FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE MEASURE PROTECTS NEW JERSEY CHILDREN, SENIORS

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) hailed the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act of 2007 as an opportunity for Congress to resurrect the decline of adequate healthcare coverage for America’s most vulnerable people during today’s House Ways and Means Committee markup.

The CHAMP Act would adjust and reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) which is scheduled to expire in September of this year, and improve healthcare coverage for millions of low-income seniors and disabled Americans.

“The administration has failed to provide adequate healthcare coverage to children, seniors and disabled people for seven years.  Now, more than 46 million American families and an astounding 11 million children endure the incredible hardship of living without the means to pay for basic healthcare.”

“Congress has an opportunity to reverse the dramatic rise in cases of uninsured children in New Jersey and states all across the country.  It is an opportunity that we must not let escape.  Children may not be able to vote, but the thousands of uninsured children in New Jersey will have a strong voice in Congress as we reconsider America’s health insurance structure.”

“The high cost of living in places like New Jersey demands that states have the flexibility to determine qualifications for eligibility in SCHIP.  The administration’s plan to pre-determine a ceiling for eligibility is a short-sighted approach that will have discriminatory consequences against children in states like New Jersey.  Our legislation ignores the administration’s approach, and allows states like New Jersey to continue tailoring SCHIP to meet unique populations and demographics.”  

A modest increase in the cost of cigarettes, which have failed to keep up with inflation, will offset the cost of the legislation, discourage smoking, help stem the cases of smoking related illness, and ultimately reduce health care costs.  Since 2002, sixty four governors, Republicans and Democrats, have increased cigarette taxes in their respective states.  The federal government has not enacted an increase on this highly profitable industry in ten years.

“Cigarette use raises healthcare costs and must be taxed a fair rate.  The modest increase that we are proposing is an economically fair approach that will help defray healthcare costs, and deter smoking. It’s a win-win,” concluded Pascrell.   .”

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