Health

PACT is working to expand access to quality health care that is affordable to all. With our 50 sister organizations in the PICO National Network, we have worked to ensure that affordability is a guiding principal of national health reform.  

PACT helped make history!  The historic vote in the House was an important milestone in PACT's long campaign to make health care affordable to all people in this country.

Health care reform will bring health coverage to 32 million uninsured people and prevent people from being denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.  It will also reduce the federal deficit by $110 billion over the next decade. 

While not everyone supports the legislation, the benefits for poor and working families is undeniable.  PACT and PICO continue to urge people of faith to consult with their faith traditions to make their voices heard on this critical issue.

In 2000, PACT led the community organizing effort to co-found the Santa Clara County Children’s Health Initiative, which provides access to high-quality health insurance to 160,000+ low-income children in our county. A first of its kind in the nation, the Children’s Health Initiative has been replicated in counties across California and the United States.

We continue working to sustain and expand coverage for all children at the local, state and national levels.  PACT helped launch PICO's national campaign to cover all children, and through PICO, we won renewal of SCHIP, which President Obama signed in early 2009.  SCHIP provides federal funds to states for children's coverage.  

See videos about PACT's health work and the stories of community members affected by the current broken health system.

“Even though I recently moved to this country, PACT sees me as a leader. And I’ve begun to see myself that way, too! PACT taught me how to work with other people in my neighborhood to create this new health program for children. My kids are healthier now. I never imagined I could be part of something this important.”

Irma Perez, PACT volunteer leader in the creation of the Children’s Health Initiative

For the past 4 years, PACT-member congregations, led by Congregation Shir Hadash, have partnered to hold the Healthy Living Health Fair to bring health screenings and health information to people who fall through the cracks of the health care system in our community.

PACT also researches other local issues that impact the health and well-being of our community and works for changes - such as water fluoridation - to reduce health disparities and improve the health of all community members.