SCHIP

Of All Age Groups, 19-to-29-Year-Olds Most Likely to Be Uninsured

May 30, 2008 -- New York — The number of uninsured young adults in the United States rose to 13.7 million in 2006—an increase from 13.3 million in 2005—making the 19-to-29 age group one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the population without health insurance.

According to a newly updated report from The Commonwealth Fund, 38 percent of high school graduates who do not attend college and 34 percent of college graduates will spend some time uninsured in the year after graduation.    » read more »

May 12, 2008 -- Trenton - New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine today praised New Jersey's congressional delegation for its leadership for a stronger SCHIP program on behalf of the state's uninsured children. New Jersey's successful Family Care program currently covers 121,815 children.

I'm proud to say our Democratic congressional delegation has been out in front on this issue, and Congressman Pallone has led the charge in the House by giving a voice to the disadvantaged children of New Jersey," said Governor Corzine. "Providing adequate healthcare programs really are preventative medicine because they provide a less burdensome impact on hospital emergency rooms as well as on overall state budgets."    » read more »

Efforts continue to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program

April 22, 2008 -- OLYMPIA – Backed by rulings on Friday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Congressional Research Service (CRS), Washington Governor Chris Gregoire today sent a letter to the Bush administration urging a withdrawal of a federal directive that prohibits Washington, and other states, from expanding access to health care coverage for tens of thousands of children.

A protester against George W. Bush's attempts to limit children's health insurance: Photo by socaltimes (CC)    » read more »

April 09, 2008 -- BOSTON – Today, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office filed an amicus brief in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey supporting New Jersey’s challenge to a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services policy limiting the states’ ability to use federal money to fund health insurance for low-income children.

Sick baby: Photo by Melting Mama (CC)    » read more »

January 23, 2008 -- Despite the support of more than 80 percent of Americans and the broad bipartisan support of the nation's governors, Congressional Republicans today blocked health care coverage for 10 million of America's low income kids. With all the Republican presidential hopefuls supporting Bush's veto of the children's health care bill, it's no wonder the American people are rejecting them and the idea of a third Bush term. [CBS News, 10/17/08]    » read more »

January 23, 2008 -- "It is hard to believe in this weakening economy that anyone could justify denying working people the means to take care of their children’s most basic needs.

By voting against health insurance for children, the President and a few partisan members of Congress are making life even harder for the millions of families who are already struggling to pay the mortgage, the rent, the heat or any number of household bills as they pile up.    » read more »

In Struggling Economy, Children’s Health Care More Critical Than Ever

January 23, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) today voted to support the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and override the President’s veto of bipartisan legislation to provide health care to 10 million children. One hundred and fifty-one House Republicans sided with President Bush to sustain the veto, and to block coverage for an additional 3.8 million children who are eligible but not enrolled in the current program.    » read more »

January 23, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to the United States House of Representatives failing to override President Bush’s veto of the Children’s Health Insurance Program.    » read more »

Bipartisan support needed for SCHIP expansion for children

January 23, 2008 -- CHICAGO – As part of his continued efforts to provide children and families with access to affordable healthcare coverage, Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today sent a letter to the Illinois congressional delegation urging them to provide needed support for a bipartisan State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill that will provide and expand coverage to an estimated 10 million American children.    » read more »

December 19, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on House passage of S. 2499, the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act. The bill, which extends SCHIP through March 31, 2009 and provides additional funding to ensure that no children currently enrolled will be dropped from their coverage, will now be sent to the President for his signature into law:    » read more »

December 19, 2007 -- "We are pleased that the Congress passed legislation to extend SCHIP until March 31, 2009 - and did so without raising taxes. This bill ensures that this important program for America's low-income children will remain in place. Ultimately our goal should be to move children who have no health insurance to private coverage -- not to move children who already have private insurance to government coverage.    » read more »

Bush "Scrooges" Kids

President Bush today for the second time vetoed the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a successful and bipartisan program that has provided health coverage to children from low-wage, working families for 10 years. The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA:

“The President’s veto today was a triumph of ideology over bipartisanship, of politics over the public good, and of cynicism over compassion and common sense.    » read more »

December 12, 2007 -- Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton issued the following statement after President Bush vetoed a bill that would give health care to low-income children:    » read more »

"Scrooge Must Be Working At The White House"

December 12, 2007 -- WASHINGTON – Today, President Bush once again vetoed a bill to provide health coverage for up to 10 million children from families that fall between Medicaid and private insurance. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who has led the fight in the Senate to preserve federal support for New Jersey’s strong FamilyCare program, released the following statement:    » read more »

December 13, 2007 -- Colorado Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien today issued the following statement on President Bush's second veto of SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program):

"At this holiday time, President Bush has ignored the needs of millions of children and vetoed spending for the Child Health Plan.    » read more »