Children's Defense Fund

Ensure a Healthy Start for Every Child in Your State

Ensure Quality Education for our Most Vulnerable ChildrenNearly two-thirds of the 8.3 million uninsured children are already eligible for Medicaid or CHIP but are not enrolled due largely to unnecessary barriers to enrollment imposed by states. Coupled with the opportunities made possible by the passage of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA), states now have new tools and funding streams at their disposal to eliminate these barriers, to simplify the process and fast-track enrollment for eligible children.

As states are again looking to cut their budgets in 2011, now is the time to call for lawmakers at the state level to cut administrative red tape that prevent children from getting and keeping health coverage. We must encourage our state officials to fast-track their enrollment as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Connecting Kids to Coverage challenge. Last year, the state of Alabama was awarded almost $55 million for instituting express lane eligibility at enrollment in Medicaid and exceeding its enrollment targets, joining 14 other states in awards that totaled $206 million.

Email your governor today and demand funding for children’s health programs be maintained and enrollment improvements be fast-tracked in your state.

Tell your Governor!

1. Fill out the form on the left.
All * fields are required (be sure to select your "Title" before continuing).

2. Want to make a bigger impact? Personalize your message.
Include a personal story about how you or a child in your family or community needed health care but experienced difficulties in getting it, and the impact this had on the child/family/community.

3. Click "Send Your Message."
After completing and submitting the form below, we will automatically send your message to your Governor based on your zip code.

Contact

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Message

Dear [Decision Maker],

Sincerely,

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