Issue Position: Health Care - Children's Health Care
Issue Position
Almost ten years ago, a bi-partisan group of Congress Members came together to implement the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or, SCHIP. SCHIP provides matching grants to states to help finance health insurance for children of families who cannot afford to purchase health insurance on their own. This means that for every dollar that Michigan spends on health insurance for kids, the federal government gives the state $1.69 to add to the pool of money.
Millions of low-income children that are eligible to participate in SCHIP are not yet enrolled, largely, due to a lack of state funds to outreach to these kids and enroll them into the program. That is why I have continuously voted to renew and exapnd the SCHIP program to protect the 6 million low-income children currently participating in SCHIP and to provide states the tools necessary to enroll 5.1 million more children who aer currently eligible for SCHIP and not yet participating.
The Predident has illustrated his opposition to children's health care by vetoing this important legislation on two occasions and denying health care to children of hardworking families across America. Unfortunately, the President's Republican allies in Congress have voted to sustain the Presidents veto on children's health care.
Nine million children remain without health insurance around the country. In Michigan, we are fortunate to be tied for the second lowest rate of uninsured children in the nation. Although our rate is low at 6.4%, we still face a huge problem. In fact, an estimated 120,000 children are uninsured in the state. The good news is that 90,000 of these children are eligible for SCHIP benefits but are not yet participating. With the House-passed CHAMP Act, we will be provided the resources necessary to reach out and enroll more eligible kids into the SCHIP program.
I have recently signed onto the Healthy Children and Families Act. This important legislation helps states provide nurse-family visitation progrmas in which nurses visit assist first-time moms and their kids iwth pre and post-natal care, breastfeeding counseling, well-baby care and provide links to community services that promote physical and mental health.
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