Keeping New Mexico K i d s Healthy

“We're working in Congress to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The legislation gives New Mexico more flexibility to cover kids from lower-income families and explicitly prevents states from covering illegal immigrants. We’ll keep pushing to reauthorize the New Mexikids program and to improve it so it works the way it's supposed to."              Heather Wilson

Here are some commonly asked questions about the Children's Health Insurance bill that Congress is debating:   

Will this legislation allow coverage for children in families with income up to $83,000?

NO. The $83,000 figure is erroneously based on a proposal by the State of New York that has already been denied by Bush Administration officials. This legislation actually makes it easier for New Mexico to use SCHIP dollars to cover lower income kids, which, surprisingly, we cannot currently do. Because of an anomaly in existing law, New Mexico can’t currently cover kids below 185% of poverty with the federal SCHIP funds. Under current law, a family of 3 making less than $31,776 cannot sign up for SCHIP; they must be signed up for the more expensive Medicaid program. Under this new bill, the State of New Mexico can use SCHIP dollars to fund health care for children in a family of 3 with yearly income from $22,836 to $31,765.

Will this legislation allow states to provide benefits to illegal immigrants?

NO. It is against the law now for illegal immigrants to sign up for SCHIP, and it will continue to be against the law under the new legislation. The SCHIP bill I supported not only specifically prohibits coverage for illegal immigrants, it includes tougher requirements for citizenship verification than exist under current law. While Medicaid has a requirement for citizenship documentation, SCHIP has no such requirement. This SCHIP bill extends the Medicaid documentation requirement to SCHIP and allows states to verify Social Security numbers with the Social Security Administration. Unless the bill becomes law, all a person has to do is say they’re a U.S. citizen to gain SCHIP benefits. I prefer the stronger approach that I voted for.

Will the SCHIP legislation greatly expand government health care and lead to socialized medicine?

NO. Right now, most states contract with private insurers and about two-thirds of the kids in SCHIP use private insurers. Only 35% are in a government administered fee-for-service program. The new SCHIP bill caps the income level beyond which states could not offer insurance. Under current law, New Jersey offers SCHIP to children in families earning up to 350% of the federal poverty level. The new legislation would prevent any other state from offering SCHIP insurance to anyone above 300% of the federal poverty level. It is a block grant program and most states do not offer coverage to families making more than 200% of poverty or $34,340 for a family of three.

Will the SCHIP bill cover middle-income adults?

NO. The bill would phase out coverage of childless adults in one to two years which is an improvement over the current law. The bill also transitions parents of children in SCHIP out of the SCHIP program and into a separate program with reduced federal funding. Current law has allowed states to use the SCHIP money to cover adults. That was not the intent of the program and it should be prohibited.

What happens if the differences over the SCHIP bill aren't resolved?

It is likely that SCHIP as it now exists would be extended for a year with no improvements or changes to the existing program. That would mean another year with lower income kids not eligible for SCHIP funding, weak citizenship enforcement, continued adult participation and no upper limit on eligibility. That is the current law. I think we can do better.