A month ago we asked you to write your Congressmen about the need to support the PeachCare for Kids health insurance program. But now it's time to let Georgia lawmakers know just how you feel.

That's because House Bill 340 has been introduced on the House floor that would cut off health benefits for 30-thousand PeachCare kids. So instead of waiting to see what Congressional leaders have promised to do and look at other possible solutions, some lawmakers would just eliminate the kids.

After all they can't vote, can they?

We are already behind most states in the well being of our kids... 39th in the nation according to Georgia Kids Count. It is a well known fact that having health insurance improves children's social and emotional development. They are better equipped to do well in school. They are more likely to get preventive care and less likely to wind up in our emergency rooms.

Right now the state has a 700 million dollar surplus.

If Lawmakers decided to fund the PeachCare shortfall, the state would still have more than half a billion dollar surplus. That's a quick fix.

Long term solutions call for expanding the state's Medicaid program to cover the lowest income levels of the PeachCare program as other states have done.

Anything but eliminate kids altogether.

This is an important issue for all of us because we will all pay one way or another. Let's make this an investment, rather than suffer a loss.

I'm Bill Hoffman.