Lowey Slams Administration Denial of New York Request to Provide More Children With Health Insurance

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) today released the following statement on the Bush Administration’s decision to deny New York the ability to offer health insurance to thousands of children in low- and middle-income families through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP):

“Hundreds of thousands of children lack access to health care in New York, and the Administration is denying our state the ability to address this crisis. With this decision, the Bush Administration is demonstrating a stunning disregard for children who do not have access to necessary care. SCHIP is a proven success, and we should be working to keep more -- not fewer -- kids healthy through this program."

In a letter dated September 7th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) denied New York’s request to cover children in families at 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($82,600 per year for a family of four). Under law, a CMS waiver is required for states to offer SCHIP coverage to children in families above 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Rules issued by the Administration on August 17th – more than four months after New York’s request – made it all but impossible for states to obtain this waiver. Previously, the Administration threatened to veto legislation passed by Congress 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.

“I will work with members of the New York Congressional delegation and Governor Spitzer to evaluate our options in overturning these unfair rules and this damaging decision. We cannot allow it to stand, and I will do everything in my power to correct it,” said Lowey.

Lowey and members of the New York Congressional delegation sent a letter today to CMS to request that the Administration’s rule restricting states from making insurance available to children be rescinded.