Californians for Healthy Kids

1
Californians for Healthy Kids

• Kristen Golden Testa
• 100 Campaign/PICO
• Strategy for Covering All Kids
• July 2006

2
100 Campaign

• 3 childrens organizations
• The Childrens Partnership
• Children Now
• Childrens Defense Fund CA
• Ensure health insurance for all CA kids
• Funded by The California Endowment

3
Current Status in CA

• 10 million children
• 53 ESI
• 32 Medi-Cal/Healthy Families (lt250 FPL)
• 800,000 uninsured (8)
• 55 MC/HF eligible
• 19 undocumented immigrant
• 20 higher incomes (gt250 FPL)

4
Californians for Healthy Kids

• Campaign begins 2004
• PICO California Project
• Faith communities
• Local grassroots
• 100 Campaign
• Policy development
• Advocacy

5
Overwhelming Public Support

• Over 80 CA voters support covering all kids
• Support bipartisan and across the state
• Covering children ranks higher priority than
  education same as oil prices and general health
  care costs
• 2/3 support specific proposal and spending to
  cover all kids (400 million)
• Support includes coverage for undocumented
  immigrant children
• All children
• Prevention of more expensive ER care
• Greenberg Quinlan Rosner

6
Multi-Pronged Strategy

• Foundation collaboration
• Local Childrens Health Initiative (CHI) models
• Partners in advocacy
• Collaborative policy development
• Research

7
Local CHI Models

• Pioneer Santa Clara Healthy Kids 2001
• Community coalition
• Local health plan, local PICO, unions, county
• Healthy Kids program
• Comprehensive benefits
• Eligible those not eligible for MC/HF up to 300
  FPL
• Outreach message all kids qualify
• Funding
• Health plan, First 5,county, foundations, some
  federal

8
CHI Success and Momentum

• Foundation benefit and technical support
• Results
• 18 CHI operating (14 in development)65
• 85,000 children covered, 10,000 waiting list
• All kids message best outreach
• Positive impact on access to care
• Less expensive population
• Generate federal matching

9
Partners

• Foundations
• United Way/ businesses
• Local CHIs
• Statewide umbrella coalition Californians for
  Healthy Kids

10
Collaborative Policy Development

• Guiding principles
• Policy framework
• Continuous input and feedback
• Legislation
• Cost estimates
• Financing

11
Guiding Principles

• Create a strong private/public initiative in
  which all children living in California from
  birth to age 21 will have access to affordable
  health insurance coverage.
• Build upon what works in California's
  publicly-funded state insurance programs and
  reform what does not, including modernizing and
  simplifying how children get enrolled and stay
  enrolled in coverage.
• Create a statewide insurance system that
  leverages the lessons and successes of local
  children's health initiatives.
• Promote voluntary opportunities to strengthen
  employer participation in covering dependents.
• Develop sustainable financing that supports the
  system over the long term, including maximizing
  federal funding.
• Promote opportunities for children to access
  services under their health insurance coverage.
• Ensure a strong safety net as a vital component
  of access to care.
• Do no harm as these reforms are put in place.

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CA Legislation

• Coverage for all children
• Expansion of MC/HF to all kids lt300 FPL
• Transition for local CHI to state system
• Pilot project for children gt300 FPL
• Voluntary employer options
• Enrollment simplifications/outreach grants
• Electronic enrollment gateways
• No financing

13
Timeline/Milestones

• 2003 Governor promise
• 2004 CA for Healthy Kids
• Partnership building
• Policy development/cost estimating
• polling
• 2005 Legislation
• Town Hall meeting
• Legislative/Administration advocacy
• Governor veto
• 2006 Ballot initiative coalition
• Legislation
• Budget battle
• Initiative qualifies
• People decide in November

14
Tobacco Tax Act of 2006

• Coalition
• Am. Cancer Society Am. Lung Assoc Am. Heart
  Assoc.
• 2.60 tobacco tax
• 2 billion for
• ER childrens health, disease research, smoking
  cessation
• Strong public support/simple message
• Well-funded opposition/bell weather for other
  states
• Governors position?

15
Political Consideration

• Immigrant children
• Local CHI success/local political support
• Business partners
• Governors election/Governors promise
• Legislative budget super majority
• Well-funded tobacco tax opposition
• National Republican anti-immigrant campaign
• Strong public support (polling)

16
To Be Continued.

• Next chapter for CA children
• November will tell