More than 90% of 2008 candidates for the Arizona state legislature responding to a recent survey agree that strengthening KidsCare should be a priority, uniting candidates across the boundaries of political parties and geographic regions.
“This strong support among candidates reflects the high priority voters place on children’s health coverage,” said Dana Wolfe Naimark, President and CEO of Children’s Action Alliance. “Candidates and voters both know that kids can’t insure themselves; they need our help. After ten years of success with KidsCare in Arizona, we know that this strong public program works.”
Fifty-five candidates running in 24 out of the 30 districts responded to a Children’s Action Alliance questionnaire (including Democrats, Republicans, Libertarian, and Green). Their answers are posted, verbatim, on the Children’s Action Alliance website. All of the responding candidates except five answered that yes, KidsCare should be strengthened to cover more uninsured children. While many acknowledged the difficulty posed by the current budget climate, the candidates shared a broad array of ideas to strengthen KidsCare, including:
1. Elimination of premiums
2. Expanded outreach efforts and funding
3. Streamlining of inter-agency requirements pertaining to enrollment
4. Increased focus on preventative efforts
5. Increased federal funding
6. Ensuring coverage for every child in the state of Arizona
In the survey, Children’s Action Alliance (CAA) asked every candidate for the state House and Senate to answer ten questions about the issues facing children in Arizona and about their own positions and plans for children’s health care, education, child protective services, child care, and state budget and tax priorities. The candidates’ responses demonstrate that strengthening KidsCare isn’t an ideological issue – it’s a practical policy to improve children’s success and reduce unnecessary costs in our health care system. 279,000 Arizona children – nearly 4,000 school bus loads of kids – lack health insurance. An estimated half of these uninsured children are eligible for coverage in Arizona through AHCCCS or KidsCare, but aren’t enrolled.
“We’re very proud to offer voters tools during the campaign season to get information on key issues and to find the candidates who share their priorities for children and families,” said Naimark. Election information is available at azchildren.org. Click on “Elections 08” on the left.
For participating families, KidsCare offers comprehensive care, ensuring that children are healthy and in school, and that parents aren’t missing work to seek treatment for their children in expensive settings like emergency rooms because they don’t have health insurance. While the number of employers offering health insurance to employees and their children continues to drop, AHCCCS and KidsCare have provided cost-effective care through private doctors and health plans. These programs have increased the percent of children with health insurance in Arizona from 74% in 1997 to 83% in 2005.
As a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, Children’s Action Alliance does not support or oppose individual candidates. Through research, fact sheets, community events, and communications, CAA works to inform voters, candidates, and elected officials about the challenges facing children and families and about policies that can make a difference in their lives.