Congress is preparing for swift action on refunding and expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP, under the new Obama administration.
After years of battling with President Bush to get a law on the books, the House passed a bill Jan. 15 to reauthorize SCHIP, with the Senate Finance Committee approving a similar bill Jan. 19 for $31.5 billion.
"The current economic crisis makes reauthorization of this program essential," said former House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.). "It is clear that the time to act is now."
Last year, after failed attempts to override a presidential veto, Congress passed an extension to fund SCHIP through March 31, 2009.
The new House bill will reauthorize the program for 4.5 years and will cover approximately 4.1 million additional children who would otherwise be uninsured. The program already provides coverage for 7 million children.
States have been struggling with a decreased tax base and rising uninsured under the depressed economy. Lawmakers say this bill would provide needed relief and mark the beginning of U.S. healthcare reform.
Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, commended the House for passing the bill.
"This achievement is an important building block for comprehensive healthcare reform," Ignagni said. "Expanding coverage for kids moves us one step closer to ensuring every American has access to high-quality, affordable healthcare coverage."
David Merritt, project director for the Center for Health Transformation, said he feels confident from conversations on Capitol Hill that the SCHIP bill will move through Congress. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said the SCHIP bill would be among the first healthcare bills considered this year.
In addition to funding and expanding the SCHIP program, the bill would give states the option to end the five-year waiting period for low-income, uninsured children who are legal residents.
"This is far from healthcare reform, but it is a necessary start," Waxman said.