Senators Fight Bush on Kids' Insurance
Tuesday, September 11, 2007; Page A02
Forty-four senators, including six Republicans, called on President Bush yesterday to rescind new administrative restrictions that will make it harder for states to expand their popular State Children's Health Insurance Program.
"We oppose these new requirements as they will result in the loss of coverage for tens of thousands of children and could block efforts underway by other states working to insure more kids," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Bush.
Last month the administration informed states of the new rules, which restrict efforts to enroll children from families whose earnings are 2 1/2 times the federal poverty level. One change requires such children to lack insurance for at least a year before qualifying. Another mandates that at least 95 percent of eligible children from families whose earnings are less than double the poverty level be enrolled in Medicaid or SCHIP before the program is opened to higher-income families.
The administration has said that the new policies are necessary to keep SCHIP focused on low-income children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to buy insurance.
Republicans who signed yesterday's letter included Gordon Smith (Ore.), Susan Collins and Olympia J. Snowe (Maine), Arlen Specter (Pa.), Norm Coleman (Minn.), and Christopher S. Bond (Mo.).
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