Lowey Leads Effort to Stop Administration From Limiting Children's Health Insurance

PORT CHESTER, NY -

Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) today announced that she will lead the effort to stop the Bush Administration from undermining the efforts of New York to provide children with healthcare.
“SCHIP is one of the most successful federal programs in existence,” said Lowey. “Given that 47 million Americans lack health insurance, including 9 million children, it simply makes no sense that the Administration would go out of its way to prevent more children from having access to health care.”

Last week, the Administration issued new burdensome requirements that states must meet in order to provide health insurance to children in families earning more than 250 percent of the federal poverty rate. New York is currently seeking a waiver to make children in families earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty rate ($82,600 per year for a family of four) eligible for coverage, due to the high cost of living in the state. Previously, the Administration promised to veto legislation passed by the House of Representatives and by the Senate to provide coverage for five million children who are eligible for, but not currently enrolled in, SCHIP.

In New York, over 440,000 children did not have health insurance in 2005. That includes over 15,000 from Westchester County and over 8,300 from Rockland County.

“The Administration’s decision to roll back health insurance for children is in direct opposition to Congressional efforts to expand access to health care,” said Westchester Health Commissioner Dr. Joshua Lipsman. “The health of Westchester’s children will be impacted by the decision to restrict access to affordable care.”

“Many working families in our area rely on SCHIP coverage because their employers do not provide private coverage or offer it at a very high cost,” said Open Door Family Medical Center Director Lindsay Farrell. “It would be a shame to increase the number of uninsured children when this program has worked so effectively.”

Lowey and members of the New York Congressional delegation will send a letter to CMS Acting Administrator Herb Kuhn to request that the Administration’s rule restricting states from making insurance available to children be rescinded.