Stronger Communities Stronger America Improve Access to Health Coverage for Latino Children Background Latino children represent nearly one out of five children (19.7%) in the U.S. However, because of lack of access to quality health care, many of them face barriers to healthy development and school readiness and have a higher risk of developing certain chronic diseases. They are prevented from receiving essential care in part because they have the highest uninsurance rates of any group of youth in the U.S.; of the nine million children currently uninsured, 38% are Latino. NCLR Position Congress needs to take immediate action. In the 2007 reauthorization of the State Children s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) urges Congress to: Pass the Legal Immigrant Children s Health Improvement Act (ICHIA) of 2007 (H.R. 1308, S. 764) ,which would restore the states option to provide federally-funded Medicaid and SCHIP to legal immigrant children and pregnant women. Currently, lawfully-present immigrants face a five-year bar to several federal health care programs. ICHIA would ensure a healthy start for children by making sure that these families have access to the very programs their taxes pay for, but are currently excluded from. Include the Community Health Workers Act of 2007 (S.586) in SCHIP. Approximately six million children are eligible for but not enrolled in health coverage programs, even though they are income-qualified. Congress should dedicate more resources to guarantee that every child who qualifies for health coverage receives it. The Community Health Workers Act would increase resources for CBOs to carry out culturally-competent outreach and enrollment activities targeted to underserved communities, to ensure that families are aware of and can gain access to health insurance programs. Provide sufficient funding for SCHIP and protect the Medicaid program. The current funding level for SCHIP is woefully inadequate, and health coverage is threatened for many children enrolled in the program. We urge Congress to provide $60 billion in funding over five years. Furthermore, NCLR is strongly opposed to attempts to cut Medicaid to pay for SCHIP; these two programs complement each other, and any attempts to cut eligibility or services from one program to pay for the other will only increase the uninsurance problem. Why This Is Important When children are healthy, they are better prepared to make the most of future opportunities. All children should have adequate access to health care services, including preventive care, such as immunizations and regular check-ups; culturally-competent education to ensure that they and their families can take steps to maintain their health; and appropriate treatment when they are ill. For more information, visit NCLR s website at www.nclr.org. Contact NCLR Senior Health Policy Analyst Jennifer Ng andu at (202) 776-1762 or jngandu@nclr.org.
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