Press Room
On The Issues
Photo Gallery
Multimedia
Committees
eNewsletter Sign-up
Just For Kids!

Contact Stephanie
Flag Requests
Visit DC
Casework
Internships
Academy Nominations

Sponsored 110th
Co-Sponsored 110th
Sponsored 109th
Co-Sponsored 109th
Sponsored 108th
Co-Sponsored 108th

About Stephanie
About South Dakota
Useful Links
Thomas
Veterans History
   Project

For Immediate Release
Contact: Betsy Hart 202-226-8555

HERSETH SANDLIN SUPPORTS BIPARTISAN CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE BILL

Washington, DC, January 14, 2009-Today, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin joined with a bipartisan majority of her colleagues in passing legislation to strengthen and reauthorize the popular State Children’s Health Insurance Program to provide health insurance for 11 million children nationwide. Approximately 11,000 children in South Dakota per month receive health care coverage through this bipartisan program.

SCHIP provides health coverage to American children whose parents do not qualify for Medicaid, but don’t earn enough to afford private insurance. The bill will preserve coverage for the nearly seven million children currently covered by SCHIP and reach approximately four million more low-income, uninsured American children in the next five years.

“Every child in South Dakota and across the country deserves access to high-quality health care,” Rep. Herseth Sandlin said. “With a weak economy and rising unemployment taking its toll on families across our state, I’m pleased with the quick action by this Congress to address this critical need and am hopeful that it will be one of the first pieces of legislation signed by President-elect Obama after he is sworn in next week.”

• Reauthorizes and Strengthens SCHIP. The bill invests billions in new funding over five years in SCHIP in order to strengthen SCHIP’s financing; increase health care coverage for low-income, uninsured children; and improve the quality of health care children receive.
• Ensures health care coverage for 11 million American children. The bill renews and improves the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, reauthorizing it for four and a half years – through FY 2013. The bill ensures that the 7 million children who currently participate in SCHIP continue to receive coverage. It also extends coverage to 4 million uninsured children, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
• Improves SCHIP benefits – ensuring dental coverage and mental health parity. Under the bill, quality dental coverage will now be provided to all children enrolled in SCHIP. The bill also ensures that states will offer mental health services on par with medical and surgical benefits covered under SCHIP.
• Provides resources for states to reach uninsured children who are today eligible for SCHIP and Medicaid but not yet enrolled. Two-thirds of uninsured children are currently eligible for coverage through SCHIP or Medicaid – but better outreach and adequate funding are needed to identify and enroll them. This bill gives states the resources and incentives necessary to reach and cover millions of uninsured children who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, SCHIP and Medicaid.
• Improves outreach tools to streamline enrollment of eligible children. The bill provides $100 million in grants for new outreach activities to states, local governments, schools, community-based organizations, safety-net providers and others.
• Improves the quality of care for low-income children. The bill establishes a new initiative to develop and implement pediatric health quality measures and improve state reporting of quality data.

This strong reauthorization of SCHIP is supported by a broad range of organizations, representing millions of Americans, including such diverse groups as the Divided We Fail Partnership (AARP, Business Roundtable, National Federation of Independent Businesses and SEIU), American Hospital Association, Families USA, PhRMA and the National Governor’s Association.

###