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August 9, 2007
REP. ANDREWS BACKS BILL TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO 11 MILLION CHILDREN, STRENGTHEN MEDICAREI am proud to announce I joined a majority in the House of Representatives in support of legislation to provide health care to 11 million low-income children and strengthen Medicare. The Children’s Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act was approved by the House last week. No child anywhere in our nation should ever go without medical care. I was proud to back a plan to give 11 million children the care they deserve and move us closer to providing every child in our nation with high quality health care. The CHAMP Act reauthorizes the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and protects coverage for 6 million children, while extending health care coverage to 5 million more low-income children, covering a total of 11 million children. CHIP was established on a bipartisan basis in 1997 by President Clinton and Congress, but must be reauthorized by September 30, 2007. If the program is not reauthorized by September 30, 6 million children nationwide could lose their health care. The CHAMP Act also includes provisions to strengthen Medicare, control out of pocket costs for seniors and help ensure seniors have access to the doctors of their choice by stopping a scheduled 10 percent payment cut to doctors. Additionally, the legislation ends massive overpayments to private health organizations like HMOs and makes a series of preventative screenings free for Medicare beneficiaries. New free benefits under Medicare provided under the CHAMP Act include: • diabetes screening tests The CHAMP Act will help ensure seniors see the doctor they trust and get the care they need. The legislation we passed today makes Medicare stronger and helps prevent seniors from being stuck with a higher bill at the doctor’s office.
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