Twenty years ago, Sens. Orrin Hatch, Republican, and the late Ted Kennedy, Democrat, recognized that there were millions of children in our country without access to health care. This staunch conservative and this stalwart liberal teamed up to create bipartisan legislation that led to our current day "Children's Health Insurance Program," or as it is more commonly referred to, CHIP.
What makes CHIP notable is that it covers the children whose parents don't make enough money to purchase health insurance, but who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. These are the children of parents who are working hard and contributing to our communities in positive ways.
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On Sept. 30, 2017, the federal funding for CHIP quietly lapsed with almost no media coverage. I called Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young to ask if their offices had a statement about reinstating this funding. The staffers all said there were no prepared statements.
As a person of faith, and as a member of the clergy, I find this not only deeply distressing but unacceptable. In the Christian Gospels, Jesus not only embraces children, but has very stern warnings for those who would place any kind of stumbling block before children (Matthew 18:1-7). Who could argue that denying access to health care becomes a stumbling block for our kids?
In the Hebrew Bible, the prophet Ezekiel warns the people of the Lord's dissatisfaction with them for failing to look out for the weak, refusing to heal the sick, and not binding up the injured (Ezekiel 34:1-10).
My own tradition, the United Methodist Church, has made it clear that we believe that "Health care is a basic human right," and that "children have the rights to food, shelter, clothing, health care, and emotional well-being, as do adults, and these rights we affirm as theirs regardless of actions or inactions of their parents or guardians." (United Methodist Book of Discipline ¶162)
The children who are covered under CHIP (delivered under Denali KidCare, here in Alaska) are children of hard-working parents. These children live next door to us. These children sit next to us in the pews on Sunday morning. One single mother in my congregation who is employed full time told me that when her children were enrolled in Denali KidCare, it changed their lives. No longer did they have to decide between groceries or taking a child to the doctor or dentist, her children could have both nutrition and health care.
As a person of faith, and specifically as a disciple of Jesus Christ, it is part of my responsibility to ensure that we care for the least of us, our children. Health care for children is not a partisan issue. I encourage you in joining me in calling Sens. Murkowski and Sullivan along with Rep. Young and telling them to prioritize reinstating the funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. Fifteen thousand Alaskan kids are counting on us.
Sen. Murkowski: 907-271-3735
Sen. Sullivan: 907-271-5915
Congressman Young: 907-271-5978
Rev. Andy Bartel is lead pastor at St. John United Methodist Church in Anchorage.
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