On February 4, 2009, H.R. 2, the bipartisan State Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 was sent and signed by President Obama. Similar legislation was vetoed twice by President Bush in the 110th Congress.
.Since its creation in 1997, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has provided health care coverage for children in families that earn too little to afford health insurance for their kids. This bill gives states the resources they need to cover millions of uninsured children who are currently eligible for SCHIP and Medicaid.
The legislation includes a provision introduced by Rep. Green that gives states the option of covering legal immigrant children and pregnant women who have been here less than five years under SCHIP and Medicaid. The bill provides health care to 11 million children in modest-income families.
The 175,000 Texas children who were kicked off the rolls in 2003 know all too well of the state’s willingness to balance the state budget on their backs, and I hope that this bill will take away the state’s ability to do that in the future. Almost half a million additional children in Texas will receive quality healthcare.
This bill reauthorizes the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) through FY 2013 and continues coverage for all 7.1 million children currently covered by SCHIP.
The bill also extends health care coverage to 4.1 million additional uninsured, low-income children.
During these tough economic times, millions of Americans are losing their jobs and health care and state budgets are being stretched. The immediate expansion of SCHIP will be more cost-effective for taxpayers and states, and will bring direct relief to families who would otherwise have to rely on costly emergency room care.
Children need a healthy foundation for them to grow and succeed, and the renewal of SCHIP will give America’s children a good basis. After two vetoes and three years of fighting for this critical legislation, this was one of the first bills signed by President Obama.
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