Children's Health

PICO worked with key child health advocacy organizations to expand the successful federal State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover an additional four million uninsured children. In 2007, PICO held 47 faith events in local districts, generated 17,000 phone calls and e-mails to Congressional offices, brought faith leaders and families to Capitol Hill five times, and provided families and clergy to testify at hearings and press conferences in the House and Senate to build public support for SCHIP reauthorization.

People Acting in Community Together (PACT) in San Jose, California created the Santa Clara County Children's Health Initiative, a first in the country, which provides access to health insurance to all children under 300% of the federal poverty limit. PACT's success led to the creation of similar legislation in 23 counties across California.

Metro Organizations for People (MOP) in Denver, Colorado, together with the All Kids Covered 2010 Initiative, helped pass two pieces of state legislation which together expand health coverage to 55,000 uninsured children in Colorado. With over 100,000 uninsured children remaining in the state, MOP and the All Kids Covered 2010 Initiative continue to work towards ensuring that every child in Colorado has quality, affordable health coverage by 2010.

Federation of Congregations United to Serve (FOCUS) in Orlando, Florida worked to put KidCare reform on the state legislative agenda in 2007, winning $1.1 million in additional funding for the program and streamlining the application process.

Primary Health Care for the Uninsured

Vermont Interfaith Action (VIA) worked together with allies in the Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security to successfully pass Catamount Health in 2006, a comprehensive health care reform initiative for adults in the state. VIA and allies are currently working to make needed reforms to the legislation, including decreasing the waiting period for enrollment, removing key pre-existing conditions disqualifiers (like pregnancy), and allowing small businesses to use the program to offer coverage to their employees.

PICO California has won $50 million annually in the state budget for primary care health clinic infrastructure, expanding a vital safety net for uninsured families. Expanded clinic services have been an important source of health care in many immigrant and other working class communities in the state.

Peninsula Interfaith Action (PIA) won $5.8 million in federal funds for the San Mateo County, California, health system, saving the Health Plan of San Mateo which serves 57,000 low-income county residents.

Local Investment in the Public Health System

Congregations Organizing for Renewal (COR) in Alameda County, California helped lead a labor, community and local government coalition that won passage of a new 1/2 cent sales tax increase that will generate $90 million annually for health care over the next 15 years. Three-quarters of the $1.35 billion in new funding will go to the county medical center (public hospital and clinic system), with the remainder divided among other health care providers.

Saving Community Hospitals

Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO) helped lead a winning effort in Contra Costa County, California, for special parcel tax that will generate $6 million a year to keep open a hospital serving more than 330,000 people. The tax passed by 84 percent of the vote, with CCISCO leaders playing a major role in telephone calling and neighborhood walking during the 85-day campaign. The director of the campaign reported that CCISCO did more than any other organization to insure passage of the tax and that the margin of victory was unprecedented.