As a community that has dedicated itself to saving and improving
the lives of all children, gun violence is abhorrent to us. It is
a serious public health crisis that must be addressed. Guns are
now the number one killer of children in the United States and as
healthcare providers we see firsthand the devastating toll
violence and trauma take on children, their families, and our
communities.
On June 22, 2017, Senate Republican’s released their proposal,
the “Better Care Reconciliation Act,” (BCRA) to repeal and
replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While much of the debate
on the bill is focused on the Medicaid expansion for adults and
changes to the insurance markets, the bill would have a
devastating impact on children. Among the most disturbing
provisions in the Senate bill are:
On May 4, 2017, the House of Representatives voted on
legislation, called the American Health Care Act (AHCA). CCHA
opposes the AHCA, because it puts health care for California
children at risk. The AHCA is harmful to children in two
ways.
The federal budget forecasts how much money should be spent,
allocated to various expenses, and raised for the coming year.
Primarily, the budget system focuses on how to distribute funds.
However, it can also determine how to allocate other resources
like federal employment. The President and Congress are
responsible for making these important decisions, which
ultimately impact change on local, state, national, and global
levels.
