“There is nothing more critical than providing our nation’s children, the future of this country, with a healthy start in life,” Ross said. “No child in this country should have to grow up without health coverage, and I am proud to support this necessary legislation to strengthen the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to extend vital health care to 11 million low-income, American children – including thousands of Arkansas children.”

Currently, 6 million children have health coverage under S-CHIP which is set to expire on September 30^th of this year. S-CHIP was established with broad bipartisan support in 1997 by President Clinton and a Republican-led Congress. Since its foundation, the program has reduced the number of uninsured children by one-third nationwide. In Arkansas alone, the percentage of uninsured children has dropped from 22 percent in 1997 to 10 percent today.

Ross said five million children still lack quality, affordable health coverage, including many in Arkansas. Passing H.R. 3162 provides health coverage for an additional 5 million children while ensuring continued coverage for the 6 million children already benefiting from the program. As a state Senator, Ross helped pass AR Kids First which now provides coverage for over 70,000 Arkansas children.

“One child without health care in this country is one too many,” Ross said. “We must make covering our uninsured children a top priority in this country so that quality health care is affordable and accessible for everyone.”

The legislation also includes provisions to strengthen Medicare, control out of pocket health care 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, it allows seniors in rural areas will continue to have access to Medicare and quality care provided by the doctors they trust.

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