WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- President Barack Obama signed the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill into law this afternoon, expanding coverage to 4.1 million more kids and extending the program through 2013.SCHIP was originally intended to assist poor children with their health care requirements. Based on the latest information and language seen by Republicans, the bill would dilute the focus on America's poorest of children by opening SCHIP up to not only back door funding for the children of illegal aliens but would include adults making less than $80,000 per year, whether an American citizen or not.
The House voted 290-135 earlier today to pass the bill and send it to the president. This was the second time the chamber passed an SCHIP bill this month. But the Senate passed a slightly different version last week, and House leaders decided to ratify the Senate bill rather than delay the legislation further by sending it to a conference committee.
Notably absent from the final bill is a provision that would have blocked Medicare and Medicaid funds to new or expanded physician-owned hospitals. That language was in the initial House version, but the Senate omitted the restriction in its bill.
Additionally, the legislation makes children of legal immigrants eligible for SCHIP as soon as their parents arrive in the U.S., instead of having to wait five years as was previously required.
Isn't that special, they'll get the same benefits as illegal aliens.
Republican lawmakers tried but failed to maintain the five-year exclusion.
The expanded SCHIP will now cover an estimated total of 11 million children in working-poor families who don't quality for Medicaid.
| Plus any other child whose parents decide to drop insurance and pick up state coverage instead, as in Hawaii. |
House majority leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) lauded the bill's passage. "We can't patch every hole today; but if I could pick just one leak to stop, it would be in the hold where we keep our sick children," Hoyer said. "If you asked me for the most efficient use of a single healthcare dollar, I would put it toward covering more children."
| This was pushed through in direct violation of Obama's promise of a 5 day review period for all legislation. |