Leading Members of Congress voice their support for covering all children

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a new poll revealed overwhelming support for ensuring all children in America are covered as part of health care reform, even if it increases their taxes. The poll also shows strong support for ensuring that children are provided comprehensive benefits as Congress reforms our health care system, such as through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

By a margin of 87%-11%, nearly 8-to-1, Americans favor ensuring all children have health care coverage, including by a 68%-28% margin even if it increases their taxes. The survey of 1,000 registered voters was released today by First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. It was conducted by Lake Research Partners, a leading health care polling firm.

The poll found that by more than a 3-to-1 ratio (78%-21%), voters believe that it is extremely/very important that “all children in America are provided health care coverage as part of health reform.”

Those margins remain even when including legal immigrant children. In fact, by 3-to-1 margin of 71%-24%, Americans support having a national health insurance program covering all children, including legal immigrant children.

In addition, an overwhelming 3-to-1 majority (62%-21%) of Americans would oppose the elimination of CHIP if they learned that the Health Insurance Exchange (Exchange) “may be more costly for families and provide fewer benefits for children.” There have been concerns that the Exchange, as an alternative to CHIP coverage, may lead to higher out-of-pocket costs for families and fewer benefits for children.

By a 54-14% margin or almost 4-to-1, Americans would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supported a health care reform plan that reduced the level of health care coverage for children in such a manner.

Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research, said “By overwhelming majorities, American voters want to ensure that all children have health care coverage. They also want to ensure children are not left worse off by health reform.”

Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus, added, “It is clear that Americans believe children should be a top priority in health reform and it is clear that they support providing all young people with health insurance coverage. Further, the electorate believes Congress should adopt a ‘do no harm’ standard for children currently enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, ensuring their coverage must be at least comparable or better. Such a notion is strongly supported by the American electorate and should be so as well on Capitol Hill.”

In the House of Representatives, the Energy and Commerce Committee took important action to ensure children could not be left worse off through passage of an amendment by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) ensuring that no child may be moved from CHIP into the Exchange until the Secretary of Health and Human Services certifies that coverage is comparable or better. In addition, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) offered an amendment that passed by a bipartisan 31-17 vote in the House Education and Labor Committee guaranteeing children access to comprehensive benefits in the Exchange, including those that address the unique developmental needs of children.

“Congress should be very careful before deciding to eliminate the Children’s Health Insurance Program, as it enjoys broad bipartisan support,” Lesley added. “This is because Democrats and Republicans know that CHIP works by providing comprehensive, affordable benefits to children that specifically address their unique health care needs. In fact, the public would be strongly opposed to eliminating CHIP if it were to leave children worse off. Indeed, politicians should take note, as leaving kids worse off in health reform may be costly to them at the polls.”

A copy of the poll can be found by clicking here.

Also today, leading Members of Congress came out in strong support of the poll’s findings and of covering all children.

They included:

Senator Jay Rockefeller (WV):
“Comprehensive health care coverage for children should be non-negotiable,” said Senator Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care. “Today, millions of children receive the check-ups and preventive exams they need only because of Medicaid and CHIP – federal programs that work. We should not experiment with the stable health care coverage children have today by exposing them to coverage in the Exchange that may have higher cost-sharing for families and provide far fewer benefits for children.”

Senator Robert Casey (PA):
“Protecting health care for children has been one of my top priorities in the health care reform debate and this poll makes clear that it is also a priority for the American people,” said Senator Casey. “As the debate moves forward in Congress, I hope that all members will listen to their constituents on the need to do no harm to children.”

Senator Robert Menendez (NJ):
“All of our children should be given a chance to fulfill their potential, and that means ensuring they are healthy as they develop,” said Menendez. “As this poll shows, the vast majority of Americans agree with that sentiment. It is a priority for many of us in the health insurance reform process that we ensure no child in the greatest nation on earth goes to bed at night without health care coverage.”

Senator Sherrod Brown (OH):
“No goal in health insurance reform is more important than making sure every child has the comprehensive coverage they need. Children who are covered under Medicaid and SCHIP must be guaranteed the proven benefits package they have today, and we must clear out the red tape that keeps uninsured children from gaining access to these crucial public health programs.”

Rep. Diane DeGette (CO):
“As this poll shows, the public supports ensuring that all children have access to quality, affordable health care,” said U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. “Children have unique developmental needs that we must consider as we move forward with health insurance reform legislation. That is why I offered an amendment to the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, which would evaluate the coverage for children under the new health insurance reform plan and ensure that children who currently receive coverage through the Children’s Health Insurance Program will continue to at least receive comparable coverage.”