On October 3 President Bush vetoed legislation to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for another five years. As this issue of Good News goes to press, congressional leaders plan a vote to override the presidential veto.

Enacted in 1997, SCHIP provides health coverage to uninsured children from modest income families who do not qualify for traditional Medicaid. Often these families are employed by businesses that do not offer health benefits. According to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 60% of employers offered health benefits in 2007, down from the 69% of employers that offered such benefits in 2000.

SCHIP has dramatically reduced the number of uninsured children. Since the program was enacted in 1997, the number of uninsured children has fallen by 2.7 million. According to a report of the Missouri Department of Social Services, there are 60,380 children enrolled in SCHIP. That represents over 60,000 Missouri children who were uninsured but now have health coverage because of SCHIP.

SCHIP coverage insures better health outcomes for needy children. According to the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, “Studies examining the effects of SCHIP show that children, even those with special health care needs, newly enrolled in SCHIP have improved access to care as measured by reductions in unmet health care needs, increased use of preventive care and an increased likelihood to have a regular source of care.”

As passed by Congress, the SCHIP reauthorization calls for funding over the next five years of $35 billion. This funding will allow SCHIP to continue to cover the 6.6 million children currently participating and to expand health coverage to nearly 4 million additional needy children.

President Bush vetoed the SCHIP reauthorization. The president has proposed SCHIP funding of less than $5 billion over the five-year period. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that funding SCHIP at this reduced level would not only prevent expansion of SCHIP but would also result in the loss of SCHIP coverage for over one million children.

Most states, including Missouri, have requirements to ensure that only truly needy children receive health coverage. In order to target truly needy children, the state of Missouri’s SCHIP program includes the following elements:

• The child must have been without health insurance for six months;
  
• The parents must prove through written documentation that no private health insurance is available at an affordable price;
  
• Higher income families must make co-pays and pay premiums.

The vast majority of children currently covered by SCHIP come from families with incomes hovering just above the federal poverty level. The higher income families participating in SCHIP typically have children with pre-existing high cost medical conditions that private insurance companies won’t cover at affordable premiums.

In a letter to the Senate Budget Committee earlier this year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops urged expansion of SCHIP and indicated that the $5 billion proposed by President Bush “will not be sufficient even to continue covering those currently enrolled in SCHIP, let alone covering additional eligible children.”

SCHIP reauthorization passed Congress by strong bipartisan majorities. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the legislation by a vote of 265 to 159, which included support from 45 House Republicans. The U.S. Senate passed the SCHIP reauthorization by a vote of 67 to 29, which included support from 18 Senate Republicans and two Independents. Both of Missouri’s U.S. Senators – Christopher “Kit” Bond and Claire McCaskill – voted for reauthorization. Republican Congressperson Jo Emerson joined with Congresspersons Carnahan, Clay, Cleaver and Skelton in supporting SCHIP reauthorization.

But four Missouri Congresspersons voted against SCHIP reauthorization – Todd Akins, Roy Blunt, Sam Graves and Kenny Hulshof.

The MCC will continue to monitor this legislation and keep you informed.