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Health
Kids' Advocates Still Fighting to Save 'Healthy Families' Insurance Program
Children's health advocates are scrambling to save California's health care program for low-income families.
Last week Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic leaders decided to end "Healthy Families," a low-cost program that provides health, dental and vision coverage to uninsured children who do not qualify for no-cost Medi-Cal. This move shifts nearly 900,000 children to Medi-Cal.
Wendy Lazarus, co-president of the advocacy group The Children's Partnership, wants lawmakers to stick with their original plan, whichh would put 200,000 Healthy Families children into Medi-Cal as a test run.
"We believe that by putting added pressure on a very fragile Medi-Cal system right now,” says Lazarus, “that the plan will endanger access to care for as many as 4.5 million kids - so the Healthy Families kids and the children now in Medi-Cal.”
Lawmakers are expected to vote on a package of budget bills Wednesday.
