"Parents across New Hampshire are sending their children back to school this week. They are sending them to school with new clothes, and notebooks and pencils. I want to remind parents to send their children back to school with something even more important - health insurance," Gov. Lynch said.

"Children with health insurance do better in school and better later in life. Healthy kids learn better and miss fewer days of school, which means their parents miss fewer days of work," he said. "If we are serious about giving every child the opportunity for a good education and a good life, than we need to be make sure every child in New Hampshire has access to quality health care."

Gov. Lynch encouraged parents across the state to consider enrolling their children in New Hampshire's Healthy Kids Children's Health Insurance Program, which offers a range of affordable health insurance options for children. Parents can find out more information by calling 1-877-464-2447.

Calling children's health insurance one of the best and smartest investments the state has ever made, Gov. Lynch also said he intends to keep working to increase the number of children with insurance and access to quality health care.

"I believe the Children's Health Insurance Program is one of the smartest investments we make as a state. Every 20 cents the state invests buys a $1 of health insurance for children through Healthy Kids. As a businessman, I look at the numbers for Healthy Kids, and I see an investment that makes sense financially and morally for children and for the people of New Hampshire," Gov. Lynch said.

Every dollar invested now in childhood immunizations saves $10 in health care costs later in life. Just one emergency room visit costs as much as three visits to a primary doctor. And the cost of one preventable night in the hospital is equal to the cost of every well child checkup recommended from birth through age 18.
"This is an investment that makes sense for kids. It also makes sense for businesses, taxpayers and anyone who already has health insurance. Children without health insurance tend to get too much of their care in emergency rooms or after their conditions have worsened - and those costs are passed on to all of us as higher health insurance premiums, Gov. Lynch said.

"That is why I plan to keep working to increase New Hampshire's investment in Children's Health Insurance. We need to do more to increase our outreach so that parents know that health insurance is available for their children. And we need to make sure we provide the funding in the next state budget to cover even more children - and that is what I intend to do," Gov. Lynch said.

"We need to give every child in New Hampshire the opportunity for a bright future. That's why we shouldn't have a single child in New Hampshire without health insurance. The costs - now and later - are much too high," he said.

Also joining Gov. Lynch today were representatives from New Hampshire Healthy Kids, Dr. Charles Capetta, the president of the New Hampshire Pediatric Society, and lawmakers.