Testimony
in Support of HB 288
Healthy Maryland Initiative
House Ways and Means Committee
February 22, 2007
1:00 PM
Robert L. Rankin, Sr.
Government Relations
The Maryland State Teachers Association supports HB 288 proposing to establish the Healthy Maryland Initiative Fund, to be used to expand Medicaid coverage to children, pregnant women, and parents.
House Bill 288 proposes to require the Comptroller to distribute from the proposed Fund, to several activities including the Medicaid program, with coverage for all legal immigrant children under the age of 18 and pregnant women, and an expansion of Medicaid eligibility for parents. Each fiscal year specific appropriations from the proposed Fund would include, at least $40 million to expand Medicaid eligibility for all parents who have a dependent child living with them and whose household income is 75% or below federal poverty level guidelines (FPG) in fiscal 2009 and 100% or below FPG in fiscal 2010 and each year thereafter. Furthermore, there is required an annual appropriation of at least $7 million for comprehensive medical care for all legal immigrant children under the age of 18 and pregnant women who arrive in the United States on or after August 22, 1996, who meet Medicaid eligibility standards, and who do not qualify for federally funded coverage.
The Maryland State Teachers Association supports HB 288 because of the opportunity it provides for many children to be better prepared for learning. Children who live in households of high poverty, frequent unemployment, and inadequate health care often have greater difficulty learning in school. Studies conclude that areas of high concentrations of poverty have a serious detrimental impact on children and impede their level of educational achievement. Children cannot learn when they are so hungry that their ability to think suffers. Children cannot learn when they suffer from illnesses or are absent from school from sicknesses that linger due to lack of treatment.
Every child deserves an opportunity to learn in our public schools. Extending health care coverage to children and parents is a public policy decision that demonstrates a willingness of the State of Maryland to invest in itself. Timely and adequate health care treatment will strengthen families and will help to reduce some of the barriers that children and teachers face as together they pursue a quality education.
We urge a favorable report on House Bill 288.
