(Host) A group of children’s advocates released a new poll today that indicates an overwhelming number of Vermonters support maintaining or expanding health care coverage for children.
They say the poll underscores the need to reauthorize federal funding that maintains programs like Vermont’s Dr. Dynasaur.
The program provides coverage to more than three thousand uninsured Vermont children whose parents’ income is above the limit set by Medicaid.
The President has proposed cutting federal funding for the program. If the cuts are approved, advocates say fewer children will be covered in Vermont.
Sheila Reed is with the group Voices for Vermont’s Children
(Reed) “With the budget we have in our state right now, to lose that much federal money would be an absolute disaster and I think it would cut back on our coverage of children.”
(Host) Reed says because of the federal funding it receives, Vermont has the lowest percentage of any state in the nation in terms of children who do not have health care coverage.
The figure stands at 4%.
Vermont’s congressional delegation has indicated that it will work to maintain the funding for the Dr. Dynasaur program.