State Budget Cuts Affect Working Families

PHOENIX -- While the Arizona state budget is on hold, working families said they feel like they're caught in the middle.

The KidsCare program provides almost 60,000 Arizona children with health insurance; however, advocates say the budget cuts have put the program in danger.

"We're trying to avoid getting food stamps, getting welfare," said Penny Fowlkes who teaches at Phoenix Day and is also a mother of three young children.

Fowlkes and her husband both work, but KidsCare provides the family with affordable health insurance; however, their family is one of the thousands who may no longer qualify under the proposed budget.

"I have a 4-year-old, we're constantly in the emergency room and the urgent cares," said Fowlkes.

Private insurance will cost Fowlkes’ family $600 a month.

"If your kids get hurt, it's going to be, 'Do I have the money to take them into the hospital and get them taken care of?’" said Fowlkes.

Children's Action Alliance said eligibility for the program would change from a family of four making $44,000 a year, to $33,000 a year.

The alliance estimated that $9,300 families and their children would lose health insurance.

Bernice Medina, who works for Phoenix Day and is a case worker, said she hears the families’ frustrations.

"They're angry and they're upset because they’re constantly trying to cut services for them and for their kids," said Medina.

Medina said she thinks all Arizonans may end up paying for these cuts later.

"It's going to be more costly if they take it away because then who's going to pay the bills in the hospitals to the doctors?" asked Medina.

Penny said she urges other parents and community members to write letters to legislators and the governor to stop the cuts.

“They're our future,” said Fowlkes. “They need that health insurance, their dental screening to grow up healthy.”

The alliance thinks over time 25,000 kids may no longer qualify for KidsCare.

The Communications Director for the State House of Representatives said Wednesday that the legislative budget continues providing more than $35 million in General Fund funding for the KidsCare program in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget.