Phoenix Arizona-In 2010, Arizona’s Republican leaders froze enrollment in
KidsCare, our state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program. As a result, Arizona
ranks third in the United States for the number of children
without health insurance. Democrats recognized KidsCare’s
importance all along and, and with community partners, we led the years-long
charge to restore the program.
Reopening KidsCare enrollment should have been the least
controversial vote in the legislature this year. The program helps keep our
children healthy and is completely
free to Arizona until at least 2018, and likely until 2020. Instead, it took
several votes over several months while Republican legislators used the issue as
a political football. But Democratic perseverance paid off and about 30,000
children became eligible this month to sign up for KidsCare.
And the benefits of an active and robust KidsCare program
are many. Beyond getting 30,000 children health insurance, for free, KidsCare
offers Arizona numerous economic benefits. Reinstating enrollment is expected to
add
around $75 million to Arizona’s economy next year alone, not to mention
millions of federal dollars that would have gone to other states if we had not
acted. And the nonpartisan Grand Canyon Institute found that KidsCare has
long-term benefits as well, including increasing
high school and college graduation rates.
Families who meet the necessary
qualifications can apply for KidsCare
online or print an application here, or call 1-800-377-3536 for free
assistance. Coverage begins Sept. 1, 2016. Families in and around Tucson looking
for enrollment assistance can also attend an event
on Aug. 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., hosted by the El Rio Community Health
Center at 839 West Congress Street in downtown Tucson.
