SCHIP Expansion is a Win for PA

This month marked a triumph for uninsured children in the nation. Earlier this year, President Obama signed into law the reauthorization and expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Using Pennsylvania's program (CHIP) as a model, SCHIP gives states federal money to cover uninsured children to age 18 in families with incomes above Medicaid eligibility levels but who cannot afford health insurance.

President Bush vetoed this legislation twice during his terms in the White House.

The new bill provides $33 billion in government-subsidized insurance. It is expected to halve the number of uninsured children in the United States over the next 41/2 years, and bring the total number of children covered by the program to 11 million. The program is paid for by tobacco taxes.

This is common sense legislation that is a win for all involved. Nothing is more important than adequate healthcare, especially for our children. In these difficult economic times where so many parents are losing their jobs and wondering how they will make ends meet, it is reassuring to know that families with children will be unburdened with healthcare issues.

Currently, there are about 184,000 children on SCHIP in Pennsylvania, up 11 percent from a year ago. In Philadelphia, enrollment increased from 26,611 in October 2008 to 28,273 this month.

In Pennsylvania, we have gone beyond the federal model by offering health insurance to all uninsured children with the “Cover All Kids” policy. This means that every uninsured child is eligible for health insurance under CHIP or Medicaid.

Pennsylvania has always been at the forefront of this issue. I was pleased to be a strong supporter of the original CHIP bill and worked diligently to get it passed through the General Assembly and signed into law. The original CHIP legislation was signed into law December 2, 1992 as Act 113.

For families of four making up to $42,000 a year (about twice the federal poverty level of $21,200), CHIP is free.

If families of four make between $42,000 and $63,000, they must pay an average monthly insurance premium of $40 to $64 per child.

A family of four making more than $63,600 can get insurance at a cost of $161 per child per month.

Those wanting more information about SCHIP in Pennsylvania should go to www.chipcoverspakids.com or call, toll free, 1-800-986-KIDS (TTY/TDD 1-800-451-5886).

High Numbers of Uninsured Adults Continue to Plague the State

While I stand in appreciation for the President and Congress taking a bold step for the safety and welfare of thousands of Pennsylvania’s children, there is still much to be done for the millions of uninsured adults. According to a survey done by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, more than one million Pennsylvanians, many of them employed adults, lack health insurance.

8% of Pennsylvania residents have no type of health insurance coverage (a slight increase from 2004).

Those between the ages of 19 and 44 are most likely to be uninsured.

This is an issue that has been plaguing the legislature for generations. It is an issue that is not going away; in fact, it gets worse every day as more individuals are added to the number of uninsured in Pennsylvania because of job loss. It is an issue that demands our attention right now!

This week, across the nation, we observe "Cover the Uninsured Week." It is fitting that we once again open up dialogue on this issue that is so important to so many Pennsylvanians. Quality health insurance is not a luxury, it is a necessity, a necessity that so many individuals have to do without because some government leaders have chosen to turn a blind eye to their plight.

This is a very critical time for Pennsylvania; we are facing one of the worst financial crises in our modern history. Just as critical is providing adequate health insurance to over one million Pennsylvanians. The current economic crisis demands that we take immediate action.

Governor Rendell has repeatedly called on the legislature to approve legislation that would provide more individuals with state health insurance and time after time we have dropped the ball on this high priority issue.

In his recent budget address, the Governor proposed expanding the adultBasic program to provide affordable basic health insurance for more of the uninsured. This coverage would be provided by private insurance companies and would include coverage for prescription drugs. The governor said that this proposal would increase the number of low income Pennsylvanians with state-supported health care insurance by 50,000 - from approximately 40,000 at the end of fiscal year 2008-09 to an estimated 90,000 by the end of 2009-10.

Last session, my colleague from Allegheny County, Jay Costa, and I developed quality legislation that would have provided access to low-cost health insurance to hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians. But, the Senate failed to act. We cannot afford inaction any longer. The uninsured need relief and they need it now.