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State Children's Health Insurance Program

Floor Speech

Date: Jan. 14, 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care


SCHIP -- (House of Representatives - January 14, 2009)

Mr. PETERS. Madam Speaker, today the House will consider legislation to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program and provide health insurance coverage for more than 11 million children nationwide.

The current recession makes this legislation particularly important. Children living in low-income families in Michigan rose a staggering 40 percent between 2000 and 2007. Parents are losing their jobs and their health insurance. And kids who do not have health coverage forgo regular checkups and preventive treatments. They miss more school days, and are less likely to finish high school. And untreated health problems can severely impact a young child's development. SCHIP provides a lifeline for children so that they can be healthy kids who have the opportunity to grow into healthy productive adults.

The SCHIP bill we will consider today is fiscally responsible. It is more cost-effective for taxpayers to provide proper care for our kids rather than footing the bill for unnecessary emergency room visits. Passing this legislation is the right thing to do for our Nation's kids.


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