This summer the Senate and the House passed bills to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP), which provides health care coverage to millions of low-income children. This past Friday congressional leaders announced they had come to a bipartisan, bicameral agreement in a conference committee. Votes in both the House and Senate are expected this week so we must take action to encourage Congress to pass SCHIP reauthorization legislation at the $50 billion funding level NOW!
Over the past ten years, SCHIP has dramatically improved children's access to health care, and has made great strides in covering children. The program covers children from low-income families who do not qualify for Medicaid. As of today, SCHIP is only authorized through September 30, 2007, which is fast approaching. It is the right time to improve and strengthen SCHIP to further increase access to affordable, comprehensive, equitable, and quality health coverage for all of our nation's children. As a direct result of this program the percentage of low-income children in the
The conference bill will include up to $50 billion over five years to provide health care for about half of
Without SCHIP millions of children whose families cannot afford health care coverage will go uninsured!
TAKE ACTION
1. Contact your Senators and Representatives now, by phone or by email, and urge them to reauthorize SCHIP.
2. Send this alert to other concerned citizens - your grassroots network, your friends and coworkers. Encourage them to contact their Senators and Representatives today!
BACKGROUND
Learn more about what the League has done to support the reauthorization of the SCHIP.
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For additional information, please contact LWVUS Grassroots Lobbyist Christina Vamvas at lobbying@lwv.org.