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House Paves Way For Child Health Care Bill

Posted on: Thursday, 15 January 2009, 00:10 CST

Wednesday, the House was poised to increase spending on children's health insurance as an attempt by Democrats to give President-elect Barack Obama an early win on health care.

This government-sponsored insurance will expand to 4 million more children in working families with low income too high to qualify for Medicaid.  Between 300,000 and 600,000 of the new enrollees could be non-citizen children of legal immigrants who have been in the country less than five years.

An additional $33 billion is included in the bill for the State Children's Health Insurance Program over the next 4 1/2 years.  The federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes will increase 61 cents to pay for the program's expansion.

The struggling economy gave lawmakers more reason to expand the program, according to Democratic lawmakers.

"With rising unemployment, covering children is even more important than ever and the need grows each day," said Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo. "No longer will children be forced to visit an emergency room to receive basic medical care."

Forty Republicans joined Democrats in passing the bill 289-139.  President Bush vetoed two legislations to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program in 2007.  This time, supporters are sure that a deal can be struck and that a bill can be passed as soon as Obama's inauguration.

Thursday, a Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to start writing a similar bill. 

Obama said he hoped the Senate acts with the "same sense of urgency so that it can be one of the first measures I sign into law when I am president."

"In this moment of crisis, ensuring that every child in America has access to affordable health care is not just good economic policy, but a moral obligation we hold as parents and citizens," he said.

Passing of this bill would expand coverage for children of legal immigrants as well as pregnant immigrants.

Currently, the law requires a five-year waiting period before legal immigrants become eligible for coverage.  Supporters say that expanding coverage would help children get treatment for acute conditions like asthma and diabetes, that way they are less likely to need care in an emergency room.

"These are not illegal immigrants. They are children who go to school, go to daycare with our children, our grandchildren," said Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas. "Those children ought to have health care."

Also mandated in the bill is that states will have to include dental coverage in the program.

SCHIP was created in 1997 for children in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private insurance, in order to provide health coverage.  About 7 million children now get government-sponsored healthcare through SCHIP.

Analysts said that the children who mostly gain coverage live in families with incomes less than twice the federal poverty level, which is $42,400 for a family of four.  Some states, however, have expanded their programs to cover families with more moderate incomes, as much as three times the federal poverty level, or $63,600 for a family of four.

Republicans say that expanding the program will neglect the neediest children first.  They said that estimates from the Congressional Budget Office estimate that 2.4 million children currently with private coverage would end up in SCHIP by 2013.

"The priority of SCHIP should always be to serve those children most in need of assistance, not subsidize those who already have access to private insurance," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

Republicans also objected to the additional spending.

"The kids will have to pay through the nose for the things we are doing today," said Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind. "We don't have the money to do all these things."

Democrats have countered both the arguments.

"Forty days in Iraq equals over 10 million children in America insured for one year," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "We certainly can afford to do that."

The tobacco tax increase is said by the opponents to not be enough to keep pace with the growing costs of health care.  Lawmakers down the road will have to cut children from program or increase taxes as a result.  The latter option is a more likely one, according to the Republicans.

"The Democrats are blowing a giant cloud of smoke into the face of the American taxpayers, and I believe the impending tax increases that must come to cover this program will have us all in a severe coughing fit," said Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich.

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On the Net:

• State Children's Health Insurance Program

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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