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News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
For Immediate Release
Contact: Chip Weiskotten, 202-226-8553
Russ Levsen, 202-226-4449

HERSETH SANDLIN SUPPORTS BIPARTISAN CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION

Urges President to Sign Bill to Cover Thousands of Uninsured South Dakota Kids

September 25, 2007, Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin joined colleagues on both sides of the aisle in casting her vote to pass a bipartisan bill that reauthorizes and strengthens the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for five years – providing health insurance for more than 10 million children nationwide.

SCHIP provides health coverage to American children whose parents do not qualify for Medicaid, but can’t afford private insurance. The bill will preserve coverage for all 6.6 million children currently covered by SCHIP, and reach millions more low-income, uninsured American children in the next five years.

Though estimates vary, in South Dakota alone the funding provided through this bill could potentially provide health insurance for more than 8,000 children who would otherwise be uninsured. Currently, approximately 11,000 South Dakota children per month are covered under SCHIP.

Rep. Herseth Sandlin said, “Covering more kids with adequate health insurance is just the right thing to do, and I am proud to support this important program. I am very hopeful that the president will put the health care needs of our nation’s children ahead of partisan politics and sign this bill.”

In July, Rep. Herseth Sandlin convened a panel of South Dakota health care experts and children’s advocates in Sioux Falls. Participants in that meeting, including officials from the South Dakota State Medical Association, AARP-South Dakota, Community Health Association of the Dakotas, South Dakota Voices for Children, Sanford Health and Avera Health, discussed the overwhelming positive impact of SCHIP in South Dakota and the need to keep the program strong.

Some of the improvements to SCHIP contained within the reauthorization include:

• Reauthorizes and Strengthens SCHIP. The bill reauthorizes the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, investing an additional $35 billion over five years to strengthen SCHIP’s financing; increase health care coverage for low-income, uninsured children; and improve the quality of health care children receive.
  
• Ensures health care coverage for more than 10 million American children. First, the bill ensures that the 6.6 million children who currently participate in SCHIP continue to receive health care coverage. It also extends coverage to 3.8 million children who are currently uninsured, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
  
• Improves SCHIP benefits -- ensuring dental coverage and mental health parity. Under the bill, quality dental coverage will now be provided to all children enrolled in SCHIP. The bill also ensures that states will offer mental health services on par with medical and surgical benefits covered under SCHIP.
  
• Provides states incentives to enroll uninsured low-income children. The bill provides incentives for states to lower the rate of uninsured children by enrolling eligible children in SCHIP and Medicaid, including providing bonus payments. States will receive state-based allotments that are responsive to state demographic and national spending trends. States that face a funding shortfall and meet enrollment goals will receive an adjustment payment to ensure that no child who is eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP is denied coverage or placed on a waiting list.
  
• Improves outreach tools to streamline enrollment of eligible children. The bill provides $100 million in grants for new outreach activities to states, local governments, schools, community-based organizations, safety-net providers and others.
  
• Improves the quality of health care for low-income children. The bill establishes a new quality child health initiative to develop and implement quality measures and improve state reporting of quality data.

This strong reauthorization of SCHIP is supported by a broad range of more than 270 organizations, representing millions of Americans, including such diverse groups as the American Medical Association, AARP, America’s Health Insurance Plans, Healthcare Leadership Council and Catholic Charities.

# # #

Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress, Rep. Herseth Sandlin was one of only 15 members appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.