Darlene Hooley: “This bill is important to children. It was important to our legislature. It was important to our governor. That is why…”

“This bill is important to children. It was important to our legislature. It was important to our governor. That is why they passed it this session. But I want to tell you why health insurance for children is so important by telling you about Katelyn, a 6-year-old from Corvallis. Katelyn's hardworking parents make too much money to qualify for SCHIP under current Oregon eligibility levels but far too little to afford the $520-a-month premium for insurance through her father's employer. Katelyn was ill for several days and her parents had been trying all night to help her stop coughing. Without insurance, the couple had no doctor. However, the county health department offered pediatric services for low-income children every Monday at reduced costs. So Katelyn's parents decided to wait and take her to the clinic on Monday, 3 days later. By Sunday, Katelyn was worse. Through tears, Katelyn complained that her sides hurt. When she was able to get to the doctor on Monday, Katelyn was diagnosed with pneumonia. With insurance, Katelyn's parents could have taken her right away to the doctor. Instead, she suffered for days. This story could have had dire consequences. It is why SCHIP is critically important. The CHAMP Act will provide Oregon with the resources they need to expand health insurance coverage to more children, and hopefully, stories like Katelyn will rarely exist.”