House approves health care for 10 million children

North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) voted with the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives this week in favor of bipartisan legislation that would extend the State Children's Health Insurance Program -- known in California as Healthy Families -- for five more years.

This bill has strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate, and it would allow 10 million American children to access health care.

”This bill is a prime example of Congress' commitment to taking our country in a new direction,” said Thompson. “It maintains coverage for the 6.6 million children currently enrolled in SCHIP, and it provides states with the resources to cover an additional 4 million kids who are currently eligible for, but not enrolled in SCHIP.”

The $35 billion reauthorization complies with House Pay-As-You-Go rules, meaning that it is fully offset and will not result in an increase to the deficit. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, it would result in the delivery of health care to more than 10 million children.

Healthy Families currently covers approximately 800,000 Californian children. These children reside in families that do not earn more than 250 percent of the federal poverty level, which translates to less than $43,000 per year for a family of three.

The bill also provides incentives for states to improve their outreach and enrollment programs targeting children eligible for SCHIP and Medicaid.

Thompson said he hopes President George Bush will put politics aside and sign the bill.