Rep. Salazar announces reauthorization of SCHIP

SCHIP Will Ensure Continued Access to Health Care for 56,000 Children in Colorado

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the U.S. House passed the bipartisan House-Senate agreement on the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization ensuring low income children in Colorado will not go without healthcare.

Created in 1997, SCHIP was created to provide health care coverage for children in families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private insurance.  Six million children have health care because of SCHIP.  “There are over 56,000 children in Colorado who rely on SCHIP for their healthcare needs,” Rep. Salazar said. There are 180,000 uninsured children in Colorado, and it is estimated that 2/3 of these children are eligible for CHP+ but not currently enrolled and over 2/3 of the children covered by SCHIP are from two income households.

President Bush is has threatened to veto this important legislation, “Providing healthcare for children isn’t about politics, it’s about healthy children and healthy families,” Rep. Salazar said, “If the President vetoes this legislation it will be very disappointing.  If we can spend $200 billion for the war in Iraq, we can certainly provide $35 billion over five years for the health of our children.”