Summary of Child Health Expansions in Amended Substitute House Bill 119 Center for Children & Families House SCHIP Bill Summary Center for Children & Families Senate SCHIP Bill Summary [PDF]Summary of Senate and House CHIP Reauthorization & Medicare Improvement Plans [PDF]Protecting America's Futures State by State SCHIP Report Senator Brown and Governor Strickland Support SCHIP Orlando Sentinel Article SCHIP News Clips SCHIP General Talking Points Cool Responses to Hot Questions New Charges about How House Children's Health Bill Affects Undocumented Immigrants are False Private Plans Continue to Use Misleading Arguments to Oppose Reforms of Medicare Overpayments House Health Legislation Would Curb Medicare Overpayments to Private Plans, While Aiding Medicare Beneficiaries Overall The Week's Top Five Myths Regarding Congressional Efforts to Strengthen Children's Health Coverage Cincinnati Coverage Dayton Coverage

Congress Debates SCHIP Reauthorization

Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate voted to approve legislation reauthorizing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and guarantee that millions more of America’s children will have access to health care coverage. The Senate unanimously approved an amendment to SCHIP titled the Support for Injured Servicemembers Act extending Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave for up to six months for the families of wounded servicemembers (including those caring for family members recovering from combat-related injuries).  The Senate’s majority vote (68-31) indicates an impetus toward work and family issues.

While President Bush has threatened to veto the SCHIP reauthorization, Congressional leaders from both parties have vowed to fight to expand access to this successful program. The House passed its own version of the SCHIP reauthorization bill, which does not include the Support for Injured Servicemembers Act, so it will need to be reconciled with the Senate’s version. 

When Congress reconvenes in September, House and Senate leaders will need to work quickly to finalize the bill before SCHIP funding expires. One advantage is that the House and Senate bills share some important elements. Both provide states with new funding and tools to cover uninsured children, particularly those in the lowest-income families who already are eligible for SCHIP or Medicaid. From a child health perspective, the largest single difference is that the House devotes $50 billion to covering children compared to $35 billion in the Senate. As a result, the House bill is expected to cover a million more children than the Senate bill.

Perhaps the largest obstacle to progress is the possibility that the White House will use the occasion of SCHIP reauthorization to foster a philosophical dispute over the future of health care -- whether it be privatized or made public. A veto for the SCHIP bill would hurt children and be sorely out of step with the position of key leaders in the President’s own party, the nation’s Governors, as well as the American people.

Click the links in the light blue box to the right for more information on the activity surrounding SCHIP reauthoriation.

In addition, feel free to make use of the materials below to generate letters to the editor as well as letters of thanks and regret to public officials.

Sample Letters to the Editor

Template, Brown thank you letter

Template, Voinovich regret letter

Template, Representative thank you letter

Template, Representative regret letter