“This legislation will increase access to affordable health care for those who need it most,” said Cassidy. “I know from my experience working with the uninsured for twenty years that low income children deserve access to affordable health care.”
“Improving access to affordable health care is an important component of ensuring economic security. I am proud that the first piece of legislation I helped introduce moves us one step closer to that goal.”
Yesterday, Cassidy co-signed a letter to President-Elect Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging them to fulfill their pledges of bipartisanship by working with Republicans to expand and improve SCHIP by making it more cost-effective and focusing on serving low-income children.
In addition to reauthorizing and expanding SCHIP through 2012, the More Children, More Choices Act creates a refundable tax credit of $1,400 per child to help parents purchase quality health coverage for their children. Specifically, it strengthens SCHIP by:
· Giving priority access to low-income children by preventing those with a net worth over $500,000 or income exceeding 200% of the federal poverty threshold from crowding out truly needy children;
· Requiring states to allow participating families to choose the health care coverage plan that best suits their needs; and
· Helping families make informed health care decisions by requiring states to provide information explaining the different health care coverage choices available to them.
