Dear Congressman/Senator ___________:

I write to urge you ensure that the 270,000 children in Georgia who are covered by the PeachCare for Kids program continue to retain coverage. It is urgent that Congress appropriates funds in January so that Georgia’s PeachCare for Kids Program can continue.

All of Georgia’s children should have health coverage, and PeachCare provides an essential support to children from lower-income families who cannot afford or lack access to private insurance.  The PeachCare program faces a budget shortfall of as much as $131 million, and, without additional federal funding, the program may have to shut down at the end of March.  The consequences to children whose parents cannot afford the costs of pediatrician visits or vital medications could be dire. 

I appreciate all of your efforts to ensure that this critical population of children maintain their PeachCare coverage by appropriating funds to cover the 2007 shortfall, reauthorizing the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan, and revising the funding formula to include the cost of maintaining coverage for children already enrolled in the plan as well as uninsured new eligibles entering the program.  PeachCare and Medicaid serve as the backbone of essential health insurance services for our children as we continue to move towards our goal of providing high quality insurance for all of our children. 

Thank you for your attention and support to this matter of extreme importance to children in Georgia.

Sincerely,