A shocking 264,000 children in our state continue to lack any health care coverage.

That usually means too little preventive care, health problems diagnosed late, and often desperate visits to the emergency room.  Combined, that means more sick children—and even higher medical costs for the rest of us, adding economic insult to moral injury.

To make progress in closing that gap, the N.C. House has proposed sliding-scale fee access to the state children's health insurance program for children from families making between 200% and 300% of the federal poverty level.  This would provide the opportunity for affordable health care for another 38,000 North Carolina children.

These are children from families where one or both parents are working, but at their level of income can't afford the high cost of health insurance on the private market.  Helping those children is not all we need to do to close the health care gap, but it's a very good step.

Unfortunately, the Senate's version of the budget does not take that step.

Now that both chambers have passed a budget proposal, the negotiations to resolve the differences are underway. 

This is one of those moments when an informed and compassionate public can make the difference.  Poor working families are not a naturally influential lobbying group, so we have to speak for them. 

I have contacted my State Senator in support of the House budget position on children's health care.  I encourage other concerned North Carolinians to take the same step today.

Those 38,000 children deserve the chance to grow up healthy too.

Dan Besse, Democrat for Lieutenant Governor