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May 2007
Dear Member of Congress,
We the
undersigned organizations urge you to support proposed legislation
granting states the option to cover lawfully residing immigrant children
and pregnant women under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
and Medicaid. This legislation, the “Immigrant Children’s Health
Improvement Act” (ICHIA, S.764, H.R.1308), would go far in restoring
equity to the coverage of uninsured children and should be an essential
component of this year’s SCHIP reauthorization.
ICHIA has a history of strong bipartisan support in both the Senate and
the House of Representatives, as well as long-standing support from
organizations such as the undersigned. The National Governors
Association and the National Conference of State Legislators as well as
every major state and local government organization have endorsed this
policy change.
Under current law, lawfully residing pregnant women and children who
have entered the country since August 22, 1996 are barred from Medicaid
and SCHIP for five years. This restriction has increased racial and
ethnic health disparities among children in the U.S. While SCHIP and
Medicaid expansions have increased insurance coverage for citizen
children over the past decade, coverage for low-income immigrant
children has fallen further behind. This is true even though many states
with the greatest numbers of immigrant children have chosen to extend
health coverage to them using state funds, recognizing that SCHIP and
Medicaid are vital supports. Providing a state option to restore access
would encourage more states to cover immigrant children and would give
fiscal redress to the states that are already doing so.
Research by the Urban Institute shows that immigrant children are much
less likely to obtain medical care than native-born children. Failing to
provide basic preventive care for immigrant children jeopardizes their
health and creates a need for more expensive subsequent care. Similarly,
failing to provide prenatal care risks the health of newborn U.S.
citizens and increases the need for costly medical interventions after
birth.
It is not only fiscally unwise but also arbitrary and fundamentally
unfair to deny health coverage to immigrant children and pregnant women
because of the date they arrived in the U.S. Legal resident families
contribute to the fabric of their communities. Their members pay taxes
that support public health insurance programs, and they serve in the
military, defending and dying for our country. Despite immigrants’ high
rate of employment, almost half of low-income immigrant children are
uninsured, a rate three times higher than that of children from
native-born families. That is why any serious commitment to "covering
all kids," to reducing health disparities, or to increasing the
enrollment of low-income children and pregnant women in SCHIP and
Medicaid, must redress the arbitrary exclusion of lawfully residing
immigrants from these programs.
We look forward to working with you to pass ICHIA as a critical part of
reauthorizing the SCHIP Program.
Sincerely,
National Organizations
9to5, National
Association of Working Women
AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families
Alliance for Healthy Homes
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Association of Jews from the Former USSR
American Association of People with Disabilities
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American Dental Education Association
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
American Friends Service Committee
American Jewish Committee
American Medical Student Association
American Network of Community Options and Resources
American Psychological Association
American Public Health Association
Asian American Justice Center
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Association for Community Affiliated Plans
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
Battered Women's Legal Advocacy Project
Boat People SOS
Bon Secours
Campaign for Working Families
Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers
Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law
Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc.
Child and Family Policy Center
Child Welfare League of America
ChildCareGroup
Children's Defense Fund
Chinese Staff and Worker's Association
Coalition on Human Needs
Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking
Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning
Collaborating Center for African American Leadership Development
Connecting Cultures, Inc.
Cornucopia
Corporation for Supportive Housing
Deborahs Place
Easter Seals
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Every Child Matters Education Fund
Eyes Wide Open International
Families USA
Family Voices
Farmworker Justice
First Focus
Health and Disability Advocates
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
HIV Medicine Association
Hmong National Development
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Institute for Reproductive Health
International Socialist Organization
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Legal Momentum
Medicaid Health Plans of America
Mennonite Central Committee, Washington Office
Mental Health America
Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
Mexican American Legal Defense Educational Fund
Migrant Legal Action Program
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
National Association for Children’s Behavioral Health
National Association of Community Health Centers
National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Law and Economic Justice
National Coalition of Mental Health Professionals and Consumers
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of La Raza
National Health Law Program
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Immigration Forum
National Immigration Law Center
National Independent Life Association
National Korean American Service and Education Consortium
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Respite Coalition
National WIC Association
National Women's Law Center
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Presbyterian Church (USA) Washington Office
RESULTS
Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence
Salvadoran American National Association-SANA
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
Service Employees International Union
Social Relief International
South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc.
Tahirih Justice Center
The AIDS Institute
The Children Partnership Organization
The Children's Health Fund
The Children's Law Center
The Coordinating Center
The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
The Opportunity Agenda
U.S. Mexico Border Health Association
Union For Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Association for Labor Education
United Auto Workers
United Farm Workers of America
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
United for a Fair Economy
United Methodist Church
Veterans for Christ International, Inc.
Women of Reform Judaism
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
World Hunger Education, Advocacy & Training organization.
