April 15, 1999

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. ---- $750,000 CHILDREN'S HEALTH GRANT APPROVED FOR AMERICAN SAMOA

      Congressman Faleomavaega announced today that the American Samoa Government has been awarded a grant to provide health coverage to uninsured children through the national Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). ASG is expected to receive in excess of $750,000 over the next three years.

      "I want to commend Niuatoa Puletasi, program director for the local Medicaid and CHIP programs, and his staff for setting up the local program and preparing the successful grant application. This will provide new money to our hospital to provide improved health care to the children of American Samoa," said Faleomavaega.

      Nationally, this program provides health care to 2.5 million children who previously did not have health insurance. These are children in families with incomes above the medicaid level, but not enough to afford private health insurance.

      "As I have previously announced, this program was initiated and championed by President Clinton, and I want to thank him and the White House staff for insisting on funding for this program when the majority in Congress opposed it," concluded Faleomavaega.