Greetings,

LB 136 is scheduled for debate this week in the Nebraska legislature. A vote may come as early as Wednesday or Thursday. LB136 would provide for more children to be eligible for health care under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). In Nebraska, the program is called Kids Connection. SCHIP/Kids Connection provides health care for children whose families aren't poor enough to receive Medicaid, but don't earn enough to afford private insurance. LB136 would change the program's eligibility standard from 185% to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (from an annual income of $32,560 to $35,200 for a family of three). This would bring Nebraska more in line with other states. Nebraska has one of the lowest eligibility levels in the country for SCHIP; 43 other states have higher levels including all states surrounding Nebraska at 200%, with Missouri even higher at 300%. It is important to know that SCHIP is a federal block grant and a finite amount of money is available to each state. If we don't cover and enroll our uninsured children now, our allotment will be smaller in the future. Those federal dollars will go to states that do a better job of covering uninsured children. As a person of faith, your opinion and voice is important. Please contact your State Senator today to let him or her know how you believe they should vote on this important issue. Your State Senator voted to move this to the final round of debate. Please thank your Senator for doing so and encourage a positive final vote. For more information contact: Rev. Dr. Chuck Bentjen, Director, Justice and Advocacy Ministries, ELCA-NE, 402-450-1003 or via email at cbentjen2000@yahoo.com.

Subject: LB 136 -- Children's Health Care

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

As a person of faith, I thank you for your vote to move LB 136 to Select File. It is my understanding the bill will come up for final debate toward the end of this week. I encourage your continued support of this important legislation and ask that you vote to pass it on to the Governor for his signature.

Kids Connection is a public health insurance program for low-income families in Nebraska. Kids Connection provides children with access to needed health care like well-child visits, mental health coverage, and testing and screenings for early intervention. Most importantly, it simply provides the child and the family with the ability to go see a medical professional when the child is sick.

Without this kind of access families are often forced to forgo care or wait until the child's illness becomes severe before they seek treatment, usually in an emergency room; chronic illnesses are not managed; and preventable illnesses become expensive to treat.

Health care access is critical if children are going to learn in school, grow strong and healthy, and become productive members in our society.

Nebraska's Kids Connection program was once a model program but has slipped in recent years. Nebraska has one of the seven lowest eligibility rates in the country. Forty-three other states have chosen to provide health care to more of their low-income children.

LB 136 would increase eligibility for Kids Connection to 200% or $36,620 a year for a family of three.

There are at least 45,000 uninsured children in Nebraska. A little more than 5,400 of these uninsured children will become newly eligible for Kids Connection under LB 136.

78% of uninsured Nebraska children live in households where there is one full-time worker, reinforcing the fact that health insurance in the private market is increasingly unaffordable and out of reach for more and more families. Programs like Kids Connection have become ever more important in filling the gap for uninsured families.

The costs of uninsured children show up in our school systems, our child welfare system, and our juvenile justice system.

The federal government pays for nearly 72% of the cost for the children that would become eligible under LB 136, drawing millions of federal dollars into Nebraska's local economies while providing critical health care to children in need.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]