Legislation Is Likely to be One of the First Bills Signed into Law by President Obama

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today joined a majority in the House of Representatives in support of bipartisan legislation to provide health care to 11 million children in modest-income families. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act was approved by a vote of 289-139. The bill is very similar to the legislation that President Bush vetoed twice in the 110^th Congress.

“No child in Biddeford or Bath or anywhere throughout our nation should ever go without medical care,” said Pingree. “I was proud to back a plan to help improve the health and chance for success for 11 million children, reduce the much more costly use of emergency rooms for primary care, and move us closer to providing every child in our nation with affordable, high-quality health care.”

“The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was created in 1997 to provide health care coverage for children in families that earn too little to afford health insurance for their children themselves but too much to qualify for Medicaid,” said Pingree. “This bill will give states the resources and incentives necessary to reach and cover millions of uninsured children who are currently eligible for, but not enrolled in, SCHIP and Medicaid.”

“This bipartisan bill has a broad range of support,” Pingree stated. “It has been endorsed by dozens of organizations, representing millions of Americans – ranging from business groups such as the National Federation of Independent Businesses and Business Roundtable to the American Hospital Association to such groups as AARP and Families USA.”  

This bipartisan bill reauthorizes the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) through FY 2013 and preserves the coverage for all 7.1 million children currently covered by SCHIP, including preserving the coverage of over 31,000 children in Maine.

The bill also extends health care coverage to 4.1 million additional low-income children, who are currently uninsured.

The bill is fully paid for – raising the tobacco tax by 61 cents. Raising the tobacco tax also promotes children’s health – by discouraging children from smoking. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a 61-cent increase in the tobacco tax means that 1,873,000 fewer children will take up smoking.

“Covering more eligible children is not only the right thing to do – it makes good economic sense for taxpayers who will not foot the bill for costlier problems down the road,” pointed out Pingree.   “In addition, a healthy child is better prepared for learning and success.”

“With rising unemployment, this children’s health bill is more critical than ever,” Pingree said. “In this recession, more and more American parents are losing employer-sponsored health care for their children and the need for this legislation is growing every day.”

“I hope this critical bill will be one of the first bills signed into law by President Obama,” concluded Pingree. “After three years of fighting for this legislation, an additional 4 million low-income children finally receiving health care coverage really is the change America needs.”