WHEATON—The proposed State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was reauthorized in the U.S. House on Aug. 1 under the title, Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP). However, on Aug. 2 the U.S. Senate approved its own version, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), designating an additional $35 billion, for a total of $60 billion over five years. The Senate bill would extend affordable health care benefits enough to cover 3.2 million uninsured children, including 2.7 million new enrollees, according to information provided by the Congressional Budget Office to an Aug. 3 story in the New York Times.

The Senate version, which was authorized by a vote of 68 to 31, carries enough weight to override a threatened veto by President George Bush; it also coincides with the House’s proposal in that it maintains coverage for 800,000 children whose benefits were at risk. As proposed, the bill provides children access to medical, dental and mental health care.

Funding for the Senate bill would come from raising federal excise tax on cigarettes by $1 a pack. The bill, which is substantially less--$15 billion less than the House version--is slated to go for a hearing before a joint House-Senate conference committee. The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., needs the approval of both chambers before it is enacted into law. The CHIP bill in the Senate received bipartisan support, whereas the votes in the House version were cast largely along party lines. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, heralded the details of the CHIP bill.

The remaining point of contention is the issue of Medicare benefits.  Under the House bill, payments to doctors would increase by 0.5 percent, escaping a previous decision under the program to reduce physician Medicare payments by 10 percent beginning in January 2008. Since the Senate version failed to include any mention of Medicare, the scheduled reduction would be automatic. 

In an Aug. 1 statement, officials for Network, a Catholic social justice lobby organization in Washington, D.C., praised the House plan because it additionally offers states “new options to extend coverage to young people up to the age of 20, and to some documented immigrants and pregnant women.” 

The House bill received endorsements from the American National Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Catholic Health Association.

Meanwhile, the Administration has threatened to veto the House bill, likening it to an attempt to drive through universal health care.

Addressing the scope of aspects involved in the planning of health care coverage and legislation, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops together with Catholic Charities USA highlighted the necessity for responsible proposals. In a joint statement in March, the two agencies noted, “We strongly urge you to make sure the budget resolution includes enough resources” to sufficiently fund health insurance benefits for low-income children.

For further information, see:
http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/schip-leveling-the-playing.pdf
http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer?pagename=healthy_child.
http://nschdata.org/DataQuery/DataQueryResultsAllStates.aspx
http://www.piconetwork.org/