A broad coalition of organizations and agencies across Texas sent an open letter to Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday urging him to include the childrens health insurance program buy-in bill on the agenda for the upcoming special session.
The letter included the names of such prominent groups as the Texas Medical Association League of Women Voters of Texas and the Texas AFL-CIO. Together the signatories represent hundreds of thousands of Texans.
The bill which received broad bipartisan support and passed both chambers would allow families to pay premiums on a sliding scale so their children can buy-in to CHIP coverage. However the bill failed to make it to the governors desk getting bogged down in the gridlock that characterized the final days of the session.
Here is the text of the letter:
Dear Governor Perry:
With your confirmation that you will call a Special Session of the Texas Legislature Texas has the opportunity to finish a critical piece of unfinished state business: providing more Texas children access to health care. Going into the regular session 1.5 million Texas children lacked health insurance. If state leaders fail to act during the special session nearly all of those kids will likely remain uninsured.
Concerned legislators on both sides of the aisle partnered with child advocates and business faith and medical leaders throughout the regular session to try to deliver real wins for childrens health. They advanced a common-sense plan to cut the red tape that currently blocks hundreds of thousands of Texas poorest children from the Medicaid coverage for which they qualify. They also advanced a CHIP plan to create options for the growing number of hard-working families who lack affordable employer-sponsored coverage for their children. That plan to allow families to pay premiums on a sliding scale so their children can buy-in to CHIP coverage passed both chambers with strong bipartisan majorities in the Legislature but was prevented from reaching your desk because legislative leaders failed to rescue the bill from last-minute procedural gridlock.
The CHIP bill can pass immediately if you allow legislators to address this top priority of families business and faith leaders and the medical community. With so many Texas children still unable to see a primary care doctor its critical that you respond to the will of the majority of Texansas demonstrated by polling data and the thousands of constituent calls recently placed to Texas leadersand take a step forward to cover more of Texas 1.5 million uninsured children.
Despite a great deal of effort on the part of childrens advocates inside and outside the legislature and despite broad bipartisan support for improving access to childrens health care the legislature adjourned without addressing the pressing health coverage needs of Texas children. You and other state leaders have a critical and final opportunity to make health care more affordable for 80000 Texas children. Do not let this opportunity pass us by.
We urge you to add the CHIP buy-in bill to the call for a Special Session. These children should not remain unfinished business."
Sincerely
AARP
Any Baby Can of Texas
Catholic Charities of Dallas Inc.
Catholic Health Association of Texas
Center for Public Policy Priorities
Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe
Children at Risk
Children First! Collin County Coalition
Childrens Defense FundTexas
Coalition for Nurses in Advanced Practice
Communities In Schools of the Heart of Texas
Community Action Committee of Victoria
Community Dental Care
Community First Health Plans
Dallas Area CHIP Coalition
DePelchin Childrens Center
El Paso County Hospital District
Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse Inc.
Harris County Hospital District
Healthy Futures
Home Comforts
Insure•a•Kid
La Fe Policy Research and Education Center
League of Women Voters of Texas
Lubbock County Hospital District
March of Dimes Texas Chapter
Memorial Hermann Healthcare System
Mental Health America of Texas
Mental Health America of Greater Houston
Methodist Healthcare Ministries
National Association of Social Workers Texas Chapter
National Council of Jewish Women Texas State Public Affairs
One Voice
Parkland Health and Hospital System
Project Unity
San Antonio Nonprofit Council
Tarrant County CHIP Coalition
Teaching Hospitals of Texas
Texans Care For Children
Texas Academy of Family Physicians
Texas ACORN
Texas AFL-CIO
Texas Association of Community Action Agencies Inc. (TACAA)
Texas Association of Community Health Centers
Texas Association of Health Plans
Texas Catholic Conference
Texas Counseling Association
Texas Finish Line Campaign
Texas Hospital Association
Texas Impact
Texas Medical Association
Texas Parents as Teachers
Texas Pediatric Society
Texas State Employees Union
United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County
United Ways of Texas
University Health System in San Antonio
Womens Council of Dallas County Health & Human Services Coalition
A broad coalition of organizations and agencies across Texas sent an open letter to Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday urging him to include the childrens health insurance program buy-in bill on the agenda for the upcoming special session.
