U.S. House of Representatives Passes Bipartisan Bill to Provide Health Care for 11 Million Children

(WASHINGTON, DC)–Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted for the bipartisan legislation H.R. 2, State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization bill.

“With the continuing rise of unemployment and the economy in a severe recession, this children’s health bill is more critical than ever before. More and more Americans have been losing employer-sponsored health care for their children and this legislation will ensure that 11 million of our children will have the proper health care provided to them. I believe that this bill will not only provide more resources to help identify qualified children and to help those who are uninsured, but will also prove as a less costly approach for taxpayers down the road,” stated Congressman Gregory Meeks.

This bill intends to help provide health care coverage for 11 million children, which will preserve coverage for the 7 million children currently, covered by SCHIP and will extend coverage to 4 million uninsured children who are currently eligible for, but not enrolled in SCHIP and Medicaid. This bill will invest billions in new funding for the next five years to help increase health care coverage for low-income, uninsured children and improve the overall quality of health care that children receive.

With this new bill resources will be provided for states so that the two-thirds of uninsured children who are currently eligible for SCHIP and Medicaid, but not enrolled, can be better identified and enrolled. Quality dental coverage will also be provided to all children enrolled in SCHIP as well as mental health services. In addition, $100 million dollars in grants is included in this bill for new outreach activities to states, local governments, schools, community-based organizations, safety-net providers and others.

SCHIP also gives states the option to cover legal immigrant children who have been here less than five years under SCHIP and Medicaid. There is a current five year wait period for children who have immigrant parents, but by having medical coverage readily available this could not only mean the cost of preventing or treating life threatening health conditions for children, but cost taxpayers less money in the long run.

This bill is fully paid for and will raise the tobacco tax by 61 cents a pack to help fund the costs. By raising the tobacco tax it is with the intent that it will discourage children from smoking while also providing an effective way to pay for health care.
Now serving in his seventh full-term, Meeks was elected to the House on February 3, 1998. Representing New York's Sixth Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, Meeks' district covers all towns of Southeast Queens, Far Rockaway and Howard Beach. He is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Meeks is a Member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), New Democrats Caucus and the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC). He serves as the Co-chair of the Malaysia Caucus, Services Caucus, Dialogue Caucus and the Middle East Economic Partnership Caucus.