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Home > News > State Children's Health Insurance Program Expansion Falls to President's Veto

State Children's Health Insurance Program Expansion Falls to President's Veto

Ohio is on the verge of making historic progress in children's health coverage. Just over five percent of our state's children remain uninsured, and Ohio's FY2008-2009 budget, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, includes a provision to provide health care to more of those children through Medicaid/SCHIP/the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

However, President Bush has delayed this initiative with his veto of SCHIP. SCHIP was reauthorized in 2007 with wide margins in both the House and the Senate, but the President has vetoed the legislation, and although today's vote in the House again demonstrated strong support for SCHIP, it failed to override the veto. Without additional SCHIP funding, 21 states, including Ohio, will face a total shortfall of $1.6 billion in FY2008, according to the Congressional Research Service.

"The President has failed our families and stands in the way of Ohio's progress," said Amy Swanson, executive director of Voices for Ohio's Children. "Now Ohio's kids look to Congress and the Ohio General Assembly to help them grow up healthy and strong. We urge Congress to provide a legislative solution to recent administration rulings that prevent Ohio and other states from covering more children with SCHIP. We also urge Ohio's elected leaders to stay committed to the full children's expansion they passed in the current state budget."

President Bush's veto puts at risk the health coverage of the 145,000 Ohio children who live in families with incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level and are currently covered by SCHIP. The action also limits Ohio's ability to expand SCHIP to cover an estimated 35,000 uninsured children living between 200%-300% of the federal poverty level.

"SCHIP is an efficient, effective way to provide kids the health coverage they need," said Swanson. "Ohio kids need coverage now, and they're depending on their state and federal legislators to get the job done."

Voices for Ohio's Children is a non-partisan voice of Ohio's nearly 3 million children. With more than 100 collaborative partners, we advance changes in public policy that improve the health, safety, education, family stability and childcare of all Ohio children and their families.