Thursday, October 25, 2007

State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on revised State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation this afternoon. This bill would provide health insurance coverage for nearly 10 million low-income children.

House leaders announced the vote late Wednesday night. This legislation (H.R. 3963) addresses concerns that had been raised about the SCHIP bill (H.R. 976) the House voted on last week. These changes clarify that children living in families making $83,000, adults, and children who are not U.S. citizens are not eligible for SCHIP coverage.

Easter Seals supports this SCHIP legislation and urges you to contact your representative immediately and ask them to vote “Yes” on H.R. 3963 today.

Thank you for your continued advocacy on behalf of our nation’s low-income children, including those with disabilities.

Stay informed: visit our SCHIP Information Center.

 

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools - President Bush Vetoes SCHIP Bill

October 3, 2007
President Bush Vetoes SCHIP Bill

As he had promised to do, President George Bush today vetoed a bill that had been passed by the House and Senate to extend for five more years the state/federal State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The bill would have added $35 billion more in federal matching funds to enable states to enroll additional children in the program, an amount Bush criticized as too large. The President also said the SCHIP enlargement would encroach on private insurance plans and would be an "opening wedge" to what he called "government-run" health care. The vote for the bill in the Senate was large enough to override a veto, but the House vote was not, and supporters said they will try in the coming two weeks to persuade more House Republicans to vote for override, noting that the child insurance program has wide public support. Controversy about the bill centers on whether states should be allowed to insure children whose family incomes are as much as 300 times the federal poverty level, as 15 states currently do, or should limit enrollment to poorer children.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Crist creates children's cabinet

Source: http://www.winknews.com/features/education/10162961.html

Crist creates children's cabinet

By Melissa Cabral, WINK News

Tallahassee - Children will have a whole new power in Tallahassee.

Florida's new Children's Cabinet met for the first time Monday.

The cabinet was formed to force state agencies to work together more effectively on children's issues.

One of the biggest issues is education, along with health care and family issues.

Governor Charlie Crist told members of the cabinet that their work will be a blessing for kids. "What you do when you reach out and reach down to help those that are young and little, it's a blessing to do right for them."

The Children and Youth Cabinet is made up of 15 members - most of them agency heads in the Crist administration and it is chaired by Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp.

 

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools - Conference SCHIP Bill Allows Funds to SBHCs

http://www.healthinschools.org/News-Room/News-Alerts/September-2007/Conference-SCHIP-Bill-Allows-Funds-to-SBHCs.aspx

A 300-page compromise between the U.S. House and Senate on reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that was approved by the House September 25 and was expected to pass the Senate yesterday includes language allowing states to use SCHIP funds for "items and services furnished through school-based health centers."