The Democratic-led U.S. Senate on Wednesday moved closer to approving an expansion of a popular children’s health care program after rejecting Republican efforts to pare down eligibility requirements.
Last week we saw an important victory in the new Congress. Re-authorization of a bill called SCHIP that would make health care a reality for all children passed out of the House of Representatives. It happened not a moment too soon, with thousands of kids across the country lacking medical coverage.
The bill is moving forward, but it is also under attack by anti-immigrant groups who want to remove an important provision. The section they want to kill would extend coverage to authorized immigrant kids and expectant mothers (ICHIA).
Call your Senators and Representatives and urge them to vote for the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. It is also imperative that the final legislation include the Immigrant Children Health Improvement Act (ICHIA), eliminating the burdensome five-year waiting period for legal immigrant children and pregnant women to access services.
Created in 1997 and credited with helping reduce the uninsured rate among children by almost a third, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provides much-needed health coverage to over 7 million children across America. Unfortunately, not all children who qualify for SCHIP receive the benefit: 6 million of the 9 million children who are uninsured in this country qualify for SCHIP but do not receive the benefits. With the expansion of this program in the proposed Senate reauthorization bill, an additional 4 million children will gain coverage.
SCHIP is a crucial program, providing access to quality, affordable, life-saving and preventative care. A 2007 report from health care organization Families USA found that children without insurance were 13 times less likely to have a relationship with a primary care doctor or clinic and were two times less likely to have seen a doctor for a well visit. Children who lack health insurance are twice as likely to die from their injuries after being hospitalized as children who are insured.
Three anti-immigrant amendments have gone down in flames since yesterday, as well they should have.
- Amendment # 45 by Senator OrinHatch (95% enrollment threshold until ICHIA can beimplemented) – went down by voice vote last night
- Amendment # 40 by Senator Mitch McConnell (substitute amendment) – went down by recorded
vote 32-65 - Amendment # 39 by Senator Grassley (to strike ICHIA and give bonus payments to
states – the most threatening amendment that has been filed) – went down by
voice vote this morning
Still in play but not offered by Senator Grassley, Amendments 51-57.
The Senate could vote on the legislation as early as today. The House of Representatives earlier this month approved its version and the two sides will have to work out their differences before sending a final version of the bill to Obama, who has promised to sign it.
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