"Health & Medical News"

The U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote today on a revised children’s health bill that addresses some of President Bush’s concerns about eligibility, the Associated Press reported Oct. 25.

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill, previously vetoed by Bush, still calls for a $35-billion expansion funded by a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tobacco tax. It also calls for parity coverage of addiction and mental health problems. But the revised measure would now exclude families earning more than three times the federal poverty level, and phase out eligibility for low-income childless adults.

Bush’s primary stated objection in vetoing the bill was that it would allow higher-income families to replace private health insurance with the government-funded SCHIP. The Senate easily mustered enough votes to override the veto, but the House fell 13 votes short of the needed two-thirds majority. In a letter, 38 House GOP members outlined their objections to the bill, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said have now been addressed.

However, the administration continued to object to the SCHIP legislation, with Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt stating that Congress has failed to justify the program’s expansion from covering 4 million children to covering 10 million.

The revised bill is expected to easily pass both houses of Congress, but Bush has already vowed to veto it again.

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Posted by kim on Oct 31, 2007 11:05 AM EDTThis is crazy- in this economy where things continue to be tight and families are struggling without insurance- not everyone has benefits like they representives and senators or have the financial reasouces they have. Cover the children and don’t penalilze those families who need help- let families pay in a pre-paid medical ins format- sliding income based if no insurance available at their jobs. Here again they are encouraging people to stay poor and below the proverty level to get help- for some its impossible to get out.
Posted by Sarah on Oct 29, 2007 07:31 PM EDTBush is in bed with the tobacco industry and has been since his beginnings in politics. It’s awful that our leader would rather protect a company that makes a product that if used as intended will kill you, but not our nation’s children.
Posted by James Cooper on Oct 28, 2007 10:59 AM EDTI am appauled the members of congress is using our children as a political matter instead of what really needs to be addressed. This bill should only address the children and not have everything else attached to it that is just another ploy for political gain. I think it is a time that we push the younger generation to oust all of the politics and vote people in that is really concerned about what is really needed. These children need help, but the children that can’t afford the insurance. I am also sick and tired of the congress just doling out money to people instead of making them look for work. New Orleans is a good example. People from the Hurricane that was devastated they say, is riding around in very expensive vehicles living off of the government, and not doing a thing to imrove their property or trying to move back, and as long as the congress keeps giving them money the hard working people of this country is having to foot the bill. It is time to get the bleeding hearts out of office and correct the system or abolish the IRS so people who work hard for their money don’t have to pay for dead beats that now live better than them.
Posted by Cher on Oct 26, 2007 10:32 PM EDTI don’t think Bush is taking into consideration the needs of the common people. The kids of low income families need health care!! We also need the parity bill so that we can stop discrimination against the two illnesses. I don’t think Bush is in touch with the people.
Posted by Luis M. Lozano on Oct 26, 2007 02:30 PM EDTThis bill has become a political football and will probably not be passed by this Congress. Even though the original bill was passed by the Republicans when they were in the majority they are not about to let the Democrats take the credit for expanding health care to our children. What an unfortunate fate awaits us all when health care is in the hands of politicians.
Posted by Dee White on Oct 26, 2007 02:27 PM EDTPoverty is poverty. Why penalize childless couples who may be using good sense in not bringing children into their world right now? Are we saying, is this overpopulated world, that bringing an innocent child into this tough situation is best?
Posted by Linda Hesson on Oct 26, 2007 10:44 AM EDTCourage is doing what’s right, not what’s popular. This bill needs to pass and everyone knows it but the Bush administration? That’s ludicrous.
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Tags: Revised, SCHIP, Faces, Another, House