Isakson Criticizes Senate's Failure to Refocus State Children's Health Insurance Program on Children Rather Than Adults

Savings Would Have Been Used to Support Dental, Mental Health Benefits for Children
U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) today criticized the Senate's failure to pass an amendment he sponsored with Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) that would have ensured that the State Children's Health Insurance Program, also known as SCHIP, did not fall short in the future in providing important benefits to children as a result of some states using the program to cover adults.

Their amendment to the Budget Resolution failed by a vote of 44 to 55. The Budget Resolution serves as a blueprint for Congress when it decides how to appropriate federal dollars later in the year.

"Our amendment would have taken the SCHIP program back to where it was intended - for children. I am very disappointed at the Senate's vote," Isakson said. "As the years have gone by, some states have chosen to enroll adults without children in their SCHIP programs, the result of which has compromised this program and taken money that was intended to go to children and sent it to adults."

Specifically, the Chambliss-Isakson proposal would have prohibited states from receiving an enhanced SCHIP match rate for adults who are covered under the program. States that continued to insure adults with SCHIP funds would have received a lower federal Medicaid match instead. The new lower match rate would have freed up funding that would have been used to create a reserve fund to provide dental and mental health benefits for children.

Georgia, which enrolls only children in its SCHIP program, is facing a funding shortfall this year. Several states enroll pregnant mothers in their programs and several states enroll adults with no children.

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