Fourteen years ago, Pennsylvania took giant steps to create CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Since then, our CHIP has become the model health-insurance program for children nationwide. Now our state is on the verge, we hope, of taking another giant step - to cover all kids with health insurance.

Thanks to Pennsylvania's leadership on enrolling children in health insurance, 96 percent of the commonwealth's children already are insured through CHIP, Medicaid or private plans.

That is an incredible feat. Unfortunately, even with the success of CHIP, more than 133,000 children in Pennsylvania remain uninsured. That means they are less likely to be immunized or to receive regular check-ups - and they are more likely to use the emergency room, an expensive option that drives up the cost of health care for everybody.

Of these children, more than 25,000 have no insurance options. Their parents work for small or mid-sized companies that no longer offer health insurance to their employees, or charge exorbitant premiums that families can't afford to pay.

However, we still want the children of these families to receive health benefits - it is good for the children, the families, their communities - and, ultimately, for the whole state.

Pennsylvania now has the opportunity to again become a leader in children's health care. For the first time, we have a chance to enroll every child in the commonwealth in health insurance - under the Cover All Kids proposal in Gov. Rendell's proposed budget for next year.

There's no visible opposition to Covering All Kids - and the legislation to enact it has bipartisan support - including that of Rep. George Kenney, a Philadelphia Republican, who has been an active supporter of children's health issues. But this is Pennsylvania, in an election year - and the legislature and the governor have tough decisions to make.

We hope they will come together to champion keeping kids healthy.

Cover All Kids asks for just $4.4 million next year to begin to provide children with access to needed health services. The cost is expected to rise to $50 million by 2010 in order to enroll children currently eligible but not enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP and all 25,000 children with no current insurance options.

That's a hefty sum - but in reality, it's a minuscule part of our state's budget and a small price to pay for our children's health.

We either pay now to keep children healthy, or we'll pay much more later - in lost productivity and for treating serious illness that might have been prevented with timely medical care. The choice is ours.

In a survey conducted earlier this year, 96 percent Pennsylvanians said it was somewhat or very important to them provide health insurance for uninsured kids.

Make sure the legislature gets that message: Tell your lawmakers - Democrat and Republican - that health care is essential for every Pennsylvania child.

Whether they live in cities, suburbs, farms or small towns, it's time to Cover All Kids.

It's up to us as caring parents and responsible citizens to "remember the future." Don't let this opportunity to provide universal health insurance and access to medical care to every Pennsylvania child slip away.

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Shelly Yanoff is the executive director of Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth, the regional child advocacy organization, which is celebrating 25 years of speaking out for kids and families. PCCY's website is www.pccy.org.
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By SHELLY YANOFF

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