As our nation observes “Cover the Uninsured Week,” Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard joins her congressional colleagues in calling for significant expansion of health care coverage for America’s children as part of the reauthorization of the landmark State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

“Today, there are more than eight million American children without health insurance,” Congresswoman Roybal-Allard said.  “In a country as wealthy as ours, that is a national disgrace, especially considering that this disturbing statistic would be even worse if it were not for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.”

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program – or “SCHIP” -- was established by Congress in 1997 to expand health care coverage for children.  It provides matching funds to states to help them provide health care coverage for children living in families that are earning too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance. Currently, more than six million children are enrolled in SCHIP.

“This summer, Congress must pass a strong SCHIP Reauthorization bill that will not only ensure that all children currently enrolled can remain in the program, but also expand coverage to even more uninsured children,” Congresswoman Roybal-Allard said.  “To make this critical priority a reality, I am proud of the budget that the U.S. House of Representatives passed in March that creates a deficit-neutral reserve fund to provide up to $50 billion in additional resources to expand children’s health care coverage. Our children deserve no less.”

“Unfortunately, the President’s budget proposes to significantly underfund the State Children’s Health Insurance Program over the next five years – not even providing enough funding to maintain coverage for those children already enrolled,” Congresswoman Roybal-Allard said.  “According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, under the President’s budget, more than one million children will lose coverage.”

“In 1997, Congress was able to come together on a bipartisan basis to establish the State Children’s Health Insurance Program,” Congresswoman Roybal-Allard said.  “Today, ten years later, this new Congress – once again on a bipartisan basis – must come together to protect and strengthen this life-saving program for our nation’s children.”

According to a report prepared for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation by the University of Minnesota’s State Health Access Data Assistance Center, nearly 26 percent of children without health insurance for all or part of the year do not receive any medical care, compared to 12.3 percent of children who are insured all year. In addition, among children who are uninsured all or part of the year, 35 percent do not have a personal doctor or nurse – significantly higher than the rate for children with health care coverage at 13.5 percent.
 

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