#FundCHIPColorado - Tomorrow Day of Action to Save CHIP

This week, tens of thousands of Colorado families who use the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in Colorado to access quality, affordable health care for their children were given notice that the program will end in January 2018 if Congress does not act to extend the program’s funding. We must stand with these families to ensure that their kids get the healthy start they deserve.

We need your help to let the Colorado delegation know that the 90,000 kids and pregnant women who use CHIP in Colorado and the nine million kids who use CHIP nationwide should not be hurt because Congress has failed to act. Groups across the country that care about kids are mobilizing to make Nov. 30 a national day of action to fund CHIP. Join us and make your voice heard! Call your Senators and Representatives and let them know you expect them to keep CHIP funded and to keep our kids out of politics. (click here for social media content.)

Additional talking points for you to use when contacting your Senators and Representative:

• Congress needs to pass legislation to extend current funding for CHIP for five years and maintain the bipartisan history of the program.
• CHIP funding expired about two months ago. It should not take children losing their health insurance for Congress to act.
• Real children and families are facing the implications and the ongoing uncertainty about whether or not they will be able to access the health care they rely on.
• 90,000 children and pregnant women from working families in Colorado use CHIP for their health insurance every year.
• Because CHIP funding has not been extended, Colorado families using the program have started getting notice that their child’s health will be at risk in January 2018, when Colorado will be forced to end the program.
• The program is designed around what children need. It has a strong pediatric provider network and covers all of the services kids need to stay healthy. 
• Maintaining funding for the CHIP program is crucial to protecting Colorado’s budget.
• Children with chronic conditions deserve certainty in their medical coverage. And pregnant women should not be forced to scramble for a new doctor mid-pregnancy.
• Kids with health coverage are less likely to drop out of high school, more likely to graduate from college, and have higher incomes as adults.
  

Contact Information for Colorado’s U. S. Senators

Senator Michael Bennet

Local office (303) 455-7600 National office (202) 224-5852

Senator Cory Gardner

Local office (303) 391-5777 National office (202) 224-5941

Contact Information for Colorado’s U.S. Representatives

Representative Coffman

Call if you live in Aurora, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Brighton

Local office (720) 748-7514 National office (202) 225-7882

Representative Tipton

Call if you live in Grand Junction, Durango, Pueblo, Gunnison

Local office (970) 259-1490 National office (202) 225-4761

Representative Buck

Call if you live in Greeley, Fort Collins, Longmont, Brush, Burlington, Fort Morgan, Stratton, Julesburg, Holyoke

Local office (970) 702-2136 National office (202) 225-4676

Representative Lamborn

Call if you live in Salida, Buena Vista, Colorado Springs, Monument, Fountain, Canyon City, Woodland Park

Local office (719) 520-0055 National office (202) 225-4422

Representative Polis

Call if you live in Lafayette, Niwot, Boulder, Fort Collins, Lyons, Loveland, Granby, Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Kremmling 

Local office (303) 484-9596 National office (202) 225-2161

Representative Perlmutter

Call if you live in Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn

Local office (303)274-7944 National office (202) 225-2645

Representative DeGette

Call if you live in Denver

Local office (303) 844-4988 National office (202) 225-4431