Moms Rising Call to Action

I wish Moms Rising would put their petitions on their site so I could link but they don't.

If I link to my email, it doesn't seem to work so here is their letter in its entirety.

Those of us on fixed income with kids still at home would appreciate your support.

Dear MomsRising member,

Right now, this very week, Congress is heatedly debating healthcare coverage for low income kids?as well as battling with the administration about this very topic?and they need to hear from you that covering children is a priority. Since 1 in 9 children in the United States are without healthcare coverage at all, and the U.S. ranks near the bottom of all industrialized nations in its infant mortality (24^th), covering more children is critical.

*TAKE ACTION FOR CHILDREN: Email your letter now in support of covering kids by going to: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/momsrising/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12177

TELL CONGRESS YOU HAVE THEIR BACK: Tell your Congressperson that you "have their back," and are counting on them to guarantee easily accessible, affordable, comprehensive healthcare coverage for all children. Let them know that they need to start doing this now by reauthorizing State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) with at least $50 billion to expand coverage to all children, improve benefits, and simplify enrollment. Congress is expected to take action on this at any moment, so e-mailing a letter now to your Congressional representatives will make a big difference.

THE LOWDOWN: What's SCHIP, and why should I care about such a wonky sounding acronym? SCHIP is the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which is a federal block grant program that provides critical funding to states so that they can give health coverage to millions of children whose families cannot afford it. Yes, it may sound wonky, but when 1 in 9 children in our country are without any healthcare coverage, we need all the wonky sounding policies we can get to cover more kids. SCHIP is essentially a state health insurance program that covers children who are falling through the healthcare cracks. Congress needs to reauthorize this important healthcare program by September 30^th so millions of children don't lose coverage.

PASS ALONG TO FRIENDS & FAMILY: Please help get coverage for all children by forwarding this email to friends and family and asking them to contact their Congressperson as well. With public support behind them, Congress can cover all children.

Health coverage saves lives, as Families USA reports, "Uninsured children admitted to the hospital due to injuries were twice as likely to die while in the hospital as their insured counterparts." Yet, according to the Children's Defense Fund, a baby is born uninsured every 47 seconds even though it costs less to provide health insurance coverage to children than any other age group.

*Don't forget to email your Congressperson today to help cover more children at: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/momsrising/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12177

Best - The MomsRising Team

p.s. A special thank you to Families USA, the Children's Alliance, and the Children's Defense Fund for tracking this issue, as well as for providing information for this e-outreach. And, another thank you to the many aligned organizations working together to get coverage for all children.

p.p.s. To see how SCHIP is faring in your state, visit: http://www.familiesusa.org/issues/medicaid/schip-reauthorization.html