Advocacy & Covering All California’s Children
 As a leading community impact organization, United Way Silicon Valley knows that real and sustained change in community conditions requires more than money. United Way Silicon Valley engages decision-makers and policy leaders at the local, state, and national levels to help address the most important community needs.
Since 2004, UWSV has been dedicated to ensuring all children in California have health coverage and the goal has never been more within our reach. All Californians benefit when our children receive basic health care. That is why a diverse coalition of health care providers, business groups, teachers, parents, faith-based organizations, labor groups, and children's advocates have joined together to support the goal of universal healthcare for all CaliforniaÂąs kids. Below are reasons why United Way Silicon Valley along with United Ways of California feel that insuring all children can be done!
| Covering all kids is a goal within reach, and a goal widely supported by voters and business leaders |
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More than 90% of California's 10 million children are insured. Of the remaining 763,000, over half qualify for existing public programs like Healthy Families and Medi-Cal. It would cost relatively little to finish the job. (Estimated at approximately $330 million annually that would be required to provide comprehensive health coverage to all California’s children.)
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| Covering kids is fiscally responsible and will help reduce overall healthcare costs |
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We’re already paying the cost of children’s healthcare, but in a more costly manner. Those kids without coverage often receive care in more costly emergency rooms and are hospitalized more frequently – costs that are borne by taxpayers and consumers of health insurance like employers.
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Further, every dollar spent on childhood immunizations saves $13 in future health care costs.
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| Covering kids reduces costs to business by promoting better health and worker productivity |
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Ensuring access to preventive care could save employers billions of dollars by lowering parents’ absenteeism and loss of productivity. Nationally, absenteeism costs employers between $2 and $12 billion each year.
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For 2007-2008, we are launching an Advocacy Committee of the Board of Directors as well as an agenda that advocates for Building Adult Living Skills, Developing Children and Youth, Supporting Basic Human Needs and Providing Access to Healthcare. More details to follow.
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Related Links
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Contact:
Angela Kung
Regional Advocacy Associate
408.345.4318
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