Children's Health And Medicare Protection Act Of 2007 --Continued--
Floor Speech
CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND MEDICARE PROTECTION ACT OF 2007--Continued -- (House of Representatives - August 01, 2007)
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Mr. CLYBURN. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3162, the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007.
I want to commend Chairs RANGEL, DINGELL, STARK and PALLONE for working with all of our caucuses in drafting this piece of legislation. I also rise to explain why I and many of my colleagues are unequivocal on the need for Congress to cover all eligible kids.
There is an old judicial axiom that says "Justice delayed is justice denied.'' The same is true for health care, and there is no better example on how health care delay is health care denied than the story of Devante Johnson from Houston, Texas. Thirteen-year-old Devante Johnson from Houston, Texas, had advanced kidney cancer and could not afford to be without health care coverage. But, last year, the Johnson family spent 4 desperate months uninsured while his mother tried to renew his Medicare coverage.
For years, Devante and his two brothers were covered by Medicaid. Texas families who qualify for Medicaid or CHIP are required to renew their coverage every 6 months. Devante's mother, Tamika, had tried to get a head start by sending their paperwork 2 months before Medicaid was set to expire.
That application sat for 6 weeks until it was processed and then transferred to CHIP, because an employee believed the family no longer qualified for Medicaid. At that point, the paperwork got lost in the system.
For 4 months, Devante went without health insurance as employees unsuccessfully attempted to reinstate his coverage. As a result, he could no longer receive regular treatment and had to rely on clinical trials for care. Meanwhile, his tumors grew.
It wasn't until the State representative intervened that Devante's coverage was immediately reinstated. But it was too late. Devante Johnson died on March 1, 2007.
I want you to look at him. He has to mean something to you. For, in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "There is nothing more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscious stupidity.''
We cannot allow this to continue. Support the Devantes of our great country and give health care to all of our children.
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