Boda

Dear Senator Mark Kirk,

Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has provided hundreds of millions of children who are poor or have disabilities many from
Communities ofcolor with health coverage that has enabled them to
become productive taxpaying members of society. The State Flexibility
Act would repeal the Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort provisions,allowing states to roll back eligibility and erect new barriers to prevent eligible children from enrolling. Millions of children in working families will lose a trustworthy, proven source of coveragethat allows them to see a doctor when they get sick. This legislation is a direct threat to health coverage for more than 14 million children who are covered at "state option". CHIP has enjoyed broadbipartisan support since its inception 14 years ago and it has maintained that support at the federal and state levels because it has been successful in providing cost-effective coverage for ournation’s most vulnerable children. In conjunction with Medicaid, CHIP has managed to significantly reduce the number of uninsured children through two periods of recession. As a nation, we should be proud ofthis achievement and agree to work together to continue our efforts to protect children’s health rather than undercutting it.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, if the MOE isrepealed, two-thirds of those who would lose coverage would be children, and by 2016, half the states would eliminate their CHIP program entirely. At a time when the number of uninsured children is at thelowest level on record, it is unthinkable that Congress would allow this dangerous and short-sighted legislation to move forward, disproportionately harming children.
The sole purpose of theState Flexibility Act is to give states permission to eliminate health coverage for vulnerable Americans, including low-income children, people with disabilities, and senior citizens, which would...