SCHIP To Be Funded At Current Levels

SCHIP To Be Funded At Current Levels in Politics and Legislation

When the first bill for the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) was passed, many lawmakers in Washington saw it as a great success in getting more children in America insured.

But President George W. Bush vetoed it. And while the Senate voted to overturn the veto, the House of Representatives fell just short of making the $35 billion SCHIP expansion law.

Then, Democrats in the House revised and passed another bill to appeal to more Republicans. It also was vetoed by the president.

Now, the lawmakers who supported expanding SCHIP coverage to 4 million children have agreed to fund the program only at its current levels. The funding extension means children will keep their SCHIP coverage, but no more can be enrolled, reported the Washington Post.

The House will vote to override President Bush’s veto in late January, but the they’re still about a dozen votes short.

“We are left with a package that addresses the most immediate concerns, but leaves any real health care improvements for another day,” said U.S. Representative, Frank Pallone of New Jersey. “I think that is very unfortunate.”

But Republicans maintain that the SCHIP program should only be available for the lowest income children. They also argue that an expansion would cause many children to drop their private coverage.

“[The bill’s extension] provides all the resources necessary to cover low-income children who need quality health insurance,” said House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio.

The extension will keep SCHIP going beyond the current Congress and president. So, there probably won’t be another effort to expand SCHIP for a while.

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