This past year, we have seen unprecedented threats to trusted children’s programs like CHIP and Medicaid.
Congress still has not fully funded CHIP and the health coverage for 20,000 Utah children is at risk.
Earlier in the year, Congress threatened to radically restructured Medicaid, which would have affected the coverage for almost 200,000 Utah children.
Unfortunately, we will likely see more attempts to unravel these vital programs in the year ahead. As these threats loom, it is important to remember who will be affected, to hear from the families and children who are directly affected by our lawmakers’ choices.
Over the past year, we have gathered stories from families who have or had children enrolled in CHIP and Medicaid. We have gathered these stories as part of a broader community story collection project in collaboration with other partners including the American Academy of Pediatrics- Utah Chapter, the Utah Health Policy Project, Utah Family Voices, the Utah Valley Chapter of Circles, Comunidades Unidas and others.
These stories serve as a reminder that families are depending on CHIP and Medicaid, and that their lives are forever changes by these programs.
As we watch our Congressional leaders continue to disregard the needs of families and kids, we hope our lawmakers will remember the stories profiled here, and the 215,000 children who depend on CHIP and Medicaid to thrive.
Learn about families stories here.
Download a copy of the storybook here.