YKASEC-Empowering the Korean American Community
Alabama
Early Childhood Directions - The HIPPY - Mobile Program
Alaska
Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center
Arizona
Arizona Advocacy Network
Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness
Arizona Head Start Association
Global Family Legal Services
National Association of Social Workers, Arizona Chapter
NOVA, Inc.
Protecting Arizona's Family Coalition
Tempe Hispanic Forum
Arkansas
Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families
St. Augustine Center
California
Alameda County, California Women's Agenda
Asian Health Services
Asian Law Alliance
Asian Resources
California Central Valley Journey For Justice
California Council of Churches IMPACT
California Food Policy Advocates
California Immigrant Policy Center
California Pan Ethnic Halth Network
California Partnership
California Reinvestment Coalition
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Stockton
Catholic Healthcare West
Central Valley Partnership.
Chicanos/Latinos for Community Medicine
City College of San Francisco Family Resource Center
City of Berkeley Health Department
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Righs of Los Angeles
Comite No Nos Vamos
Community Health Councils
Community Works
CoSeCHa
Day Labor Program Women's Collective, La Raza Centro Legal
Filipino Community Support
Gray Panthers California
Immaculate Heart Community
International Institute of the East Bay
Korean Resource Center
Law Center for Families
Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights
Lutheran Office of Public Policy, California
Marincil
Maternal and Child Health Access
Mill Valley Seniors for Peace
Mission Presbyterian Church
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum Sacramento Chapter
National Lawyer's Guild San Francisco Bay
Oakland Centro Legal de la Raza
Parent Voices
Poverty Matters
Project Inform
Rowell Family Empowerment of Northern California
San Ysidro Health Center
SEIU Local 1877
South Asian Network
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
UC Davis Cancer Center Outreach Research & Education Program
United Way of Santa Cruz
United Ways of California
Young Workers United, California
Colorado
Arc of Denver, inc.
Colorado Children's Campaign
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative
Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
Colorado Progressive Coalition
Community Health Services, Inc
CP of Colorado, Inc
Growing Home
International Anglican Church in Colorado Springs
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry, Colorado Chapter
Partners for Children and Families
Rocky Mountain SER Denver Head Start
Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence
The Arc of Weld County
Connecticut
Collaborative Center for Justice
Community Health Center, Inc.
Connecticut Association for Human Services
Connecticut Call To Action
Connecticut Legal Services
Connecticut Voices for Children
Greater Hartford Legal Aid Inc.
New Haven Diaper Bank
New Haven Legal Assistance Association
Planned Parenthood of Connecticut
TogetherWeShine
United Church of Christ
Delaware
La Esperanza
District of Columbia
The Children's Law Center
Florida
Coalition for Independent Living Options
Congregation for Community Action
Farmworker Association of Florida
Florida Community Health Action Information Network
Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center
Florida Immigrant Coalition
Florida Legal Services, Inc.
Health Care Center for the Homeless
Hispanic Unity of Florida
Human Services Coalition of Dade County
Hunger and Homeless Coalition of Citrus County, Inc.
St. Joseph's Children's Hospital
Unite for Dignity, Inc.
Whole Child Project Manatee
Georgia
Clinical Social Work Association of Savannah
Georgia Rural Urban Summit
Hispanic Ministry, Catholic Diocese of Savannah
Memorial Health University Medical Center
Hawaii
Honolulu Community Action Program
Na Loio - Immigrant Rights & Public Interest Legal Center
Idaho
Idaho Community Action Network
La Posada Ministry, Sisters of Mercy
Illinois
Campaign for Better Health Care
East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center
Health and Disability Advocates
Healthy Albany Park
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition
Illinois Primary Health Care Association
Korean American Resource and Cultural Center
Lutheran Advocacy--Illinois
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
Project IRENE
Sacred Heart Province JPIC
Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Indiana
Indiana Minority Health Coalition
Indiana Perinatal Network
Sisters of Providence
Iowa
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Sisters of the Presentation Dubuque
Southwest Iowa Resource Center
West Des Moines Human Services
Kansas
El Centro, Inc.
New Beginnings, Inc.
Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth
Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia
Kentucky
Fellowship of Reconciliation - Louisville
Kentucky Youth Advocates
Office of Kentucky Legal Services Programs
Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital
Ursuline Sisters of Louisville
Women's Crisis Center
Louisiana
Catholic Community Services of Baton Rouge
Kingsley House
Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations
Louisiana Democracy Project
Maine
Advocacy Initiative Network of Maine
Aroostook Agency on Aging
Consumers for Affordable Health Care
Disability Rights Center of Maine
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
Maine Center for Economic Policy
Maine Developmental Disabilities Council
Maine Equal Justice Partners
Maine Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
Maine People's Alliance
Maine Primary Care Association
Maine Women's Lobby
Maryland
Advocates for Children & Youth
Bon Secours Health System
Coalition for Healthy Maryland Children
Friends of the Harbor Group
Housing Opportunities Commission
Lutheran Office on Public Policy in Maryland
Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association
Medicaid Matters! Maryland
Montgomery Health Care ACTION
The Steering Committee of the Maryland Women’s Coalition for Health Care
Reform
Massachusetts
Boston Public Health Commission
Community Partners
Episcopal City Mission
Kids Project
La Comunidad, Inc.
