NEW HAMPSHIRE FOCUS: Health insurance for our children

The Democratic Governor of New Hampshire is trying to lead a bipartisan effort to ensure quality healthcare for American children. His message focuses on New Hampshire but his efforts are aimed nationally and his call to action is for all of us to write Congress and the White House to lobby for affordable, quality healthcare for all American children. Here is Governor Lynch's message:

Here in New Hampshire, we are working to make sure every child has access to quality, affordable health care. Just this year, we passed a budget that will allow us to provide affordable health insurance to another 10,000 children and expand our outreach efforts.

That is why I am so disturbed about rule changes that the Bush Administration proposed last week.

If we are serious about giving every child the opportunity for a good education and a good life, and if we are serious about strengthening New Hampshire's future, then we need to be make sure every child in New Hampshire has access to quality, affordable health care. Now is not the time for the federal government to make it harder for states like New Hampshire to provide coverage - we should be expanding access to health insurance.

These proposed changes could negatively impact 2,000 kids currently enrolled in Healthy Kids. It also could jeopardize part of our efforts to enroll 10,000 additional children in the Healthy Kids program over the next three years.

Children's health insurance is not a partisan issue. Over the last few months, I have joined with governors from across the country - both Democrat and Republican - to urge the President and Congress to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance program and to continue to allow states the flexibility to provide coverage to children with needs.

Children's health insurance is one of the best partnerships in our nation. States, the federal government, nonprofits, and parents all join together to help ensure quality health care for kids. I am hopeful that Congress will act to make sure that we can continue to provide affordable health insurance to families in need.

In the meantime, we are going to keep working aggressively here in New Hampshire to make sure families know that they can receive affordable health insurance for their kids. We've developed an outreach plan to make sure we are doing everything possible to provide health care for kids - and we're going to go forward and implement it.

Like you, I strongly believe no parent in New Hampshire should have to worry about being able to afford to take a sick child to the doctor, no sick child should go without health care, and no child should go without preventative health care. That's why New Hampshire's Children's Health Insurance Program is so important.

You can help in this effort by letting Congress and the White House know how important Children's Health Insurance is to you. You can also help by making sure every child that you know has health insurance.

And if you find a child without health insurance, please make sure they know that may be eligible for help through New Hampshire's Healthy Kids Children's Health Insurance Program. Find out more at www.nhhealthykids.org.

Let's work together to make sure every child in New Hampshire has access to health insurance.

So I would add, let's all work to gether to make sure every child in AMERICA has access to health insurance. Not too long ago I said we all should get in the faces of our Congress Critters, Dem or Repub, and demand an exit strategy for Iraq, impeachment hearings and restoration of civil liberties. I would add that we should get in their faces about insuring our children.