State Children's Health Insurance Program Extended to 2009
President Bush signed into law an extension of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) last Saturday, which continued coverage for children at current federal guidelines until March of 2009. However, Democrats were hoping for a larger federal contribution to the children's health insurance program. Dems wanted an additional $35 billion, most of which would be raised through tobacco taxes.
Currently, SCHIP covers about six million children across the nation. SCHIP is funded partly by states and partly by the federal government, and it provides much-needed health care for children. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the current law is not enough "until 10 million children receive the health-care coverage they deserve."
Many Children Still Lack Health Insurance
Many children remain uninsured, largely because of what policy-makers refer to as the "coverage gap," which bars families who make more than the maximum federal income guidelines to receive SCHIP, but still have an income level that would also bar them from private children's health insurance.
Last Updated : Friday, October 31, 2008
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