America's Poor Children Score Win in Congress
WASHINGTON,DC – As the deadline to reauthorize the State Children's HealthInsurance Program (SCHIP) quickly approaches, Energy and CommerceCommittee Vice Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) today applauded the House ofRepresentatives' passage of H.R. 3162, the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP Act)on a vote of 225 to 204. The CHAMP Act reauthorizes and enhances SCHIP.DeGette hailed the bill's passage calling it a "win for America's poorchildren and working families."
"Thereal winners of the CHAMP Act today are America's poor children," saidDeGette. "By reauthorizing and enhancing SCHIP, we will ensure healthcare coverage for nearly 12 million children nationwide, includingalmost 100,000 kids in Colorado. This bill will allow 5 millionchildren, who are eligible for the program yet not currently enrolled,to receive access to preventative health care coverage they need."
TheDemocratic Majority has made children's health a priority in the 110thCongress. The CHAMP bill provides states with new tools for outreachand enrollment to find these children, and helps states that areparticularly successful with enrollment by providing additionalfunding. Finally, to ensure that children get the best start in life,the measure gives states the ability to provide health coverage topregnant women. Some States have been able to insure as many as 60percent of their children who previously had no health insurance.
"UnderSCHIP, more children will have access to preventative health care,which is more cost-effective as preventative care is far less expensivethan emergency care," concluded DeGette.
Thecurrent SCHIP program expires on September 30, 2007. A ConferenceCommittee will soon convene to reconcile the House and Senate versionsof SCHIP reauthorization.