_Advocacy is one of the core strategies we use to empower young people to
make healthy choices for their bodies and their futures. Through advocacy,
we can shape the way that teens can access the information and the
healthcare they need, creating an enormous potential for change. Read more
below about one of the bills we support this legislative session._

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Dear John,

As part of our 2021 ACTION DRIVE, we would like to provide more details
about one of the bills we are working on during this legislative session.

The Texas Campaign supports HB 835 by Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin). The
bill, if passed, would add birth control as a benefit in the
state-sponsored Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIP is a
program that offers low-cost health coverage for children from birth
through the month of their 19th birthday. CHIP is designed for low to
middle income working families who don’t qualify for Medicaid but who
struggle to afford private coverage for their children.

TEXAS HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST TEEN BIRTH RATES IN THE NATION, YET IT’S ONE
OF ONLY TWO STATES THAT DOES NOT COVER BIRTH CONTROL AS PART OF CHIP
BENEFITS. Over the last decade the teen birth rate has declined and
research is clear that contraception is a key factor in this decrease --
BUT YOUNG WOMEN SERVED BY CHIP ARE DENIED ACCESS TO BIRTH CONTROL.

Of the teens enrolled in CHIP in 2018, nearly 1,600 became pregnant by the
next year. Including birth control as part of the CHIP program would allow
more young people to pursue their dreams without the challenges of an
unintended pregnancy. _Texas youth deserve support to reach their goals,
including access to contraception, so that nothing stands in their way from
reaching their full potential. _

To learn more about this policy, you can read our research report at
www.txcampaign.org/CHIP [2].

CONSIDER A CONTRIBUTION TO SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT WORK!

In gratitude,

Julia Kranzthor, Development Director

DONATE [1]

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Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy P.O Box 10357
Austin, Texas 78766

[email protected] / 512-686-8305

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