[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 170 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 170

Expressing the sense of the Senate that children should benefit, and in 
no case be worse off, as a result of reform of the Nation's health care 
                                system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 8, 2009

 Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Brown, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. 
Sanders) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                          Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate that children should benefit, and in 
no case be worse off, as a result of reform of the Nation's health care 
                                system.

Whereas Medicaid is a cornerstone of the Nation's health care infrastructure, 
        providing critical health coverage to Americans who have the greatest 
        needs: children and adults whose financial means are very modest and 
        people who are in poorer health compared to the population at-large, 
        including individuals with significant disabilities and those with 
        multiple chronic illnesses;
Whereas Medicaid provides health coverage to \1/4\ of the Nation's children and 
        more than \1/2\ of all low-income children;
Whereas because minority children are more likely to be from low-income 
        families, Medicaid has been shown to reduce racial and ethnic 
        disparities in health care, as it provides coverage for 2 out of every 5 
        African-American and Hispanic children;
Whereas by limiting cost-sharing and premiums, Medicaid provides a comprehensive 
        benefit package and ensures that children have access to affordable 
        coverage and the health care services they need to stay healthy and meet 
        developmental milestones;
Whereas Medicaid is designed to meet the complex health care needs of low-income 
        and special needs children by including a wide range of essential and 
        comprehensive services that many private insurers do not cover;
Whereas Medicaid provides developmental assessments for infants and young 
        children (including well-child visits, vision and hearing services, and 
        access to a wide range of therapies to manage developmental disorders 
        and chronic illnesses) and coverage for in-home support, long-term care 
        for special needs children, and transportation services;
Whereas Medicaid provides a care coordination benefit that supports at-risk 
        children by coordinating State health services, thereby furthering the 
        ability of States to effectively coordinate medical and social services 
        that are provided by multiple organizations and agencies;
Whereas administrative spending is lower in Medicaid than through private 
        insurance;
Whereas Medicaid is critical for ensuring that children have access to safety-
        net providers in their local communities and for training health care 
        professionals, including pediatricians; and
Whereas Medicaid provides low-income children with the full complement of 
        services they need to meet their unique health and developmental needs: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) Congress should ensure that reform of our Nation's 
        health care system shall benefit all children and that no child 
        shall be worse off, particularly the most vulnerable low-income 
        children and children with disabilities; and
            (2) strengthening our Nation's Medicaid program should be a 
        priority and that low-income children should not be moved into 
        a health care exchange system that could disrupt and diminish 
        their benefits, cost-sharing protections, availability of care 
        standards and protections, and access to supports, services, 
        and safety-net providers.
                                 <all>