Governor Schwarzenegger has unveiled a budget proposal for fiscal year 2010-2011 that could potentially eliminate funding for California's Healthy Families program, unless the State is able to obtain federal funding, which is a highly risky and uncertain proposition. Worst case, without Federal funding, more than 874,000 children could lose health coverage currently provided by Healthy Families.

Even if the State receives these Federal funds and Healthy Families is not completely eliminated, the Governor has proposed new eligibility and cost-sharing requirements, as well as significant benefit reductions, that would likely drop coverage for 225,000 thousand children.

Denying hundreds of thousands of children access to health coverage could have life-long and life-threatening implications for children. And it won't help solve the budget crisis. Instead, these cuts will cause California to lose secure federal dollars and force children into more costly types of care, resulting in increased costs to our state, businesses and families.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY!

We need your help today to save the Healthy Families program and health coverage for more than 874,000 children. Using the talking points below, please call, write or email your legislators right away and urge them to reject Governor Schwarzenegger's proposal. You can use the attached county-by-county fact sheet to tailor your message to your legislator.

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Talking Points:

Please reject Governor Schwarzenegger's disastrous proposal to eliminate or cut the state's successful Healthy Families Program. This proposal would mean the loss of health coverage for 874,000 California children, impact more than ___________ children in our county, and leave $800 million in federal matching funds on the table.

Insurance can literally mean life or death for children. A recent Johns Hopkins study shows that children hospitalized without insurance had a 60% higher mortality rate than those with insurance. If Governor Schwarzenegger's proposal is enacted, children will needlessly suffer from more costly and serious health problems.

Cutting Healthy Families will not only be terrible for our kids, but it is not good fiscal policy. We'll lose local and federal healthcare dollars and will force children into more costly types of care which will cost our state, businesses and families.

There are tough choices to make, but budgeting is about priorities. There can be few priorities as important as the health and lives of children.

Please do the right thing for California's children and reject the Governor's proposed cuts to the Healthy Families Program.

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