“SCHIP: A Prescription For Good Health”
One of the first bills that I sponsored when I came to the Senate 10 years ago was the legislation that established the State Child Health Insurance Program – or SCHIP – that provides health care coverage for children of low-income parents who cannot afford health insurance, yet make too much money to qualify for Medicaid.
Since 1997, SCHIP has contributed to a one-third decline in the uninsured rate of low-income children. Today, over six million children – including 14,500 in Maine – receive health care coverage from this remarkably effective health care program. According to a recent assessment by the nonpartisan Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University, “While the coverage news for the nation is generally bleak, the story for children’s health coverage stands apart. Of all the health reform efforts, covering children has been resoundingly successful. Since its creation, SCHIP has partnered with Medicaid to help ensure that children have the health care that they need.”
Still, there is more that we can do. While Maine ranks among the top four states in reducing the number of uninsured children, we still have more than 20,000 children who don’t have coverage. Nationally, about nine million children remain uninsured.
Unfortunately, however, the authorization for this program, which has done so much to help low-income American families to obtain the health care that they need, expires on September 30th. As the Co-Chair of the Alliance for Health Reform, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is an invaluable resource for information and insight about one of the most pressing issues facing our nation, I have long been concerned about the need to extend the SCHIP program in order to renew our commitment to meeting the health care needs of the children of our low-income working families.
That is why is I am so pleased that the Senate recently passed legislation to extend and strengthen this important program. Our bill, which passed with strong bipartisan support, increases funding for SCHIP by $35 billion over the next five years, a level which is sufficient to maintain coverage for all 6.6 million children currently enrolled, and also allows the program to expand to cover an additional 3.3 million low-income children.
The legislation passed by the Senate also improves SCHIP in a number of important ways. I am particularly pleased that the bill includes a requirement for states that offer mental health services through their SCHIP program to provide coverage that is equivalent in scope to benefits for other physician and health services.
Treating behavioral and emotional problems and mental illness while children are young is critical to preventing more serious problems later on.
Despite the demonstrated need, the children’s dental coverage offered by states isn’t always all that it should be. Low-income and rural children suffer disproportionately from oral health problems. In fact, 80 percent of all tooth decay is found in just 25 percent of children. I am pleased that the Senate’s final package will strengthen the dental coverage offered through SCHIP to ensure that more low-income children have access to the dental services that they need to prevent disease and promote oral health.
In recognition of the fact that good health begins before birth, our bill also gives states the option of covering low-income pregnant women under SCHIP. Current regulations do permit states to cover unborn children, making reimbursements available for prenatal, labor and delivery services. Medically necessary postpartum care, however, is currently not covered. The Senate bill will change that.
The Senate bill will also eliminate the state shortfall problems that have plagued the SCHIP program, and it provides additional incentives to encourage states to increase outreach and enrollment, particularly of the lowest-income children. In short, this is a prescription for good health for millions of our nation’s children.
Since 1997, SCHIP has contributed to a one-third decline in the uninsured rate of low-income children. Today, over six million children – including 14,500 in Maine – receive health care coverage from this remarkably effective health care program. According to a recent assessment by the nonpartisan Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University, “While the coverage news for the nation is generally bleak, the story for children’s health coverage stands apart. Of all the health reform efforts, covering children has been resoundingly successful. Since its creation, SCHIP has partnered with Medicaid to help ensure that children have the health care that they need.”
Still, there is more that we can do. While Maine ranks among the top four states in reducing the number of uninsured children, we still have more than 20,000 children who don’t have coverage. Nationally, about nine million children remain uninsured.
Unfortunately, however, the authorization for this program, which has done so much to help low-income American families to obtain the health care that they need, expires on September 30th. As the Co-Chair of the Alliance for Health Reform, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is an invaluable resource for information and insight about one of the most pressing issues facing our nation, I have long been concerned about the need to extend the SCHIP program in order to renew our commitment to meeting the health care needs of the children of our low-income working families.
That is why is I am so pleased that the Senate recently passed legislation to extend and strengthen this important program. Our bill, which passed with strong bipartisan support, increases funding for SCHIP by $35 billion over the next five years, a level which is sufficient to maintain coverage for all 6.6 million children currently enrolled, and also allows the program to expand to cover an additional 3.3 million low-income children.
The legislation passed by the Senate also improves SCHIP in a number of important ways. I am particularly pleased that the bill includes a requirement for states that offer mental health services through their SCHIP program to provide coverage that is equivalent in scope to benefits for other physician and health services.
Treating behavioral and emotional problems and mental illness while children are young is critical to preventing more serious problems later on.
Despite the demonstrated need, the children’s dental coverage offered by states isn’t always all that it should be. Low-income and rural children suffer disproportionately from oral health problems. In fact, 80 percent of all tooth decay is found in just 25 percent of children. I am pleased that the Senate’s final package will strengthen the dental coverage offered through SCHIP to ensure that more low-income children have access to the dental services that they need to prevent disease and promote oral health.
In recognition of the fact that good health begins before birth, our bill also gives states the option of covering low-income pregnant women under SCHIP. Current regulations do permit states to cover unborn children, making reimbursements available for prenatal, labor and delivery services. Medically necessary postpartum care, however, is currently not covered. The Senate bill will change that.
The Senate bill will also eliminate the state shortfall problems that have plagued the SCHIP program, and it provides additional incentives to encourage states to increase outreach and enrollment, particularly of the lowest-income children. In short, this is a prescription for good health for millions of our nation’s children.
