APIAVote Commends AAPI Immigrant Rights & Health Care Organizations for their Leadership

Reauthorization of SCHIP Signed into Law

APIAVote Commends AAPI Immigrant Rights & Health Care Organizations for their Leadership

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- APIAVote today commends the work of AAPI organizations who joined forces with a broader coalition to advocate for Congress' passage of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which President Obama signed into law yesterday, February 4, 2009.

APIAVote applauds President Obama for his commitment to America's uninsured, and thanks the work of Capitol Hill lawmakers, but would like to specifically commend the leadership of AAPI organizations such as the the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), the Korean Resource Center (KRC), the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) and other AAPI organizations who worked in a broad coalition to get SCHIP reauthorized.

The reauthorized SCHIP bill will remove the current five-year waiting period for lawfully-present immigrants to become eligible for Medicaid and SCHIP. Under this bill, 11 million children from low-income and immigrant families will finally have much-needed health insurance.

National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) and Korean Resource Center (KRC) are leading partners in the campaign "America's Future Starts with Healthy Children," which brings attention to the dilemma of uninsured children and advocated for the reauthorization of SCHIP. The "Healthy Children" raised awareness nationwide about uninsured children via a children's art contest. Winners were honored at a ceremony on Capitol Hill, and their artwork was displayed for a week in January in Washington, D.C.'s Union Station.

APIAVote is a national non-partisan, nonprofit organization that encourages and promotes civic participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the electoral and public policy processes at the national, state and local levels. APIAVote does not endorse parties or candidates. Please visit www.apiavote.org for more information.