U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) Supports Bill to Provide Coverage to 11 Million Children

 

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) today joined a bipartisan majority in the U.S. House of Representatives to approve legislation to ensure and provide health care coverage for 11 million children. The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization bill (H.R. 2) will renew and improve SCHIP’s current initiative.

“When it comes to SCHIP, change is no longer a slogan – it actually happened today on the floor of the House of Representatives and change will be fully realized when President Barack Obama signs SCHIP legislation into law,” said Congressman Meek. “President Bush vetoed this legislation twice in the 110th Congress. Now, we can truly demonstrate that change will occur in the 111th Congress by providing health care to 4 million more children.”

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization bill will preserve the coverage for the 7.1 million children currently covered by SCHIP and will extend coverage to 4.1 million uninsured children who are currently eligible for, but not enrolled in SCHIP and Medicaid. The bill is fully paid for and will increase the tobacco tax by 61 cents. Moreover, the bill will achieve savings by imposing restrictions on self-referral to physician-owned hospitals.

Florida KidCare is the state’s children’s health insurance program for uninsured children under age 19.  It includes four different parts, or programs: MediKids, Healthy Kids, Children's Medical Services and Medicaid.  KidCare enrollment in the state is 1,513,073 children. 

H.R. 2 would also:

·        Renew the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and reauthorize it for four and a half years -- through FY 2013;

·        Improve care and strengthen funding by investing billions in new funding over five years in SCHIP in order to strengthen SCHIP's financing; increasing health care coverage for low-income, uninsured children; improving the quality of health care children receive; and ensuring dental coverage and mental health parity;

·        Give states the option of covering certain legal immigrant children; and

·        Prioritizes children's coverage and phases out coverage of childless adults and parents. The bill phases out the coverage of childless adults and parents in SCHIP.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek represents the 17th Congressional District of Florida which includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He serves as the lone Democratic Floridian sitting on the House Committee on Ways and Means, and also sits on the House Armed Services Committee.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek represents the 17^th Congressional District of Florida which includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He serves as the lone Floridian sitting on the House Committee on Ways and Means, and also sits on the House Armed Services Committee.

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