Washington, D.C. - Today, the House overwhelmingly passed legislation to renew the State Children’s Health Insurance Program until March 2009.  The legislation, known as the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 contains the children’s health proposal pushed by U.S. Representative Kevin Brady.

“I helped create the children’s health insurance program in 1997 and believe it is a fantastic program to keep kids and families healthy, ” said Brady. “So I am pleased we have extended it.    Now we need to work together in Congress to make it a better program because there are so many abuses by some states that ultimately hurt the children of working parents we are trying to help.”

Enacted by Congressional Republicans in 1997, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program allows states to provide health coverage to low-income, uninsured children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid.  In Texas that means families making around $40,000 a year or less. The state currently covers about 300,000 children in Texas and there is a need to reach more kids, says Brady.  

Congress has been playing political games with the program for most of the year.  

In response, Rep. Brady joined Rep. Joe Barton (TX) in introducing H.R. 3584, the SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, which would renew the current SCHIP program until 2009 and provide the funding necessary to make sure all states would be able to maintain their programs.  The substance of this bill was adopted today as part of the broader S. 2499, the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007. 

“I am pleased that Congressional Democrats have realized that it is time to stop playing politics with our children’s health care,” stated Brady.  “I now hope that we can work together over the next two years to craft a bipartisan plan for ensuring low-income, uninsured kids receive the care they need.”

In addition to renewing the SCHIP program, the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 provides Medicare doctors a temporary payment increase, protects important rural health programs from expiring and blocks the implementation of regulations harmful to inpatient rehabilitation hospitals.  It overwhelmingly passed both the House and Senate and is expected to be signed by the President.