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www.mybaycity.com October 14, 2007
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80,000 More Michigan Children Would Get Insurance if Bush Veto is Trumped

Rep. Dave Camp Among Six Michigan Republicans Targeted by Catholic Radio Ad

October 14, 2007       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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The National Academy for State Health Policy uses this "circle of kids" photo to promote the SCHIP program.
 

Does the SCHIP bill expanding health insurance for low and moderate income children and adults go too far?

Or is it a humanitarian measure that would save lives and preserve the health of the vulnerable in our society?

Those are the issues that are sharpening and will likely command wide-spread media and public attention this week.

Mid-Michigan voters will begin hearing radio ads on Christian and talk radio stations by Catholics United today, Monday, Oct. 15, urging U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, to vote to over-ride President Bush's veto of SCHIP.

SCHIP was created in 1997 with broad bipartisan support to give states new resources to expand publicly-funded coverage to children who don't have health insurance.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities USA, and the Catholic Health Association have all urged Congress and President Bush to support SCHIP.

The Catholic group states that the votes of these members of Congress may compromise their standing as Right to Life backers.


Backers of the over-ride assert that charges that the legislation will provide insurance coverage to illegal aliens are untrue.

According to the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., states have broad flexibility to set their SCHIP income eligibility levels; most states cover children up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), which, in 2006, was equivalent to $2,767 in monthly income ($33,204 per year) for a family of three.

Michigan sets SCHIP eligibility for Medicaid infants ages 0-1 at 185 percent of poverty ($30,713 per year); children age 1-5 at 150 percent of poverty ($24,903 per year); and children 6-19 at 150 percent of poverty ($24,903 per year). Michigan children covered under separate SCHIP programs are eligible up to 200 percent of poverty ($33,204 per year).

According to the Urban Institute, an estimated 70 percent of all children who would gain or retain public coverage under the Senate bill (including those who switch from private to public coverage) have incomes below 200 percent of the FPL, and 76 percent of all children who would gain or retain public coverage under the House bill have incomes below 200 percent of the FPL.

The interests of children's health should triumph over politics, Gov. Jennifer Granholm asserted in her weekly radio address last Friday.

Gov. Granholm urged citizens to ask the six Michigan congressmen who voted against the reauthorization and expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to override the president's veto when the House of Representatives holds a vote this week.

Several Republican Members of Congress are among supporters of the legislation, noted Lansing sources as the political rhetoric heated up over the issue on both sides of the aisle.

The legislation would allow Michigan to extend health insurance to as many as 80,000 uninsured, low-income children in addition to the 55,000 already covered by Michigan's SCHIP program.

"The bottom line is that this bill is good for Michigan's children and good for Michigan's economy," Ms. Granholm said.

"In order to overturn President Bush's veto of children's health insurance, we need to convince the six Michigan congressmen who voted "no" to change their votes and say "yes" to provide Michigan kids with the health care they need."

President Bush vetoed bipartisan legislation that would have reauthorized the bipartisan State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and give 10 million low-income children health care coverage. On September 25, Rep. Joe Knollenberg was among voted against providing children the health care they need (Roll Call Vote HR 976), Michigan Democrats charged.

"This issue goes beyond partisan politics," said Gary Peters, Democratic congressional candidate in Michigan's 9th Congressional district. "This is about protecting the health care of Michigan's children. Even though Joe Knollenberg has previously voted the wrong way, he needs to understand the critical importance of this issue to his constituents and vote to override President Bush's veto."

Democrats noted that SCHIP is supported by a vast majority of Governors, as well as a bipartisan coalition in Congress. Michigan Republicans voting for the bipartisan legislation include Rep. Fred Upton, Kalamazoo; Representative Vernon Ehlers, Grand Rapids; and Representative Candice Miller, Macomb County.

Catholics United have announced the launch of a radio advertising campaign targeting ten members of Congress, including six from Michigan. The group asserts that the members' opposition to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has compromised their pro-life voting records.

The ads, featuring a mother urging her Congressional representative to support SCHIP, will primarily air on Christian and talk radio stations from Monday Oct. 15 to Wednesday, Oct. 17 as Congress approaches a critical Oct. 18 vote to override President Bush's veto of bipartisan SCHIP legislation.

"Building a true culture of life requires public policies that promote the welfare of the most vulnerable," said Chris Korzen, executive director of Catholics United. "At the heart of the Christian faith is a deep and abiding concern for the need of others. Pro-life Christians who serve in Congress should honor this commitment by supporting health care for poor children."

The following members of Congress have voted against SCHIP, which provides high-quality health coverage to more than six million children whose families would otherwise be unable to afford insurance. Radio ads will air on local radio stations in their congressional districts:

Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, Dade City, Florida; Rep. Joseph Knollenberg, Farmington Hills, Michigan; Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, Livonia, Michigan; Rep. Tim Walberg, Jackson, Michigan; Rep. Steve Chabot, Cincinnati, Ohio; Rep. Gene Taylor, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; Rep. Michelle Bachmann, Stillwater, Minnesota; Rep. Sam Graves, Liberty, Missouri; Rep. Thelma Drake, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Rep. John Peterson, State College, Pennsylvania.

The script for the radio commercial reads: "I'm the mother of three children, and I'm pro-life. I believe that protecting the lives our children must be our nation's number one moral priority. That's why I'm concerned that Congressman X says he's pro-life but votes against health care for poor children. That's not pro-life. That's not pro-family. Tell Congressman X to vote for health care for children. Call him today at XXXX, that's XXXXX."

According to the Center for Families and Children at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., children generally must be uninsured to qualify for SCHIP-funded coverage. Some states require children to be uninsured for some period of time (e.g., 3 or 6 months) before they can enroll, but this is not a federal requirement.

States can cap or freeze enrollment in separate SCHIP programs.They cannot, however, close enrollment to eligible children in a SCHIP-funded Medicaid expansion.

Federal rules require states with separate SCHIP-funded programs to coordinate their enrollment procedures with Medicaid to prevent children from "falling through the cracks" and remaining uninsured and to ensure that children are enrolled in the proper program.

In general, SCHIP funds (as well as regular Medicaid funds) may not be used to cover immigrant children who are lawfully present but have not been in the country for five years or undocumented children.The new citizenship documentation requirement established in the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) applies to citizen children applying for Medicaid (including SCHIP-funded Medicaid expansions), not to separate SCHIP programs.

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Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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