WASHINGTON, DC – Today, First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization, led an impressive coalition of over 350 state and national organizations in urging the Senate to approve a strong renewal of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Specifically, in a letter to Senators, the organizations urged Members to extend health insurance coverage to 4.1 million uninsured children across our country by providing states with the funds they need to sustain and strengthen their SCHIP programs, including the growing number of children who need coverage in light of the economic downturn.
“The overwhelming coalition of organizations that came together to support these SCHIP principles is no surprise, considering the enormous amount of bipartisan support the program enjoys,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus. “In short, SCHIP has been a remarkable success story. The uninsured rate for children has dropped by one-third since its enactment, while that rate for adults continues to skyrocket. The legislation before the Senate builds upon that success, and also undertakes efforts to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy by simplifying enrollment to reach the 6 million uninsured children in this country who are eligible but not enrolled in SCHIP. Parents want to provide health coverage for their children but find it unaffordable. Fortunately, SCHIP reauthorization helps reduce the uninsured rate for children by over 4 million children in this country – great progress in the midst of vast amounts of bad news in the health care system.”
With the senate continuing to debate the measure on the senate floor today, the organizations urge senators to defeat any amendments or provisions that would impose new coverage limitations on children, create additional bureaucratic and paperwork burdens upon children, as well as those that undermine efforts to simplify enrollment and outreach efforts, particularly for the millions of low-income children currently eligible for but unenrolled in Medicaid and SCHIP.
The coalition also praises the elimination of the five-year waiting period for legal immigrant children and pregnant women before having access to health care services through Medicaid and SCHIP. The letter reads: “These children should not be forced to wait five years for health care, as five years is a lifetime for a child. Timely coverage can mean the difference between preventing or treating conditions that can affect a child’s long-term prospects for a healthy productive life or leaving those conditions undetected and untreated.”
The letter was sent to the offices of all 100 senators today, as a vote on SCHIP renewal is expected before the end of this week.
The coalition includes a myriad of organizations, including physician groups, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Further, leading unions, such as AFL-CIO and SEIU and national child-serving organizations, such as the YMCA of the USA and the United Way, have joined among others. In addition, a cross-section of other organizations have expressed their support, including Families USA, National Council of La Raza, and the National Immigration Law Center.