V.I. CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATE |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Monique Clendinen Watson (202) 226-7973 |
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| (Washington, DC, March 20, 2007) — The Virgin Islands may have more money to pay for children’s health under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell and in the Senate by Sen. Hillary Clinton. The companion bills would re-authorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program or (S-CHIP) and could effectively double the portion to the Virgin Islands, currently at $1.4 million dollars and increase the number of children eligible for coverage. “I am extremely pleased that the health and wellness of the children in my district are finally being prioritized along with that of all children in this nation,” she said. “As a practicing family physician for more than two decades, I understand how important these funds are to children whose families are uninsured.” Chairman Dingell and Senator Clinton introduced the legislation last week. “Our hard work to bring attention to the needs of the territories is paying off. Both Chairman Dingell and Senator Clinton are great friends of the Virgin Islands and I look forward to working with them to get the bill passed,” Delegate Christensen said. “I must applaud them for taking this brave step to strengthen the first SCHIP law that left the U.S. territories’ funding amounts at about one-sixth of State-like funding,” she noted. Christensen said that this legislation would give states and the territories the option to provide S-CHIP coverage to families up to 400% of the poverty level and includes subsidies to ensure affordability. Additionally, it would allow them to expand coverage to receive an increase in federal Medicaid children’s matching payments that are proportional to the new increase. In exchange, states and territories must plan and implement enrollment and outreach activities to reach SCHIP-eligible children who are not yet enrolled. According to recent KidsCount data, one in three Virgin Islands children live in poverty. “Though not perfect, this legislation will put children’s health insurance coverage not only into the hands, but into the lives of our children,” Delegate Christensen said. “It would help us to better address the healthcare needs of the children who are living in poverty and help families faced with other health care challenges in their children as well.” |
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