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For Immediate Release                                   CONTACT: Nicole Korkolis

February 13, 2009                                                               (212) 983-6100

                                                                      korkolisn@carmengroup.com

                                                                                               

A Bi-Partisan ‘Thank You’ from

11 Million SCHIP Kids

“A Good Step Forward in the Fight to Assure Health Care for Every Child”

Washington, DC –An advertising campaign launched today throughout the country to thank more than 75 Members of Congress from both chambers who were instrumental in the passage of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act. In addition to expressing gratitude for their important work on behalf of uninsured children and their families, the campaign also emphasizes the importance of access to comprehensive health coverage for all Americans. The campaign consists of television ads, grassroots and direct mail. Passage of the bill could provide health care for 11 million children.

The bipartisan, multi-million dollar ad campaign is sponsored by America’s Agenda: Health Care for Kids, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA).  Additional ads are planned.

“We are working to assure that every child in America gets the high quality health care he or she needs, regardless of family income or medical condition,” said America’s Agenda President Doug Dority.  “This expansion of SCHIP takes us a good step closer to our goal, but we can’t stop here. There are still millions more children in America who won’t receive the care they need.  We cannot assure that every child gets the good health care they deserve until we guarantee that every person in this country has access to affordable, high quality health care.”

“By extending access to health coverage to an additional 4.1 million people who would otherwise be uninsured, the expansion of SCHIP marks important progress toward our shared goal of providing all Americans with access to the high-quality, affordable health care coverage they need,” said PhRMA President and CEO Billy Tauzin.

“This is a sorely needed step toward quality health care for all Americans and particularly the most vulnerable among us – our children,” said Terry O’Sullivan, general president of LIUNA and a board member of America’s Agenda.

In 2008 alone, SCHIP enabled more than 7 million children from working families to gain access to coverage.  Last month, Congress voted funding for states to expand their programs to
4 million additional children. 

The TV ads running in congressional districts and states across the country thank individual Members of Congress by name and say “…thanks for insuring our kids, and keep fighting to make affordable health care available for everyone.”

SCHIP legislation traces its roots to a children’s health insurance plan in Massachusetts.  Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy and Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch were co-authors of the SCHIP bill that President Clinton signed into law in 1997.  Reauthorization and strengthening of the legislation was vetoed by George Bush, despite bipartisan support, but it passed this year in one of the first votes of the new 111th Congress, and President Obama signed it into law.

For more information, visit our website at www.americasagenda-kidshealth.org.

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