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Boyda-Backed Bill Provides Health Safety Net to 11 Million Children

BOYDA SAYS NEXT STEP IN KEEPING KIDS HEALTHY IS PREVENTING PAYMENT CUTS TO PHARMACIES SERVING CHILDREN

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) today joined a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Children's Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act, which provides a health safety net to 11 million low-income American children.

Among other provisions, the bill extends the successful, bipartisan State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). SCHIP currently insures six million children, including 47,000 Kansans, but it is set to expire on September 30, 2007. If Congress does not reauthorize SCHIP by that date, millions of children would potentially lose access to affordable health care.

"Adults can decide whether or not to buy health insurance, but children don't have that choice. Kids who lack health coverage face a greater risk of illness, poor performance in school, and life-long medical conditions," Boyda said. "The CHAMP Act helps give Kansas kids a fair shot at a healthy life."

The CHAMP Act also helps states reach out to uninsured children who qualify for health coverage through SCHIP and Medicaid but are not currently enrolled. The bill does not expand eligibility for SCHIP; it merely helps states enroll more qualified children. These programs are expected to provide new health coverage to five million American kids.

The legislation is also cost-effective to taxpayers. Insuring an American child through SCHIP costs only $3.50 per day, and it helps prevent low-income children from using the emergency room – the most expensive health care resource – as a first-stop clinic.

Boyda added, "The CHAMP Act is a major first step toward helping kids stay healthy, but more work needs to be done. Medicaid is scheduled to drastically cut its reimbursements to pharmacies next year, and the lowered payments could devastate the health providers that serve Kansas kids. I've introduced legislation to fix the problem, the Save Our Community Pharmacies Act, and I'm hard at work to ensure that Congress passes my bill into law."