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Massachusetts Chapter
Lowell Community Health Center
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Neighborhood Legal Services
Office of Total Assistance, Inc.
The Boston Public Health Commission
Western MA Legal Services
Western Massachusetts Legal Services, Inc.
Michigan
Cabrini Clinic
Center for Civil Justice
Michigan League for Human Services
Michigan Legal Services
Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Project, Inc.
Michigan Organizing Project
National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section
School Community Health Alliance of Michigan
Sisters of Mercy Detroit
Washtenaw County Workers' Center
Willow Run Head Start
Minnesota
Battered Women's Legal Advocacy Project
Catholic Charities of St. Paul/Minneapolis - Office of Social Justice
Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis
Mid Minnesota Legal Services
Minnesota Budget Project
Minnesota Citizens Organized Acting Together
Mississippi
Catholic Charities, Jackson
Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities of Mississippi
Dando La Mano
Hispanic/Latino Ministries of the UMC, Seashore District
Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance
MS Human Services Coalition
Public Policy Center of Mississippi
Missouri
Citizens for Missouri's Children
Community Alternatives
Institute for Peace and Justice
Intercommunity Housing Association
Missouri Budget Project
Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates
RESULTS, St. Louis
Sacred Heart Guadalupe Church
Montana
Forward Montana
Montana Conservation Voters
Montana Human Rights Network
Montana People's Action
Montana Senior Citizens Association
Working for Equality and Economic Liberation
Nebraska
Center for People in Need
Justice and Advocacy Ministries, ELCA-NE
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest
New American Center
State of Nebraska Mexican-American Commission
Nevada
Great Basin Primary Care Association
Lutheran Social Services of Nevada
Nevada Lawyers for Progressive Policy
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Immigrants' Rights Task Force
New Jersey
Association for Children of New Jersey
Hudson Perinatal Consortium
Human Rights Project, Seton Hall Law Center for Social Justice
Hunterdon Hispanos
La Casita: Immigration Legal Services
New Jersey Catholic Conference
New Jersey Citizen Action
New Jersey Immigration Policy Network
New Jersey Policy Perspective
New Jersey Primary Care Association
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
St Elizabeth's Social Justice Ministry
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network
New Mexico
Hands Across Cultures
Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry, New Mexico
Maryknoll Affiliates
New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty
New Mexico Pediatric Society
New Mexico Voices for Children
Somos Un Pueblo Unido
SW Creations Collaborative
The New Mexico Conference of Churches
Young Women United, New Mexico
New York
Albany Medical Center
Asian American Consulting Services, Inc
Bon Secours Community Hospital
Bon Secours New York Health System
Cathedral Emergency Services
Catholic Charities of New York
Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga
Catholic Charities, Amityville
Citizen Action New York
Citizens Committee for NYC
Coalition for Asian American Children and Families
Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies, Inc.
Commission on the Public's Health System
Community Healthcare Network
Creative Learning Center
Daughters of Charity
East Harlem Council for Community Improvement
Emerald Isle Immigration Center
Empire Justice Center
Family Planning Advocates of NYS
Farmworker Legal Services of New York, Inc.
Fiscal Policy Institute
Five Borough Institute
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition
Health and Welfare Council of Long Island
Healthcare Association of New York State
Indochina Sino-American Community Center
inMotion
Interfaith Caregivers of the Northwest Bronx
Latin American Integration Center
Latinos Unidos of the Hudson Valley, Inc.
Legal Services Staff Association
Long Island Health Access Monitoring Project
Long Island Immigrant Alliance
LSA Family Health Service
Make the Road By Walking
Medicaid Matters New York
Metro NY Health Care for All Campaign
Nah We Yone
New York Immigration Coalition
New York State Office Mental health Creedmoor Psychiatric Center
New York Taxi Workers Alliance
North Fork People of Conscience
Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership
OLA of Eastern Long Island
Peace of Social Justice
Regional Economic Community Action Program
Resilience Law and Advocacy Project
Safe Horizon Immigration Law Project
Schervier Nursing Care Center
Sisters of St Joseph of Rochester
Society of Jesus, New York Province
South Asian Youth Action
St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan
The Child Center of New York
The Rockland Immigration Coalition
UJA-Federation of New York
United We Stand of New York, LTD.
Victim Resource Center of the Finger Lakes, Inc
West Side Campaign Against Hunger
Westchester Hispanic Coalition
Women's City Club of New York
North Carolina
Abuse Prevention Council, Inc.
