CDF-Texas takes what we see and learn in our communities – through the young heroes we work with in our Beat the Odds and Freedom School programs and the working families we meet in our CHIP and Medicaid outreach – to improve Texas policies for children and families.
We partner with the business community, healthcare providers, urban and rural hospital, faith leaders, other non-profits and Texas families to build robust coalitions that make meaningful impacts in the lives of Texas children.
Through these coalitions, CDF-Texas has helped more than a million children get healthcare coverage over the last decade. In the last two years, we have started to see a rise in our child uninsured rate and CDF-Texas is at the forefront of raising the alarm to ensure Texans get accurate information about the intersection of healthcare and immigration. We took the lead in building a coalition of partners to push back on the state’s ineffective policies that have been found to be kicking over 50,000 children a year off their healthcare coverage. We have helped protect the healthcare coverage of millions of Texans by collecting thousands of stories and mobilizing hundreds of thousands of advocates to protect Children’s Medicaid, CHIP and the Affordable Care Act through near continuous state and federal threats. And now, during this Pandemic, we have helped organize the call for the immediate expansion of Medicaid with over 50 community stakeholders including leading doctor’s groups, health plans, hospitals, faith leaders and public interest organizations.
Now more than ever we are reminded that the health and well-being of our neighbors will ultimately determine the health and well-being of us all. Access to affordable healthcare coverage is a necessary action our state must take for this and future public health emergencies. It is necessary for clear moral, economic and racial justice reasons and represents a critical financial security issue for Texas children and families as we work to rebuild our economy.
Today, nearly 1 in 5 Texans lack healthcare coverage. More than 1 in 10 children in Texas are uninsured. We more than double the national average in both figures. 1 in every 4 women of children bearing age in Texas also lacks coverage – this is also the highest in the country.
We have nearly double the national average of uninsured infants and toddlers, and the list goes on. Even before this pandemic, our sky-high rate of uninsured was affecting the number of suicides in our state, our maternal mortality and morbidity rates, infant mortality, rural hospital closures and the lack of access to mental health and substance use disorder services. Now, it’s also impacting our public health response to this pandemic.
To follow and support our work our work follow us on Facebook and Twitter, check out our website and join Cover Texas Now to get the latest news on healthcare coverage issues in Texas. To join our action network, join and share our #SickOfItTX Campaign with other passionate Texans who think it’s high time that Texas leaders do something to reduce our state’s sky high uninsured rate.
And most importantly, if you want young people to have better access to healthcare, food, a quality education, an environment free of abuse and neglect and full of opportunities to thrive, JOIN US. Give a donation right now here.