As we dress our children in their favorite superhero costumes this weekend and send them into the night collecting their favorite candy, we are reminded how much we treasure moments like these.  We are also reminded, however, that as parents our children’s health and safety are always our top concerns.   

Protecting our children and working to ensure they have a healthy start in life are the most important jobs we share as parents.  No child in this nation should have to grow up without sufficient health care or health coverage. 

Did you know that of the roughly 46 million Americans with no health insurance, about 10 million of these are children?  These numbers are startling and are why I am committed to supporting legislative efforts that protect our children.  One of my top priorities in Congress is to support and look for opportunities to strengthen programs that protect children, such as the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), more commonly known here at home as ARKids First, because one child without health care in this country is one too many.

S-CHIP provides health coverage to American children whose parents do not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance.  Eighty-six percent of children covered by S-CHIP are in working families that cannot obtain or afford private health insurance.  I believe that a child should not suffer because of his or her parents’ inability to afford insurance.  This program is crucial for children in both rural and urban areas.  In rural areas, one in three children has health care coverage through S-CHIP or Medicaid.  In urban areas, it is one in four. S-CHIP has also had a dramatic affect in reducing the number of uninsured minority children.

As a state senator, I helped pass the ARKids First program which relies on S-CHIP funding and now provides coverage for over 70,000 Arkansas children.  These are children of working parents that are trying to do the right thing and stay off of welfare, but are working jobs with no benefits. 

In this Congress, I was proud to support the Medicare, Medicaid, and S-CHIP Extension Act that extends funding through March 31, 2009, allowing for the continued coverage of 6.6 million children.  I also fought to expand S-CHIP for millions more children in this country by increasing coverage in Arkansas to as many as 110,000 alone.  However, President Bush vetoed this legislation not once, but twice.

As we look to the future, we are always hoping the best for our children:  the best education, the best health care and the best values.  I believe it is past time to start investing in America again, and there is no greater investment we can make than in our children. 

Sincerely,

 
Mike Ross

Mike speaks at Mainline Health System's 30th Anniversary Celebration in Portland on Oct. 27.