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1/19/2022
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Op-Ed: It’s time for RI to ‘Cover All Kids’
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By Sen. Sandra Cano
What if you had to decide between taking your sick child to the doctor and paying rent, or putting food on the table?
What if you feared that getting medical attention for your son or daughter could result in your family being torn away from the community you call home?
What would you do? How would you cope?
For most of us, such scenarios are unimaginable. But for the parents of undocumented children in Rhode Island, these possibilities can be all too real.
It’s long past time to fix this. We need to guarantee access to health care for all of our children. Here, in the Ocean State, we must Cover All Kids.
It’s the right thing to do. And it will have so many benefits, now and in the future.
Rep. David Morales and I are again introducing legislation to ensure that all otherwise eligible children, regardless of their immigration status, can get health coverage under RIte Care, the state’s Medicaid program for children and pregnant women.
For several years in the 1990s and early 2000s, Rhode Island did guarantee coverage for undocumented children meeting income and residency requirements.
During this time, the state stepped up to fill a void left after the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act – known to most as “welfare reform” – was signed into law in 1996.
Since federal dollars could no longer be used because of eligibility changes for immigrants, Rhode Island provided state funding to ensure all kids could be covered.
When the Great Recession hit, however, state revenues plummeted, and this commitment ended.
This has been devastating for undocumented community members. It’s incredibly heartbreaking to hear the stories of families who have been affected – of the pain and anxiety they experience so needlessly.
Consider this: We don’t ask for children’s immigration status when they enroll in public school. But we do when it comes to their family’s ability to keep them healthy.
The children who would benefit from Cover All Kids, and their families, are a vital part of our communities. They are Rhode Islanders – just as much as you and I, just as much as anyone who calls our state home.
This legislation is an investment in our shared future.
It will expand access to all aspects of health care, from basic vaccinations to various specialists, for many of our most vulnerable children.
It will boost public health efforts and help families get help before they’re forced to rely on emergency rooms.
It will connect kids with serious medical needs to vital diagnostics and treatments early on, improving their lives and reducing long-term costs.
It will keep kids in school and on the path toward healthy growth and development, which will afford them a greater opportunity for success in life.
And it will provide sorely needed relief for Rhode Islanders who have been among those hardest hit by the pandemic, advancing our efforts to promote equity and reduce poverty.
All of this is well within our means. There are around 3,000 uninsured children in Rhode Island, and about 400 are currently ineligible for coverage due to their immigration status. Covering those kids through RIte Care would cost about $1.1 million annually, according to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
Several other states have already taken action to extend health coverage to undocumented kids. Now, it’s Rhode Island’s turn to act. In addition to our legislation, we’re asking Gov. McKee to include funding for this in his upcoming budget plan for the next fiscal year.
Together, we can demonstrate that we value and cherish all of our children.
Sandra Cano is a Democrat representing District 8 (Pawtucket) in the Rhode Island Senate. She serves as chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Education.
For more information, contact:
Daniel Kittredge, Deputy Directory of Communications
State House Room 112
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 276-5516
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