Congressman Charlie Dent

Congressman Charlie Dent Proudly Serving PA’s 15th District

For Immediate Release January 27, 2014

REMARKS FROM CHIP PRESS CONFERENCE

Introduction

 Thank you for joining me today. I want to thank the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for providing space for today’s press conference.

 I also need to thank Alan Brechbill, Executive Director of the Medical Center for his help today and Dr. Craig Hillemeier, Professor & Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Medical Director of Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital who’ll also speak here today.

 And of course, I am most certainly glad that Governor Corbett is able to be here with us today. Thank you, Governor.

 It’s fitting that he is – because Governor Corbett has done tremendous work for the Pennsylvania families and their children who depend on CHIP.

 His leadership fighting to preserve CHIP gained those who depend on it a one-year reprieve from being forced into a comparatively substandard Medicaid program.

Overview of the CHIP Program in PA

 CHIP, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, was established in Pennsylvania in 1992. It was reauthorized by amendment in 1998 and amended again in 2006.

of 4  Pennsylvania’s CHIP law has served as a national model for numerous states that have enacted their own Children’s Health Insurance Programs.

 CHIP makes economic and policy sense.

 It’s a sound way to provide health coverage to children from lower- income level families.

 It is well-liked by both the families who are covered by it and by medical professionals and providers.

 In fiscal year 2012-2013 nearly 190,000 children were enrolled in PA CHIP.

 Unfortunately, a provision of the Health Care law would negatively impact families who have come to rely on, trust and appreciate PA CHIP.

 Before the Health Care law states had to cover children under the age of 6 in families with income below 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) in Medicaid while older children and teens with incomes above 100 percent of the FPL were allowed to be covered in separate state CHIP or Medicaid at state option.

 While many states already covered children 6 to 18 with income up to 133 percent FPL under Medicaid, due to the change in law, 21 states will be required to transition some children from CHIP to Medicaid.

 In Pennsylvania this requirement will impact 30,000 families.

 So why is it important that we protect CHIP instead of just allowing these children to be jammed into the comparatively substandard Medicaid program?

 Because CHIP provides far better access to physicians, hospitals and medical providers than does Medicaid. It’s that simple.

of 4  The fact is health care coverage DOES NOT EQUAL health care access. It is fine to say to a parent “your child’s trip to a doctor will be paid for,” but it means nothing if they can’t find a physician accepting Medicaid patients.

 This is another classic example of the problem that continues to plague the Health Care law – “If you like your plan – you can keep it.”

 In fact, in many cases families forced to transition from CHIP to Medicaid will not even be able to keep the physicians who have cared for their children for years – or be able to go to the hospitals they trust.

 There’s an old saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I intend to prevent the Health Care law from dismantling CHIP.

The Children’s Health Insurance Protection Act

 Today I am introducing a bill called the “Children’s Health Insurance Protection Act.

 My legislation simply strikes the Health Care law changes, which mandates all children below 133% of the Federal Poverty Level be shunted into Medicaid.

 If this bill were to become law, and I certainly hope it does, states would have the option of covering children between 100-133% FPL in either Medicaid as a “Medicaid child funded with CHIP dollars” or in a separate CHIP program – it would thus preserve CHIP permanently.

 This bill would also provide the long-term stability that PA CHIP administrators need as they continue their efforts to expand and improve the program.

 This is not a partisan issue. Far from it.

of 4  This is an issue that should unite Democrats with Republicans since both Democrats and Republicans came together in Pennsylvania to create CHIP.

 Currently, my legislation has eight original co-sponsors: Congressman Gerlach, Congressman Meehan, Congressman Fitzpatrick, Congressman Mike Kelly, Congressman Scott Perry, Congressman G.T. Thompson, Congressman Lou Barletta, and Congresswoman Alyson Schwartz.

 I greatly appreciate their joining with me in this effort to protect the health options for Pennsylvania’s CHIP families and CHIP kids. It’s about doing the right thing to make sure that children can continue to see the doctors they care about and who care very much about them.

 It’s my pleasure to introduce Governor Corbett. Governor Corbett has been leading from the front to protect PA CHIP and the children and families the program serves.