Nelson joins effort to protect, expand children's health coverage

Friday, January 30, 2009

WASHINGTON -- Last night (Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009), the United States Senate passed legislation to reauthorize and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson joined 65 of his colleagues in supporting the measure.

"Providing this health care not only helps low-income children and their families, it helps prevent more serious illnesses and higher costs to taxpayers down the road. This bill will ensure that thousands of Nebraska children get off to a good start," said Nelson. "As Nebraska's governor, I supported this program and worked with the Nebraska Legislature to create Kids Connection. I'm proud to support it again today."

S-CHIP is a joint federal-state program that is intended to provide health coverage for children whose families make too much to receive Medicaid, but either can't afford private coverage or do not receive it through their work.

The reauthorization passed by the Senate devotes additional funding to the program over the next five years and provides states with flexibility and federal assistance to cover more children.

In 2006, the SCHIP portion of Kids Connection covered 44,981 Nebraska children. Nebraska currently has an additional 31,000 uninsured children (17,050 of which are eligible but un-enrolled). This bill will help expand coverage to those children.

"With skyrocketing costs and a growing number of uninsured, health care issues are among the most challenging facing this country today. With this bipartisan vote, the Senate is not only expanding access to children, it is making its pledge to continue efforts to provide affordable, market-based coverage to millions of Americans," said Nelson.

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