11 million kids to get healthcare assistance

Washington, January 31: The U.S. Congress took no time to set right the Bush Administration’s disgraceful rebuff of State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-chip) and so has decided to expand this program to cover 11 million children.

The urgency of the program is even greater now as many workers are losing hold over their jobs in the wake of relentless recession.

A new political setting in the United States has made the expansion of this program possible. Back in 2007 also, Congress made efforts to enhance the insurance program. But two vetoes by the then-President George Bush thwarted all its attempts.

However, more Democrats in the Congress and President Obama’s fervent backing for the legislation have given a short in the arm to the program.

Bills that have been approved by the House and the Senate would carry on coverage for approximately 7 million children already registered in health insurance program. Also, they would cover another 4 million kids who are presently uninsured.

The basic objective of the legislation is to extend health insurance cover to children belonging to working-poor families who cannot afford it. That implies the program would cover kids of families at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

The pending bills seek to cover kids up to 300 percent of poverty. They also aim to give states the liberty to ask for waivers to go even higher. It is estimated that if approved, the bills would cost the federal government about $32 billion over a time period of nearly four and a half years.

But Republicans have objections against expansion of the plan to cover kids from higher income families. They are also judgmental about a provision in the bill that allows states to do away with the waiting period of 5 years for Medicaid and S-chip that is now applied on immigrant children who are living in the United States legally.

S-chip is not a risky step as thought by the former President Bush but a move towards universal health coverage. The program will definitely assist millions of uninsured children.