Rep. Lofgren Votes to Pass CHAMP Act

Press Release

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today voted in favor of H.R. 3162, Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP Act), which reauthorizes the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for 6 million children and provides 5 million more children with health coverage. The bill also protects Medicare from privatization and promotes fiscal responsibility by phasing out over four years overpayments to private plans. These overpayments to private plans cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, and are the result of a decade-long campaign by the previous GOP-led Congresses to privatize Medicare by undermining traditional Medicare and promoting private HMOs. Additionally, the bill ensures that seniors and people with disabilities can continue to see the doctors of their choice by stopping a scheduled 10 percent payment cut to doctors in January 2008 and a 5 percent cut in January 2009, and makes preventive health check-ups - like tests, screenings, and vaccines - more affordable for seniors by eliminating co-payments and deductibles, saving lives and money.

"This bill gives states like California, which already has 800,000 kids on CHIP, the tools and incentives necessary to reach millions of uninsured children who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, in the CHIP program," noted Rep. Zoe Lofgren. "By passing this bill, Congress will help ensure that Santa Clara County's children and seniors will receive the health care services they need to stay healthy. By giving people access to quality preventative care, we also reduce the strain on our health care safety net by lessening the need for costly emergency room visits."

The CHAMP Act is also supported by: the American Association of Retired People (AARP), the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and numerous other prominent groups.

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