Local Democrats Rally for Healthcare

Representative Hoyer, like Mayor Martinez has repeatedly called on Lincoln Diaz-Balart to vote for the passage of SCHIP

Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer joined Mayor Raul Martinez and two other Democratic candidates to advocate for affordable healthcare for Florida’s children. The Majority leader’s visit to Hialeah Hospital was intended to highlight the importance of the passage of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer joined Mayor Raul Martinez and two other Democratic candidates to advocate for affordable healthcare for Florida’s children. The Majority leader’s visit to Hialeah Hospital was intended to highlight the importance of the passage of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Representative Hoyer’s visit to South Florida also served to reinforce the position that Mayor Raul Martinez has taken on the ongoing healthcare crisis. Representative Hoyer, like Mayor Martinez has repeatedly called on Lincoln Diaz-Balart to vote for the passage of SCHIP.

Mayor Martinez’s perspective on the issue is that, “With families all over the country facing foreclosure, and skyrocketing fuel prices, the last thing Lincoln Diaz-Balart should be doing is compounding the crisis by blockading a program intended to help some of district 21’s sick and needy children.”

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program provides health coverage to American children whose parents do not qualify for Medicaid, but cannot afford private insurance. SCHIP was created in 1996 and has seen almost unparalleled success.

• 12.6 percent, or 547,984, of the children under 18 in Florida are uninsured. That's up from 12.1 percent in 2004. Nationwide, 10.5 percent of children are uninsured.

• 86 Percent of Children in SCHIP Come from Working Families. 86% of children covered by the SCHIP program are in working families that are unable to obtain or afford private health insurance for their children.

• SCHIP Has Reducted Number of Uninsured Hispanic Kids. The rate of uninsured Hispanic children dropped from 30% to 21% since the creation of SCHIP

Lincoln Diaz-Balart has tried to justify his opposition to the bill reauthorizing SCHIP – which passed the House of Representatives twice with bipartisan support and is supported by 43 Governors – by falsely claiming that the program would benefit the sick and dying children of undocumented immigrants. The truth is that Lincoln Diaz-Balart simply does not care about the wellbeing of the children in District 21.