WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance approved legislation to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 was passed by a vote of 12-7, and included a significant amendment to repeal the five year waiting period currently imposed on legal immigrant children before they are eligible for health coverage under SCHIP. If signed into law, the legislation will provide health insurance to over 11 million American children in low income families.
Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization, made the following comments.
“We were pleased to see the Senate Finance Committee pass the legislation with an amendment that ensures health coverage for legal immigrant children and pregnant women. A pregnant woman or child with cancer, diabetes, or asthma should never have to wait five years to receive health care. Senators Jay Rockefeller and Jeff Bingaman should be applauded for their work to ensure this amendment was offered and passed by the Committee. In addition, we were pleased to see the legislation amended to provide a mandate on dental coverage as part of SCHIP, as championed By Senators Olympia Snowe and Jeff Bingaman. Children should not be subject to a lack of dental coverage, as we have seen with cases such as that of Diamonte Driver, a Baltimore resident who died after an untreated toothache led to a brain abscess. Dental coverage is a critical issue for kids, and we are heartened to see that this legislation takes important steps to ensure that every American child has access to it.
“Further, this bill provides grants to school and community-based organizations to improve outreach and enrollment activities, among many other measures in this bill that will improve health care access and coverage for our nation’s most precious resource, our children.
“No government program has been more successful in expanding children’s healthcare coverage than SCHIP. In these dire economic times, this program serves as a critical lifeline for millions of American families. While it is clear that there is more work to do to ensure coverage for all children, indeed all Americans, we are grateful for this important step in that direction.”
The legislation calls for a 61 cent increase to the federal tobacco tax, which will provide $32.3 billion over four and a half years.
A recent national poll by First Focus has found that Americans support SCHIP renewal by a margin of more than eight to one, 82-10 percent. In addition, by a margin of 79-15 percent, a majority of Americans favor expanding SCHIP to cover legal immigrant children. Finally, the poll found that 65-10 percent of Americans are more supportive of SCHIP when knowing the funding would come form an increase in the federal tobacco tax.
This legislation has been swiftly passed an effort for the legislation to reach the desk of President-elect Obama soon after he is inaugurated President. The legislation now heads to the full Senate, which is expected to vote in the coming days.