Lipinski Hails Passage of Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act

Washington D.C. - Late last night, Congressman Dan Lipinski helped pass legislation to ensure millions of children receive needed health care and to protect Medicare for America's seniors. The Children's Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act reauthorizes the State Children's Health Insurance Program for five years and strengthen Medicare for seniors and people with disabilities.

"Providing our children with access to medical care is one of the most effective, worthwhile investments we can make as a nation," said Lipinski. "This legislation takes an important step towards providing all Illinois children with affordable health care by maintaining coverage for the 1.3 million children currently enrolled in Illinois' All Kids Program and providing additional support to the state so enrollment can be expanded."

Among other things, this legislation would:

• Reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and provide millions of dollars more to Illinois to provide children with health coverage.
• Ensure seniors continue to have access to the doctors of their choice by stopping a 10% cut in Medicare payments.
• Encourage seniors to seek preventive health benefits by eliminating co-payments and deductibles.
• Protect low-income seniors by expanding and improving programs to ensure Medicare remains affordable for those with lower incomes.
• Shore up Medicare's finances by extending the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund by two years.

Congressman Lipinski added, "At a time when the number of uninsured Americans continues to increase, this fiscally-responsible legislation is critical to improving access to health care for millions of children and seniors."