Centro de Amigos
El Pueblo, Inc.
Franciscan Coalition
Good Work
Hispanic Liaison of Chatham County
International Friendship Center
Latin American Coalition
Legal Services of Southern Piedmont
North Carolina Council of Churches
North Carolina Fair Share
North Carolina Farmworkers Project
North Carolina Justice Center
The Advocacy for the Poor, Inc.
North Dakota
Mental Health Association in North Dakota
Ohio
Call to Renewal of Summit County
Department on Social Concerns, Catholic Conference of Ohio
Justice & Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ
Neighborhood Family Practice
Ohio Association of Community Health Centers
Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks
Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
The Northcoast Center
Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio
Oklahoma
Immigrant Rights Project, The University of Tulsa
Oregon
Asian Pacific American Consortium on Substance Abuse
Children First for Oregon
Community Action Agency
Eugene Mennonite Church
Human Services Coalition of Oregon
Latinos Unidos Siempre
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Oregon
Oregon Center for Public Policy
Street Roots
Pennsylvania
Action Alliance of Senior Citizens
Altoona Regional Health System
Billings Resource Center
Children's Coalition of the Lehigh Valley
Chinatown Clinic
Chinatown Medical Services
Chinese Health Information Center of Jefferson Hospital
Community Organizing Collective
Consumer Health Coalition
Cultural Connections Collaborative
Delaware Valley Community Health, Inc
Greater Philadelphia Health Action
Health Promotion Council
Maternity Care Coalition
National Council of Jewish Women, Pennsylvania section
Nationalities Service Center
PathWaysPA
Pennsylvania NOW, Inc.
Philadelphia Access Center
Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth
Philadelphia Mental Health Care Coalition
Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania
United Way of Lancaster County
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Rhode Island
Center for Hispanic Policy and Advocacy
Dioceses of Providence
Jamestown Justice and Peace Advocacy Group
Lao Representative Abroad Council
National Council of Jewish Women, Rhode Island section
Ocean State Action
The Poverty Institute
South Carolina
Coalition for New South Carolinians
Lowcountry Council of Governments- Family Caregiver Support Program
South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
United Way of Greenwood and Abbeville Counties
South Dakota
The Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center
Tennessee
Catholic Charities, Nashville
Tennessee Mental Health Consumers' Association
The Black Children's Institute of Tennessee
Texas
Catholic Charities, Houston
Catholic Diocese Of Dallas
Center for Faith and Health Initiatives
Centro Comunitario Mexicano -DFW
ChildCareGroup
Children's Hospital Association of Texas
Daughters of Charity, Dallas, Texas
Houston Community Services
Houston Peace and Justice Center
La Fe Policy and Advocacy Center
La Union del Pueblo Entero
Political Asylum Project of Austin
South Texas Food Bank
The Woodland Alliance of Tenants
United Way of Tarrant County
Voices for Children of San Antonio
Utah
Comunidades Unidas
Utah Health Policy Project
Vermont
Vermont Legal Aid
Voices For Vermont's Children
Virginia
Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services Inc
Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health system
Bon Secours Richmond Health System
Care Connection for Children
Child Development Resources CHIP Program
CHIP of Virginia
Consortium for Infant and Child Health
Inova Alexandria Hospital
Inova Fairfax Hospital
Institute of Social Medicine & Community Health
Kiwanis Children's Council of Hampton Roads
Lynnhaven Colony Congregational United Church of Christ
Mary Immaculate Hospital
Northern Virginia Regional. Planning Commission
Project Family Arlington
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Mid-Atlantic
Virginia Association of Community Service Boards
Virginia Chapter, American College of Nurse-Midwives
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
Virginia Justice Center for Farm and Immigrant Workers
Virginia Organizing Project
Virginia Poverty Law Center
Voices for Virginia's Children
Washington
Aging and Long Term Care
AIDS Housing of Washington
API Women and Family Safety Center
Asian Counseling & Referral Service
Children's Alliance
Community Health Centers of King County
Forks Community Hospital
Healthcare for All
International Community Health Services
Kids Northwest
Northwest Federation of Community Organizations
Northwest Health Law Advocates
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
Northwest Women's Law Center
Sea Mar Community Health Center
Solid Ground Washington
Washington Community Action Network
West Virginia
Direct Action Welfare Group Inc.
Eastern Panhandle Hispanic Advocacy Coalition
National Association of Social Workers West, Virginia Chapter
West Virginia Economic Justice Project
West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families Coalition
Wisconsin
9to5, Poverty Network Initiative
Carthage College Social Work Club
Disability Rights Wisconsin
La Causa, Inc.
Pagans for Peace
St. Bernard Social Justice Committee
The New Hope Project
Voces de la Frontera
Wisconsin Council of Churches
Wyoming
El Puente
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