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Urge Senate to Vote for Children's Health Plan and Include Legal Resident Immigrant Children
Action Needed:
On the heels of the House's reauthorization (289-139) of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (H.R. 2), the Senate will take up their version of the bill (S. 275, Baucus, D-Mont.) which expands coverage to include an additional four million low-income children who have no health insurance. We anticipate that the Senate will vote early next week and we are asking you to contact both of your senators right now and urge them to vote for SCHIP and especially to oppose any attempt to dilute or strip the coverage for immigrant children who are legal residents (known as ICHIA, the Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act). This legislation also includes coverage of pregnant immigrant women whose children will be born as U.S.citizens.
ACT NOW!
Background:
As one of its first votes in the new 111th Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted on January 14 to expand the health insurance program for children in families who earn too much to be eligible for Medicaid and yet can't afford private health insurance. This expansion of SCHIP will prevent children in such circumstances from 'falling through the cracks' and having to rely on the emergency room for their health care.
Part of the House-passed bill was the Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act (ICHIA), which rectifies the current injustice that legal immigrants are barred from accessing health care through SCHIP or Medicaid for five years after arrival. Five years is unacceptable to deny any child health care because of a lack of health insurance. As a result of this unjust restriction, states are forced to spend scarce non-federal dollars to provide safety net programs for low-income immigrants. ICHIA allows legal immigrant children and pregnant women to access health benefits under Medicaid or SCHIP.
In the face of our current economic crisis, health care coverage for an additional four million children of struggling families is more important than ever. George W. Bush vetoed an expansion of SCHIP twice, but now with a supportive president, Barack Obama, advocates are hoping that this critical health care bill will be signed into law.
TAKE ACTION
Contact your Senators now and urge them to support SCHIP and oppose any attempts to undermine or eliminate the Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act (ICHIA) provisions. Or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard number, 202-224-3121, and ask to be connected to your senators' offices. Ask to speak to the staff person who handles health care issues.
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