Healthy Kids program. Please join us in saying that ALL KIDS should have an equal opportunity to be Healthy Kids, and having equal access to medical care is an essential component. Please contact the leadership mentioned to get their support to keep the Safety Net Capacity Grant in the OHA budget. See their numbers/emails below.
Dear Community Allies and Partners;
As many of you already know, the Healthy Kids Program currently does not include all children in our state. In fact, we estimate that there are anywhere from 22,000 to 28,000 children who are not currently eligible for the state’s Medicaid program. To address this significant policy gap, the Safety Net Capacity Grant was established, setting aside monies to reimburse safety net clinics for the care they provide to these categorically ineligible children in our state.
Unfortunately, we have learned today that the initial Oregon Health Authority budget proposes to cut that dedicated fund by 80%.
If the budget passes in its current form, this would greatly limit the access that our immigrant children would have to much needed health care services.
We know that you share our value and belief that ALL children should have equal access to medical services. Accordingly, we ask that you join us in pushing for a budget that preserves full funding for the Safety Net Capacity Grant.
We are in the process of gathering more information but ask you to standby ready to call in your support for this vital program. We will be in touch with concrete action steps in the following hours but thank you in advance for helping us ensure equal health care access for the most vulnerable, our children.
The budget is scheduled to go before the full Means and Ways Committee which is chaired by the following Senators and Representatives:
Senator Richard Devlin (D) Sen.richarddevlin@state.or.us 503 986-1719
Representative Peter Buckley (D) rep.peterbuckley@state.or.us 503 986-1405
Rep Dennis Richardson (R) rep.dennisrichardson@state.or.us 503 986-1404
We asking our partners to call or email each of them and ask that the funding for the Safety Net Capacity Grant be fully restored in order to ensure that all of our children have access to medical services in Oregon.
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