WASHINGTON HOPES FOR SWIFT PASSAGE OF CHILD INSURANCE EXPANSION


Washington

          HARRISBURG, June 22 – State Sen. LeAnna M. Washington (D-Phila. /Montgomery) said today that she is hopeful that legislation that would provide health insurance coverage for Pennsylvania’s 133,000 uninsured children is passed swiftly.

          “There are thousands of children with no health insurance coverage in Pennsylvania, that is a crime,” Washington said.  “Who ensures that these children grow up healthy?  How do these children get well when they are sick?  With the passage of this legislation, we will see to the welfare of these children, we will ensure that they grow up healthy.”

          Speaking after a joint hearing of the House and Senate Democratic Policy Committees on Gov. Ed Rendell’s “Cover All Kids” proposal, yesterday, Washington said that providing health insurance to all children in Pennsylvania is the right thing to do and should be a high priority to all lawmakers.

          The joint committee heard testimony on two bills (Senate Bill 1192 and House Bill 2697) that would implement the Governor’s “Cover all Kids” health insurance expansion.

          “With childhood obesity and other illnesses that could threaten the lives of children as they get older on the rise, it is important that all children have health insurance coverage in order to prevent these life threatening impacts later in life.”

          William A. Shaffer of the state Insurance Department told lawmakers that they should act on the legislation this month to enable the agency to expand eligibility to 15,000 uninsured children in the first year of the program. The legislation would commit $4.4 million in state funds and provides for a waiver through the federal government for an additional $10.2 million to cover the first year program costs.

          Cover All Kids would assist parents of children whose combined family income exceeds the income eligibility limits of CHIP, yet cannot afford to purchase insurance for their children.  Benefits of the program include doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription drugs, vision care, home health care, mental health and substance abuse services.

          “The CHIP program has been an excellent mainstay, over the years, in seeing that Pennsylvania’s children are given access to quality healthcare,” Washington said.  “But there is much more that could be done to ensure that all Pennsylvania children have access to quality healthcare.”