House passes State Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization bill 289-139

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson today voted for H.R. 2, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization bill, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 289-139.  The legislation reauthorizes the SCHIP program through fiscal year 2013 and preserves coverage for the 7 million children currently covered by SCHIP, including 710,690 in Texas.  It also extends coverage to 4 million uninsured children.

“Texas has the highest number of uninsured kids in the nation, and I’m proud to vote for this bill,” Congresswoman Johnson said.  “Providing health insurance to children is the right thing to do.  It is also the smart thing to do—comprehensive, quality health insurance is more cost-effective for taxpayers than emergency room visits, and healthy children are better able to do well in school.”

In addition to reauthorizing SCHIP, H.R. 2 contains provisions that will strengthen it.  Two-thirds of uninsured children are eligible for coverage through SCHIP or Medicaid, and the legislation provides funding for states to develop better outreach to identify and enroll them.  The legislation will also extend dental coverage to children enrolled in SCHIP and ensure that states offer mental health services on par with medical and surgical benefits.

SCHIP was created in 1997 to cover children in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance.  The reauthorization legislation is fully paid-for and will be funded by increasing the tobacco tax by 61 cents and by closing a loophole in Medicare that allows physicians to profit from referring their patients to hospitals in which they have an ownership interest.

Congresswoman Johnson’s floor statement in support of H.R. 2 is below:

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009.

Texas ranks last in the nation in terms of taking care of its children.  A report released in 2009 by the organization called “Texans Care for Children” contains dismal statistics.

For example: 

    *  Texas continues to rank 50th out of 50 among the states in health coverage for children.

    * Infant mortality rates have steadily climbed in Texas this decade, while remaining unchanged in the nation as a whole.

    * Texas still ranks near the bottom in child hunger, child poverty, and child deaths from abuse or neglect.

The State of Texas continues to be ineffective at resolving the problem of uninsured children in our state.

I am sympathetic to states’ needs to avoid revenue shortfalls regarding SCHIP, and so I support Congress allocating the funds needed to cover children in need.

Today’s legislation is similar to a bill passed by Congress in 2007 and vetoed by the President. 

It would provide health care coverage to 11 million children in this country who currently have none.

I support a generous expansion of this program.

Children with health insurance are more likely to be up to date on immunizations and to receive treatment for sore throats, ear aches and other illnesses.

Good health means fewer sick days and better school performance-- and less burden on our emergency rooms.

As a nurse, I can not over-emphasize how important it is for young people to have a medical home. 
Having a family physician can prevent so many minor illnesses from developing into serious, expensive illnesses.

Health care coverage of children just makes good sense.

I urge my colleagues to avoid delay in passing this bill, as is critical for the health of so many children.

Thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a senior member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which, includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.