Dear Representative:

As leading state and local organizations concerned about the health and well-being of Georgia’s children and families, we are writing to urge you to take action as soon as possible to provide a four-year funding extension for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Congress must act quickly to stabilize the CHIP funding stream to ensure that Georgia can continue to operate PeachCare for Kids (PeachCare) without interruption. The proposed state budget accounts for this funding – nearly $400 million is at risk. Approximately 200,000 Georgia children, including thousands of children whose parents are state employees, receive necessary health services through PeachCare. That’s 8% of all Georgia’s children – the number of children to fill 8,000 classrooms in 400 schools. Their health coverage is in jeopardy if CHIP’s future is not secured at the current funding levels with the current quality measures.

For nearly two decades, CHIP has been essential to ensuring access to high-quality, affordable care for children in working families whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to purchase private health insurance. Georgia’s CHIP is called PeachCare for Kids, and it has played a critical role in raising the percentage of insured children in our state from 83% in 2008 to 90.4% in 2013. If Congress fails to act by September 30, 2015 when funding for the program expires, the resulting drop in rates of insured children would be an enormous step backwards.

Unreliable healthcare funding is not good for children and not good policy for Georgia. CHIP helps ensure the wellbeing of these children and families, and the economy of our state. Please make sure that CHIP funding is secured through 2019 with, at minimum, the current funding allocation and quality measures.

Thank you for your consideration and all you do for Georgia’s children.