A House panel voted Tuesday to restore funding for Arizona's KidsCare program.
The program provides free health care for children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford subsidized insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Arizona participated until 2010 when Gov. Jan Brewer said the state's budget deficit meant Arizona couldn't afford its share. Enrollment dropped from 45,000 to just 780 today.
Now Congress has agreed to pay the full share through 2017.
Pediatrician Elizabeth McKenna said it's important for children to have insurance. "When children are uninsured, their families cannot bring them in when they're sick. So a minor illness such as a cold or bronchitis becomes a major illness such as pneumonia, oftentimes requiring expensive emergency room evaluations and, many times, hospitalization."
And McKenna said if the parents don't have insurance, the hospitals end up swallowing the expenses.
President and CEO of Children’s Action Alliance Dana Naimark said this is about more than kids being healthy. "There's a large body of evidence that shows that uninsured children perform worse in school," she said. "It kind of makes sense, right? If you're not healthy, how can you learn? If your ear is hurting from an ear infection, you can't really pay attention in school."
While the House Health Committee gave unanimous approval, the measure faces an uncertain future amid concerns the state will end up obligated, whether legally or politically, to pick up the cost once the federal government stops paying the entire tab.