Please join United Way of the Bay Area in a nationwide effort to protect Medicaid for millions of Californians and Americans – call your members of Congress THIS WEEK. It only takes a few minutes of your time and it is easy to do.

The Congressional “Super Committee” tasked with reducing the federal deficit will vote on a plan next Wednesday, November 23, to reduce the deficit.  Medicaid continues to be at risk of being cut.

That’s bad news for more than 6.5 million Californians, 50% of which are children, who rely on Medicaid for healthcare.

Kaiser Family Foundation’s “State Health Facts.org” shows that California ranks highest in the number of individuals insured by Medicaid – that means out of 50 states, California ranks first in the number of people who were insured by Medicaid. In the same report, it shows that though 50% on Medicaid are children, they are only 20% of the program cost. Makes good fiscal sense to preserve Medicaid for children and all.

Take action today to preserve health care for the neediest in our community!  Click here to look up your Representative and get talking points.

• This op-ed is co-authored by Shelley Kessler, San Mateo Central Labor Council Executive Secretary/Treasurer and United Way of the Bay Area Board Member, and Eric McDonnell, United Way of the Bay Area Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer.

Four million of California’s poorest children, including 300,000 in the Bay Area, are in danger of losing their health coverage.

Congress – under pressure to shrink the national deficit – is backpedaling on key elements of the Affordable Care Act that ensure needy kids get basic health care.

When Congress passed the Affordable Care Act, it explicitly prohibited states from altering eligibility and enrollment requirements for children’s health insurance.  In California, this means Healthy Families and Medi-Cal cannot create additional barriers to access and enrollment.

Unfortunately, there are members in Congress who are now advocating to repeal these provisions in a misguided effort to achieve short-term state and federal budget savings.  As a result, California will be permitted to institute cuts to vital health safety net programs, reducing the ability of families to access care.

These proposed cuts could not come at a worse time.  The recession has hit California families hard.  U.S. Census figures released last week indicate that more than 6 million people in California – more than 2 million of them children – lived in poverty last year, an increase for the sixth straight year.

Record numbers lack health insurance.  With statewide unemployment over 11 percent, thousands of families who relied on employer-based health coverage are now uninsured.   As a result, their children are less likely to get preventative care and more likely to require costly emergency care.

Medi-Cal and Healthy Families are lifelines for California families who are struggling with unemployment and reductions in family health coverage on the job.  This is clearly illustrated by the surge in Medi-Cal enrollment, which is up 12.5 % in the last three years, compared to just a 1.1% increase in the three years prior to the recession.

Children are relatively inexpensive to cover: children make up 41% of the total Medi-Cal enrollment, yet they only account for 19% of all Medi-Cal expenditures.  When children take advantage of preventative care offered by insurance coverage, costly hospitalizations are prevented.  Not to mention that healthy kids perform better in school, which helps prepare them for success in life.

In California, there are already 773,000 uninsured children living below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. That represents one of seven low-income, uninsured children nationally.

Let’s not put another 4 million California children at risk of losing their health coverage.  Congress and the Administration should do everything they can to protect the health of our children by rejecting attempts to weaken Medi-Cal and Healthy Families.

If you care about protecting the health of our state’s most vulnerable children, call your Congressional Representative today and tell them, “No more cuts to health care and insurance for poor children.”

Every dad wants to know his kids are healthy and safe so that they can succeed in life. Since June is the month we celebrate fathers, why not give the special dad in your life the best gift of all – health coverage for his children!

No-cost and low-cost children’s health insurance is available now through a variety of public programs.

• Call 2-1-1 to talk with a specialist about Medi-Cal & Healthy Families, or
• 1-877-KIDS-NOW Apply online at www.healtheapp.net
• Learn more about California’s health coverage options for children at http://finder.healthcare.gov

The Healthy Families Program (HFP) is California’s public health insurance program for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medi-Cal but do not earn enough to afford private coverage.

A new California law for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year requires that all students entering into grades 7-12 have proof of an adolescent whooping cough booster shot called Tdap before entering school.  Information about pertussis and Tdap vaccinations in the Bay Area is available in more than 150 languages by simply dialing 211. 

Tdap is a booster vaccine for older children, adolescents, and adults that safely protects against three dangerous diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough (also called pertussis).  Whooping cough is a serious disease that causes coughing fits that can last for months.  It can be deadly for infants.  In recent years, whooping cough has increased in the U.S. and was widespread in California in 2010.

This new Tdap requirement is for current students, new students and transfer students in both private and public schools. Avoid the rush and make an appointment with your regular doctor or health care provider to get your child vaccinated.  Once vaccinated, keep documentation of your child’s Tdap booster shot in a safe place so your child can start school on time.

Your local 211 call center can answer many questions, such as: 
-Where can I get my child vaccinated?
-What if I don’t have insurance?  Can my child still receive the Tdap booster?
-What if my child doesn’t have proof of a Tdap shot before school starts in the Fall?

Learn more about 211 at www.211bayarea.org.

Photo courtesy of “Noodles and Beef” via Creative Commons license.

Information about flu vaccinations in the Bay Area is available in more than 150 languages by simply dialing 211.  Download and print our 211 Flu Shot flyer and hang in your office’s break rooms, bathrooms and waiting areas.

United Way’s 211 call center can answer questions, such as:

• Where is the vaccine available in my county?
• Who is eligible to receive the vaccine? (Eligibility varies by county and provider.)

All people 6 months and older are now recommended to receive annual influenza vaccination. This is a new and expanded recommendation for the 2010-2011 season.

There isn’t a need for two separate shots this year because the 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against the 2009 H1N1 virus as well as two other influenza viruses ( H3N2 virus and influenza B virus). The one exception is for children aged 6 months through 8 years of age who have never received a seasonal flu vaccine. The CDC recommends that they get two doses of vaccine spaced at least 4 weeks apart.

Residents who can’t dial 211 can call 800-273-6222 to reach the 211 call center in their area. For the hearing impaired, dial 415-808-4440 (TTY) or 711.

Photo courtesty of  mcfarlandmo via Creative Commons license.