January 11, 2007
Town Hall Meeting Underscores Importance of All Children Having Health Coverage
DFW community leaders join more than 35 Town Hall Meetings Across the Country in Calling on Congress to Support Children's Health Insurance Program
Dallas, Texas (January 11, 2007) – As part of the National Town Hall Meeting on Children's Health Coverage, Dallas-Fort Worth area community leaders joined the Campaign for Children's Health Care at Children's Medical Center Dallas today to highlight the fact that there are still more than 9 million uninsured children in the U.S. Participants urged Congress and the Texas State Legislature to reauthorize and fully fund the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and to keep the Medicaid program strong. Originating in the nation's capitol, the event connected 35 communities through a live webcast to Town Hall Meetings across the country.
2007 is a pivotal year for children's health coverage at both federal and state levels. Congress will address reauthorization of CHIP and the Texas Legislature will make key decisions about funding and eligibility for CHIP and Children's Medicaid which, together, cover more than 430,000 DFW area children and two million Texas children.
Dallas County Judge Jim Foster spoke about the importance of CHIP, a joint state-federal effort to provide health coverage for uninsured children. Across Texas, more than 1.4 million children are uninsured, with an estimated 100,000 of those uninsured children here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
"When we talk about the millions of uninsured children, we are talking about the plight of our future," said Judge Foster. "We must urge both Congress and the Legislature to continue to support programs that are working to provide health care coverage for our kids."
Pam Okada, MD, an Emergency Department physician at Children's, spoke about the importance of children having a doctor of their own. "Having a medical home for a child not only keeps them from waiting in an emergency room for care they could be receiving at a doctor's office, but also keeps them healthy by providing regular access to medical care. I can not underscore enough the importance of access to health care for our children."
A Dallas-area family who benefits from CHIP was on hand to share their story. Mom Ivette Chapa has three children, ranging in age from three to seven. She and her husband work full time but because they both work for small businesses, it would be too expensive to enroll their children in the companies' health plan. The Chapas are delighted that they can provide for their children's health care coverage through this program. Ivette's six-year-old son has benefited from CHIP because his family can now afford maintenance medication for his asthma, and the Chapas' seven-year-old daughter can now see an audiologist for her hearing, as prescribed by her doctor.
- Uninsured children are 10 times more likely to have an unmet health care need than insured children, according to an August 2005 Covering Kids and Families report. CHIP, enacted in 1997, is a crucial source of health insurance coverage for millions of children annually. In 2007, Congress will consider reauthorizing the CHIP program for the first time, providing a historic opportunity to secure additional funding to enroll more eligible children. It also provides an opportunity to discuss other ways to expand coverage for children.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area Town Hall Meeting was part of a national series of 35 local Town Hall Meetings at children's and Catholic hospitals across the country. The National Town Hall Meeting on Children's Health Coverage broadcast from George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. included a live discussion with U.S. Senator Max Baucus who urged attendees to call on Congress to fully fund CHIP, support state and federal efforts to provide insurance coverage for more children, and protect Medicaid coverage. Attendees at the Children's Medical Center Dallas Town Hall also joined millions of Americans urging action on children's health insurance by signing a petition in support of access to health care for all children.
The Campaign for Children's Health Care is a national, diverse group of organizations representing health care providers, educators, parents and advocates. The Campaign is dedicated to making high-quality, affordable health insurance coverage for all of America's children a top national priority, and its members recognize that SCHIP, along with Medicaid, helps achieve that goal.
Campaign partners for the Town Hall Meetings include:
- American Hospital Association
- Association of American Medical Colleges
- Catholic Health Association of the United States
- Families USA
- Federation of American Hospitals
- National Association of Children's Hospitals
- National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems
The Dallas Area CHIP Coalition is an alliance of 90 organizations dedicated to raising community awareness about the issues of uninsured children and to educating families about the state's Children's Health Insurance programs.
Locally, the event was sponsored by Children's Medical Center Dallas, the Dallas Area CHIP Coalition and the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
Rachel Blacketer
214-456-5302