Press Release

The Children's Partnership (TCP) released Building A Consumer-Driven Eligibility, Enrollment, and Renewal System: Essential Design Features for Effective Health Reform in California. This 40-page blueprint lays out the four design features necessary to enroll and maintain coverage for nearly 4 million Californians newly eligible for subsidized programs under health reform in addition to serving the over 8 million already receiving such coverage.

Download full press release .

SACRAMENTO, CA – In response to Governor Brown's release of his 2012-13 budget proposal, a coalition of leading children's health advocates in California expressed concern about the scope of proposed cuts and fundamental changes to children's health care, and fear that such a proposal could significantly jeopardize access to health care for California children.

Read full press release.

Washington, DC - Kristen Golden Testa joined researchers from the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research at a congressional briefing held by First Focus. The report released today, "Proposed Regulations Could Limit Access to Affordable Health Coverage for Workers' Children and Family Members" provides key data that documents the effect the rule would have on tens of thousands of children in California, and families across the country.

Read the full statement  by Kristen Golden Testa, Director of California Health Program.

Read the full press statement  on California's decision to cut Denti-Cal reimbursement rates for children as part of a larger set of budget cuts. 

SACRAMENTO - California's leading children's advocates today congratulated Governor Brown on signing key legislation that moves health care reform forward in California, and sets the stage for improving access to health care coverage for children. By signing AB 1296 (Bonilla), AB 922 (Monning) and SB 51 (Alquist), the Governor allows the state to continue to move forward on implementation of the Affordable Care Act in California.

Read full press release .

In Time to Send THeir Kids Back to School Healthy 

Comprehensive Health, Dental, Vision Coverage for Children in Low-Income & Working Families

Oakland - For the first time in California, families preparing for the new school year can apply, on their own, for free or low-cost health coverage through the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs for their children online using Health-e-App, an online application tool. Health coverage can ensure that children have the immunizations, physicals, and other routine & preventive health care services they need to be able to do their best in school.

Read full press release . 

Sacramento, CA: On behalf of the state’s leading children’s advocates, Wendy Lazarus, Founder and Co-President of The Children’s Partnership, released the following statement in response to recent communications regarding a potential 37 percent shortfall in California’s Healthy Families budget for the current fiscal year. 

Read full press statement.

The California Health Benefit Exchange launched its stakeholder engagement process. Two separate workgroups were established to address eligibility and enrollment process issues specific to both the individual and small employer markets. 

Read more about the stakeholder workgroups . 

Sacramento, CA  - Acoalition of California children’s advocacy organizations expressed opposition to federal legislation that would eliminate state Medicaid eligibility and enrollment requirements and jeopardize the health coverage of 4.5 million California children.

The legislation introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Representative Phil Gingrey (R-GA) would repeal a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires states to maintain current eligibility and enrollment requirements for Medicaid and CHIP. In California, this children’s coverage stability provision (Maintenance of Effort) ensures that children currently eligible for and covered by Medi-Cal and Healthy Families cannot be dropped from coverage. 

Download a press statement by Wendy Lazarus.

Oakland – California's leading children's health advocacy organizations commended Governor Jerry Brown for his leadership in protecting the health care of California children and the state's taxpayers by rejecting a federal proposal to shift an estimated $148 billion in Medi-Cal costs from the federal government to California.

Download the press release.  

Oakland – Children Now, The Children's Partnership, United Ways of California, and the California Children's Health Initiatives announced the receipt of grants today from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation under the Foundation's Insuring America's Children: Getting to the Finish Line initiative. These organizations partner with Children's Defense Fund – California and PICO California in their children's health work. These grants coincide with the two-year anniversary of the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and will support the organizations in their work to advance policies and best practices that can help cover California children and their families.

Download full press release. 

Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and Assembly Member Mike Feuer, joined by Wendy Lazarus, Founder and Co-President of The Children's Partnership, representing The 100% Campaign held a news conference today at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles to highlight a critical open-enrollment period for kids' health insurance that began on January 1, 2011 and ends on March 1.

Download press release.
Download Wendy Lazarus' full remarks.

Yubanet.com covered the event in this January 28, 2012 article .