Health Insurance Reform; Coverage for our Children

Author: Crystal Fontaine

As Herbert Hoover once said, “Children are our most valuable natural resource.” We look to oil, trees, land, and so forth as the natural resources that we need to protect in order to survive and thrive. However, in order for future generations to enjoy those lush resources, we must take care of ourselves and our families, especially the wellbeing of our children.

Unfortunately, too many people go without going to see the doctor because they do not have health insurance coverage. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 45.7 million Americans or 15 percent of the population, were uninsured for the year of 2007. Although these figures represent an improvement from the previous year, the statistics show a fall since the year 2001, which showed six million fewer people were without health insurance compared to the year 2007. The report continues to state the main reason for the lack of insurance is due to the decline of employer-sponsored health insurance programs over the past several years.

President Obama has emphasized the importance of health care, especially health care coverage for our children. Not even a month into his presidency, President Obama has already signed into law the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. The legislation, sponsored by Frank Jr. Pallone, will become effective on April 1 of this year. The bill establishes the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund for payments to a state to abolish its shortfall and instructs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make performance bonus payments to states to counterbalance additional Medicaid and CHIP child enrollment costs.

Subtitle B of Title 1 of the bill focuses on low income children and pregnant women, giving states an option to cover targeted low-income pregnant women under CHIP through a state plan amendment. It also provides for a phase-out of CHIP coverage for non-pregnant childless adults; however, there will still be an option to apply for a Medicaid waiver in order to continue coverage. Under Title II, the SSA Title XXI is amended so that the Secretary may award grants during the fiscal years 2009-2013 for outreach and enrollment efforts to boost enrollment for eligible children. Subtitle C of Title VI continues this outreach effort by creating a task force to carry out a national campaign of education and outreach for small business concerns concerning the accessibility of coverage for children through Medicaid and CHIP.

In this bill, the Senate acknowledges that there is a necessity to improve the affordability and access to health insurance for all Americans, the value of building upon the existing private health insurance market, and verifies its intent to pass legislation  that expands access to significant and reasonable health insurance coverage for employees of small businesses and individuals.