The letter included the names of such prominent groups as the Texas Medical Association League of Women Voters of Texas and the Texas AFL-CIO. Together the signatories represent hundreds of thousands of Texans.
The bill which received broad bipartisan support and passed both chambers would allow families to pay premiums on a sliding scale so their children can buy-in to CHIP coverage. However the bill failed to make it to the governors desk getting bogged down in the gridlock that characterized the final days of the session.
Here is the text of the letter:
Dear Governor Perry:
With your confirmation that you will call a Special Session of the Texas Legislature Texas has the opportunity to finish a critical piece of unfinished state business: providing more Texas children access to health care. Going into the regular session 1.5 million Texas children lacked health insurance. If state leaders fail to act during the special session nearly all of those kids will likely remain uninsured.
Concerned legislators on both sides of the aisle partnered with child advocates and business faith and medical leaders throughout the regular session to try to deliver real wins for childrens health. They advanced a common-sense plan to cut the red tape that currently blocks hundreds of thousands of Texas poorest children from the Medicaid coverage for which they qualify. They also advanced a CHIP plan to create options for the growing number of hard-working families who lack affordable employer-sponsored coverage for their children. That plan to allow families to pay premiums on a sliding scale so their children can buy-in to CHIP coverage passed both chambers with strong bipartisan majorities in the Legislature but was prevented from reaching your desk because legislative leaders failed to rescue the bill from last-minute procedural gridlock.
The CHIP bill can pass immediately if you allow legislators to address this top priority of families business and faith leaders and the medical community. With so many Texas children still unable to see a primary care doctor its critical that you respond to the will of the majority of Texansas demonstrated by polling data and the thousands of constituent calls recently placed to Texas leadersand take a step forward to cover more of Texas 1.5 million uninsured children.
Despite a great deal of effort on the part of childrens advocates inside and outside the legislature and despite broad bipartisan support for improving access to childrens health care the legislature adjourned without addressing the pressing health coverage needs of Texas children. You and other state leaders have a critical and final opportunity to make health care more affordable for 80000 Texas children. Do not let this opportunity pass us by.
We urge you to add the CHIP buy-in bill to the call for a Special Session. These children should not remain unfinished business."
Sincerely
AARP
Any Baby Can of Texas
Catholic Charities of Dallas Inc.
Catholic Health Association of Texas
Center for Public Policy Priorities
Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe
Children at Risk
Children First! Collin County Coalition
Childrens Defense FundTexas
Coalition for Nurses in Advanced Practice
Communities In Schools of the Heart of Texas
Community Action Committee of Victoria
Community Dental Care
Community First Health Plans
Dallas Area CHIP Coalition
DePelchin Childrens Center
El Paso County Hospital District
Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse Inc.
Harris County Hospital District
Healthy Futures
Home Comforts
Insure•a•Kid
La Fe Policy Research and Education Center
League of Women Voters of Texas
Lubbock County Hospital District
March of Dimes Texas Chapter
Memorial Hermann Healthcare System
Mental Health America of Texas
Mental Health America of Greater Houston
Methodist Healthcare Ministries
National Association of Social Workers Texas Chapter
National Council of Jewish Women Texas State Public Affairs
One Voice
Parkland Health and Hospital System
Project Unity
San Antonio Nonprofit Council
Tarrant County CHIP Coalition
Teaching Hospitals of Texas
Texans Care For Children
Texas Academy of Family Physicians
Texas ACORN
Texas AFL-CIO
Texas Association of Community Action Agencies Inc. (TACAA)
Texas Association of Community Health Centers
Texas Association of Health Plans
Texas Catholic Conference
Texas Counseling Association
Texas Finish Line Campaign
Texas Hospital Association
Texas Impact
Texas Medical Association
Texas Parents as Teachers
Texas Pediatric Society
Texas State Employees Union
United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County
United Ways of Texas
University Health System in San Antonio
Womens Council of Dallas County Health & Human Services Coalition
