McNerney Back Bill To Provide Health Care to 11 Million Children, Strengthen Medicare

Press Release

MCNERNEY BACKS BILL TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO 11 MILLION CHILDREN, STRENGTHEN MEDICARE

Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-11) today worked to provide health care to 11 million low-income children and strengthen Medicare by voting for the Children's Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act. The CHAMP Act, H.R. 3162, was approved in the House of Representatives by a vote of 225-204.

"Every young child deserves a healthy start to life and no child should ever have to go without the quality medical care available in our country," Rep. McNerney said. "I was proud to vote today to provide health care to 11 million children and move us closer to providing every child in our nation with high quality health care."

The CHAMP Act reauthorizes the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and protects coverage for 6 million children, including over one million in California - approximately one-sixth of SCHIP benefit recipients nationwide. The bill extends health care coverage to an additional 5 million low-income children who are eligible for care under the SCHIP program.

SCHIP was established on a bipartisan basis in 1997 by President Clinton and Congress, but must be reauthorized by September 30, 2007. If the program is not reauthorized by September 30, 6 million children nationwide would stand lose their health care.

In a June 5 letter to the House leadership and California Congressional Delegation, Gov. Schwarzenegger identified SCHIP reauthorization as one of his top federal priorities.

"The additional federal funding is absolutely essential to ensure the continued success of the program," Gov. Schwarzenegger wrote.

The CHAMP Act also includes provisions to strengthen Medicare, control out of pocket costs for seniors and help ensure seniors have access to the doctors of their choice by stopping a scheduled 10 percent payment cut to doctors. Additionally, the legislation ends massive overpayments to private health organizations like HMOs and makes a series of preventative screenings free for Medicare beneficiaries. New free benefits under Medicare provided under the CHAMP Act include:

* diabetes screening tests
* screening for glaucoma
* an initial preventive physical examination
* bone mass measurement
* prostate cancer screening tests
* colorectal cancer screening tests
* mammography screening
* pap smear screening

In considering this legislation, Rep. McNerney joined with several colleagues in seeking assurance from Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell that the CHAMP Act does not provide SCHIP or Medicare benefits to illegal immigrants. They received an answer in the affirmative: the CHAMP Act does not provide SCHIP or Medicare benefits to any illegal immigrants.

"The CHAMP Act will help ensure seniors see the doctor they trust and get the care they need," added Rep. McNerney. "The legislation we passed today makes Medicare stronger and helps prevent seniors from being stuck with a higher bill at the doctor's office."

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