SCHIP CHIPS

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DMI BLOG - As the New York Times reports, President Bush vetoed a bill
that would expand a very successful health care program for children. It
is called S-CHIP (State- Children's Health Insurance Program). The bill
would have guaranteed health care to some of the neediest children.

Why? Let us count some of the ways. Society benefits when people have
access to preventative care. Preventative care is an essential part of
S-CHIP. Healthy children do better in school and grow to healthier
adults.

In addition, when children are injured or struck by catastrophic illness
families can get the intensive and long term care they need. One of the
top three crises that bring people to applying for welfare is lack of
health care for themselves and their children. The number of children
who are vulnerable is growing. Read what Daniel Millstone has to say
about S-CHIP here on the DMI blog.

The percentage of children living in poor and low-income families is
stunning: 56% according to the National Center for Children in Poverty.
S-CHIP raises the eligibility for families. 200% of poverty is about
$41,000 for a family of 4. It takes that amount just to meet basic
needs.

Government estimates do not predict that children will be moving from
private health care to S-CHIP. In fact 3.2 million of the 3.8 million
children that would have been helped by this bill come from families
with incomes below present eligibility. According to the Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities, "The various provisions to maintain and
expand children's health coverage would cost $34.9 billion over five
years, with these costs fully offset by an increase in federal tobacco
taxes. In fact, the CBO estimates show the bill would reduce the deficit
by $1.4 billion over the next five years."

http://www.dmiblog.com/

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