Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) joined members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) in asking the Congressional leadership for a commitment to move forward on the Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act.

The Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act would allow states to receive federal matching dollars for providing health services to legal immigrant children. Under current law, there is a five-year waiting period before legal immigrant children and pregnant women - who meet program requirements - become eligible to receive state and federally-funded health care. The Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act would allow eligible legal permanent resident children and pregnant women to receive health care coverage immediately.

The Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act (H.R. 1308) was included in the House-passed CHAMP Act but was dropped from the House-Senate negotiated SCHIP compromise.
Senate Republicans blocked inclusion of ICHIA in the House-Senate negotiated SCHIP bill.

Congresswoman Roybal-Allard’s statement is as follows:

“I reluctantly supported the SCHIP Reauthorization Conference Agreement because, in spite of its weaknesses, it provides $35 billion in new resources to provide health care to an additional 3.8 million low-income children who are currently uninsured. This includes 2.4 million minority children, 1.4 million of whom are Hispanic.

“I am, however, tremendously disappointed that the final product does not restore the states’ option to provide coverage to legal immigrant children who meet all other eligibility criteria.

“I firmly believe that our failure to extend health care coverage to legal immigrant children is a tragically missed opportunity to address existing health disparities within this vulnerable population.

“More than 20 states, including California, have recognized that increasing access to care for legal immigrant children and pregnant women is both good public health policy, and fiscally sound cost-effective care.

“Unfortunately the bill ignores that fact. And that is why we are here today to pledge that we will continue to fight to ensure that race and income do not determine the health status of any child in this wealthy nation.

“I appreciate the understanding that the Speaker and House leadership have shown with respect to our concerns about this issue and their commitment to address health access for legal immigrant children and pregnant women. I look forward to working with them as this Congress moves forward to solve this problem.”
 

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