For Immediate Release

May 11, 2006

Contact:
Michael Bustamante
(916) 425-0839
Paul Hernandez
(213) 928-8617

STATEMENT OF ROBERT K. ROSS, M.D.
RE: GOVERNOR’S REVISED BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR CHILDREN’S HEALTH CARE

Dr. Robert K. Ross, M.D., the President and CEO of The California Endowment, today issued the following statement:

“The Governor’s proposal to provide new funds in his revised Budget for local Children’s Health Initiatives -- combined with the Assembly’s earlier proposal of $50 million for new health coverage for children – signals an important demonstration of support for CHI’s by state government and helps make this a good week for kids’ coverage in California.

While these proposals represent an important step in the right direction, the need remains for a long-term, permanent solution to covering all of California’s kids.”

Today, the Schwarzenegger Administration announced that the Governor’s May Revision to his January Budget will include new state funds for children’s health coverage -- specifically, funds to help local Children’s Health Initiatives (CHI’s) in 18 counties provide coverage to more children.

On Monday, the Assembly Budget Committee, led by Committee Chairman John Laird, voted to provide an additional $50 million for children’s health coverage in next year’s proposed Budget, including $40 million for CHI’s.

Last week, The California Endowment released a study prepared by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC), which provided an analysis of short-term steps needed to sustain recent gains in providing health insurance to children, primarily by building upon the success of CHI’s.

CHI’s are local public-private partnership efforts that have emerged in 32 counties (18 of which are operational and 14 in the planning states) to fill the uninsured gap for children.

The study calls attention to the fact that local CHI’s, within the past five years, have successfully provided direct health coverage to more than 85,000 kids in 18 counties and have helped enroll an additional estimated 80,000 children eligible for either Medi-Cal or Healthy Families programs.