February 4, 2009

AIDS Alliance Hails Signing of Legislation to Reauthorize and Expand SCHIP

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 AIDS Alliance Hails Signing of
Legislation to Reauthorize and Expand 
State Children's Health Insurance Program
Law Provides 4.1 Million Low-Income
Uninsured Children with Coverage

 

Washington D.C. – Today AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families thanked President Obama for signing legislation that significantly expands coverage for low-income uninsured children through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The legislation will reauthorize the program through September 2013 and provide $32.8 billion more in funding to add coverage for more than four million uninsured children, in addition to providing funding for states to maintain the almost seven million children already enrolled in SCHIP.

 

Earlier in the day, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, H.R. 2, sending it to President Obama to sign. The legislation passed the House by a bipartisan 290-135 vote. Without action, the program would have expired on March 31, 2009. 

 

"President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to vulnerable children by signing legislation that will provide health insurance for four million of the nine million uninsured children in the United States," said AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families Board President Alelia Munroe. "Protecting our children is one of the most important things we can do as a society, and providing them with medical coverage is certainly part of that. Many low-income children, including some with HIV/AIDS, have no health insurance, and as a result have worse health outcomes. We are glad that the Congress and the President have made this one of their first priorities, and hope this is the first part of a more comprehensive health reform effort."

 

It is estimated that about 56,500 young people age 13-24 are living with HIV, and 7,800 young people age 13-24 in the United States have AIDS. Many are uninsured, or underinsured. Medicaid and SCHIP are the safety net for low-income vulnerable children, ensuring they have access to the health care and medicine they need to lead health lives. Medicaid and SCHIP are the primary sources of health coverage for women, infants and children in Part D programs of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and this legislation will strengthen the safety net. 

 

The new law will give states the option to provide SCHIP and Medicaid eligibility to uninsured low-income, legal immigrant women who are pregnant and require prenatal care to ensure a healthy pregnancy, helping to determine their HIV status and further reducing perinatal mother-to-child transmission rates.  In addition, the legislation extends the option to the states to offer coverage to uninsured, legal immigrant children who have been in the U.S. for fewer than five years.  The legislation encourages states to adopt new outreach and enrollment tools in both Medicaid and SCHIP to enroll eligible low-income children. It also includes significant new dental benefits for low-income children.      

 

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Founded in 1994, AACYF is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to advance the partnership between consumers and providers – we are the voice of women, children, youth and families living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.  AACYF works to enhance and expand access to quality, comprehensive, family-centered care to America's children, youth and families affected by HIV/AIDS, as it represents the nation's network of over 650 Ryan White Part D funded community-based organizations.  Part D programs serve over 53,000 HIV-affected women, children, youth and families through sites located in 35 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.