Protect poor kids’ health care, GOP lawmaker tells Congress

In recent years, our state elected officials have worked across the aisle to improve health care coverage for vulnerable Californians. Together, we have ensured more patients are able to see a doctor, have expanded dental care for lowincome children and have improved the efficiency of our health care system.

Unfortunately, that progress is in danger due to federal gridlock, and the consequences will hit California’s lower-income children and pregnant women especially hard.

These vulnerable populations are at risk of losing health care access if Congress misses another deadline to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Ever since the program’s funding lapsed in September, states have been in danger of running out of money to provide health coverage for children. Congress recently passed a short-term extension to fund CHIP, but that will expire Dec. 22. California will run out of funding for the program shortly thereafter. Congress must act. Funded by both state and federal dollars, CHIP provides health insurance to nearly 9 million children and pregnant women nationwide, including 1.2 million in California and 200,000 in the Bay Area. The program provides care for people from families who could not otherwise afford health insurance but make too much to qualify for Medi-Cal.

Since the program began 20 years ago, it has reduced the rate of uninsured children by 65 percent nationwide, making it one of the most effective health programs in the country. In California alone, CHIP has helped lower the rate of uninsured children from 14 percent to 3 percent. As health insurance prices continue to climb, CHIP has become even more important.

The program is also an efficient use of public health funds. A Stanford University study found that California children who received coverage from CHIP were much less likely to be hospitalized for a chronic health condition. Children with health care do better in school. Those without health care end up in our emergency rooms at a far higher public cost. By giving children regular access to health services, CHIP prevents more costly hospital stays and medical care.

California will lose more than any other state — up to $2.4 billion in federal funding — if CHIP is not reauthorized. This is on top of the federal cuts to Community Health Centers, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars for California. We need Congress to make the necessary investments in our children’s health care. In 1997, a Republicancontrolled Congress passed the bill to create CHIP. A Democratic president signed it into law. Since then, Congress has extended the program five times with broad support in both parties.

Now it’s time for Congress to step up and reauthorize CHIP again.

Congress has a lot on its plate in the coming weeks. As a lawmaker, I know it can be difficult to resolve disputes, especially in hyper-partisan times. That’s not an excuse for putting cost-effective children’s health funding at risk.

To stand up for children, I issued a letter to congressional Republicans, co-signed by nine GOP colleagues in the Assembly, urging Congress to pass a long-term CHIP extension. We have all worked across the aisle to improve Californians’ access to health care and don’t want to see any of those gains erased because CHIP lapsed.

Children’s health care is too important to be at the mercy of politics. CHIP is a vital, costeffective program that millions of Americans rely on for access to health care. A short-term fix will not cut it. Our leaders need to put people first, and find a long-term solution to protect children and pregnant women.

Catharine Baker, R-Dublin, represents the East Bay’s 16th Assembly District, stretching from Orinda to Livermore.