WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, an alliance of bipartisan children’s organizations urged President Bush to support legislation that would reauthorize and enhance the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). In a letter to Bush, the groups called upon the President to use this year’s SCHIP reauthorization process as an opportunity to strengthen and improve the highly successful program that has served the healthcare needs of American children in every state across the nation. The letter was spearheaded by the bipartisan advocacy group First Focus, with Voices for America’s Children and the National Association of Community Health Centers joining as cosigners.
“Our organizations and our affiliates in states across the nation had been optimistic that President Bush would use this year’s reauthorization of SCHIP to increase funding, expand eligibility, and streamline enrollment procedures, building on SCHIP’s impressive record of success. We sent this letter to the President because we are increasingly concerned that the stance of this Administration on SCHIP could actually result in fewer children getting coverage, having a devastating impact on the well-being of children across the United States,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus.
“Fortunately, the time to act has not passed. President Bush must begin working in a bipartisan manner with members of the House and Senate on SCHIP reauthorization, taking steps to ensure it continues to provide healthcare for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and too little to afford private insurance,” Lesley continued.
The letter reminds the President of his campaign pledge from the 2004 Republican National Convention, where he promised he “[would] lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children who are eligible but not signed up for the government’s health insurance programs,” and goes on to express concern over the President’s current vision for the program. The Administration’s fiscal year 2008 budget proposal would severely limit SCHIP eligibility and would result in children currently insured losing coverage. Specifically, the proposal breaks from the long, bipartisan tradition of allowing states to determine its eligibility requirements, instead limiting SCHIP eligibility to children in families below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Currently, 17 states cover kids above 200 percent of poverty.
“SCHIP has worked for American families and taxpayers in part because the program has given states the ability to meet the particular needs of their residents. You supported and encouraged that states have this option in the early years of your administration and because of your leadership many hardworking families throughout the country have been able to gain important coverage. We are, therefore, concerned about provisions in your budget proposal that could strip those same hardworking families of existing coverage….This proposal would not only hinder states’ ability to best determine how to meet their specific needs, it also would cause vulnerable children to lose coverage,” the letter to Bush said.
Further, the letter urges President Bush to refrain from restricting children’s eligibility and instead focus on bipartisan initiatives supporting community-based outreach and enrollment activities, which reduce paperwork and improve enrollment in SCHIP by targeting children already enrolled in programs that have income eligibility requirements similar to SCHIP (such as Food Stamps, school lunch, and nutrition programs for women, infants, and children). Allowing a streamlined enrollment process through an “Express Lane” eligibility option would make coverage accessible for an additional 4 million children, the letter points out.