Increasing Health Care Funding for TN Children

January 14, 2009, WASHINGTON, D.C. – With an estimated 8.6 million children in the United States without health care insurance, the U.S. House passed legislation today (Jan. 14th) to reduce this number and ensure that children from low-income families get necessary medical care when they need it.

“Here in Tennessee, almost 10% of children are uninsured,” said Congressman Bart Gordon, who voted for the bill.  “If we let these children and others around the country fall through the cracks, they end up in the emergency room needing care that costs more than it would have if they originally had health care coverage.  By increasing funding for this program, all Americans in turn will benefit.”

The bill, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization (SCHIP) Act, was passed by the House with bipartisan support.  SCHIP was created in 1997 to provide health care coverage to children from families that earn too little to afford health insurance for their children but too much to qualify for Medicaid.  SCHIP covers 7 million children today.  The increased funding will allow the program to cover an additional 4 million children in the United States.
 
“While an estimated 45,000 Tennessee children are eligible for SCHIP coverage,” explained Gordon, “the program is only able to cover about 32,000 children.  By increasing funding and expanding the program, we will be able to bridge this gap.”

The bill is expected to pass the Senate later this week and be the first bill signed into law by President-elect Barack Obama upon his inauguration.