Congressman Walz voted to expand health care for children today, but you didn't hear that here first. Nope, the pesky blog IDHA is back with SCHIP passes House, extending aid to 4.1 million children. The bill passed by a 289 to 139 roll call vote. Freshman Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen joined Minnesota DFLers in the House in voting yes; Kline and Bachmann voted no..
Once upon a time, Jason and Don at I Don't Hate America were pesky college students at Winona State, competing with BSP to post Walz-related material first on their lively blog. Since graduation, Jason has started working as a nurse and masters program, while Don has gone to ground (rumored to be roaming the halls of the state office building in St. Paul).
Today, we were beat to the punch in posting this press release.
WALZ SAYS CHILDRENS HEALTHCARE EXPANSION FISCALLY AND MORALLY RESPONSIBLE
Twice vetoed by Bush, SCHIP expansion passes House with wide bipartisan majority on its way to Obama’s desk
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congressman Tim Walz voted with a bipartisan majority of his colleague to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, providing 11 million American children with health coverage. Growing unemployment, which reached 7.2 percent in the 4th quarter of 2008, combined with the housing crises mean that more children will need health insurance than when President Bush first vetoed the plan in 2007.
“During these tough economic times, when millions of middle-class Americans are losing their jobs and health care, it is essential that health care coverage for children be expanded without further delay,” said Walz. “This bill is the best of both worlds – it is fully paid for and insures an additional 4 million children who are not covered today.”
“This bill makes it easier for those 11 million kids to get preventative care and for their parents to reduce health care costs by replacing emergency room care with access to critical preventive health services,” continued Walz. “I believe that expanding health care coverage for children is a powerful statement about the value that we as a country put on our children’s health. Children’s healthcare is not just another detail — it is critical to strengthening the American family, and it deserves our continued attention. With the Senate’s help, this bill will land on President Obama’s desk in the next few weeks.”
The State Children’s Health Insurance Program was created under a Republican Congress in 1997, and has been wildly successful at providing health care for children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private insurance. SCHIP is a program any fiscal conservative can support — it costs less than $3.50 a day to cover a child through the program, and it saves money in the long run, as providing children with routine preventive care means that families no longer have to rely on emergency rooms for their medical care.
Under SCHIP, private health care plans run by private insurers work with individual states to cover uninsured children. That innovative public-private partnership is the reason this legislation has been endorsed by America’s Health Insurance Plans, the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association. Those groups recognize that this program is good for the health care industry, as well as being good for America’s kids.
The expanded SCHIP program passed today by the House of Representatives:
Ensures health care coverage for 11 million American children. The bill renews and improves the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), reauthorizing it for four and a half years – through FY 2013. The bill ensures that the 7 million children who currently participate in SCHIP continue to receive coverage. It also extends coverage to 4 million uninsured children, according to the nonpartisan CBO.
Improves care and strengthens funding. The bill invests billions in new funding over five years in SCHIP in order to strengthen SCHIP’s financing; increase health care coverage for low-income, uninsured children; and improve the quality of health care children receive.
Provides resources for states to reach uninsured children who are today eligible for SCHIP and Medicaid but not yet enrolled. Two-thirds of uninsured children are currently eligible for coverage through SCHIP or Medicaid – but better outreach and adequate funding are needed to identify and enroll them. This bill gives states the resources and incentives necessary to reach and cover millions of uninsured children who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, SCHIP and Medicaid.
Improves SCHIP benefits – ensuring dental coverage and mental health parity. Under the bill, quality dental coverage will now be provided to all children enrolled in SCHIP. The bill also ensures that states will offer mental health services on par with medical and surgical benefits covered under SCHIP.
Improves outreach tools to streamline enrollment of eligible children. The bill provides $100 million in grants for new outreach activities to states, local governments, schools, community-based organizations, safety-net providers and others.
Improves the quality of care for low-income children. The bill establishes a new initiative to develop and implement pediatric health quality measures and improve state reporting of quality data.
Now head over to IDHA and read Jason's commentary.
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