Health Coverage for All Children Campaign

There are 9 million uninsured children in America – that's one in nine. Every 39 seconds, a child is born uninsured. More than 2,200 children are born uninsured every day. Health care costs for working families continue to rise, making it difficult to afford insurance or access timely care. The failing state of our nation's health care system affects every person in the United States, insured and uninsured alike. If we are to end the problem of children growing up without health coverage and ensure affordable coverage, real health reform is necessary.

In this campaign – to guarantee comprehensive health coverage for all children and pregnant women – CDF has convened hundreds of groups and secured endorsements from almost 1,300 organizations representing more than 60 million people throughout the United States. With this national network, CDF has laid the groundwork to continue the work with in the 111th Congress to cover all children and pregnant women in America.

Real Children's Health Reform in 2009

Guarantee every child and pregnant woman comprehensive health and mental health coverage
Any health care reform legislation must include these principles for children:

• Coverage Must Be Affordable. Establish a national eligibility floor of 300 percent of the federal poverty level for all children and pregnant women, with an affordable buy-in based on a family’s income for those over that income level.
• Benefits Must Be Comprehensive. Guarantee every child access to all medically necessary services to maximize a child’s health and development. 
• The System Must Be Simple and Seamless. To ensure children get enrolled and stay enrolled, simplify the application and enrollment process to make it easy for all children to get covered and stay covered. This must include eliminating known barriers to enrollment and instituting automatic enrollment of eligible children.

Download a fact sheet with these principles: Health Coverage for All Children

It Is Time to Take Action

• President Obama ran on a promise of health coverage for all children. By spreading the word in our communities, we can help him keep his promise and ensure a healthier generation.
• In the current economic downturn, the number of uninsured children is almost certainly going to increase. Elected officials need to know now how serious the problem is and how detrimental lack of health and mental health coverage is for children in your communities. 
• At least 17 states have already cut or considering cuts to their CHIP or children's health programs. If we can afford to bail out industries, we must find the political will to strengthen the programs that protect our children.

Ensure health care reform includes health coverage for all children.

Speak Now for Kids!

Speak Now for Kids in Health Reform is a national campaign sponsored by the National Association of Children’s Hospitals (N.A.C.H.). N.A.C.H. is joined by CDF and other national partners and supporting organizations from around the country who all care deeply about how children will be treated in health reform. Speak Now for Kids in Health Reform urges parents, family members, health care providers and other advocates to tell Congress why children matter in health reform – through stories, photos and videos.

Learn more about the campaign and take a moment to "Speak Now" to let Congress know in your own words what you think about children's health care.