Opinion

John Laird: It's time all our kids had health insurance

As the Legislature reconvened this week for a new two-year session, the planets are close to aligning to extend universal health coverage to all of California's kids. Up to now, the only thing universal about this issue has been political defeat at every turn. But there is hope coming in 2007 for the nearly 800,000 children who remain uninsured.

In the 2003 recall election, the governor ran on a pledge to insure all California children. Yet in the 2005, he vetoed a bill that would have done just that. Earlier this year, I led the effort in the Assembly for universal children's health insurance through the budget process. Republican legislators used the issue to hold budget negotiations hostage and defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory one more time.

Even though Republican legislators are still rattling sabers in opposition to universal health care for kids using immigration issues as a wedge, the governor has named a group to work on improved health-care access for all Californians. The clear message from last month's election was that the voters wan bipartisan efforts to solve California's problems A November 2006 poll commissioned by United Ways of California shows just such a bipartisan opinion on this issue — 81 percent of voters said they support ensuring that all California kids have health insurance. Two-thirds of those polled also think the goal of covering all kids is realistic and doable. When informed of the cost, two-thirds say California can afford it.

Ninety percent of California's children are already insured. It would cost about $300 million — in a general fund budget of over $100 billion dollars — to finish the job by enrolling eligible children in existing programs.

Covering all our kids is not only the right thing to do, it is sound fiscal policy. It makes sense to provide less-expensive coverage — and the preventive care that goes with it — to children before they end up in the emergency room. Cold and flu viruses are making their way into California classrooms this winter and they are not making a distinction between those kids who have health coverage and those who do not.

This week, I introduced legislation, AB 13, to ensure every child in California has comprehensive health coverage. They simply can't wait any longer and neither should we.

John Laird represents northern Santa Cruz County in the state Assembly.