[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 16, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



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INTRODUCTION OF BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO ENSURE WASHINGTON STATE USES 
ITS SHARE OF THE STATE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR COVERAGE 
           OF ADDITIONAL CHILDREN UNDER THE MEDICAID PROGRAM

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                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 16, 1998

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, the entire Washington State Delegation 
today introduced legislation that would allow our state to participate 
in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The 
legislation we crafted represents the culmination of more than a year's 
worth of effort to ensure Congressional action on this issue.
  I ask that you exercise your leadership of the Congressional majority 
to expedite the passage of this measure in a non-controversial manner.
  To illustrate the vigor of our Delegation's commitment to advancing 
this issue, I have attached for your information the text of the 
following letter which the entire Washington Delegation today sent to 
The Honorable Donna Shalala, Representative Tom Bliley, and Senator 
William Roth:

       We are writing to share with you legislation we introduced 
     today that addresses an issue of critical importance to 
     Washington State and its ability to participate in the State 
     Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
       Washington State has a strong record of ensuring that its 
     low-income kids have access to affordable health care. In 
     1994, Washington raised its child Medicaid eligibility 
     threshold to 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). The 
     SCHIP program was developed with this objective in mind by 
     expanding Medicaid funding to states that extend eligibility 
     to provide quality health care to additional children.
       During the negotiations of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act 
     (BBA), Congress and the Administration recognized that 
     certain states were already undertaking Medicaid expansions 
     up to or above 200 percent of FPL, and that they should be 
     allowed to use the new SCHIP funds. Unfortunately, this 
     provision was limited to those states that enacted expansions 
     on or after March 31, 1997 and disallowed Washington from 
     accessing the $230 million in SCHIP funds it had been 
     allocated through 2002. As a result, Washington State cannot 
     use its SCHIP allotment to cover the 90,000 children 
     currently eligible, but not covered for health care at or 
     below 200 percent of FPL. Exacerbating this inequity is the 
     fact that many states have begun accessing their SCHIP 
     allotments to cover kids at poverty levels far below 
     Washington's current or past eligibility levels. Correcting 
     this technicality is the top priority for our delegation as 
     we near the end of the 105th Congress and we plan to push for 
     legislative action in the next few weeks to pass this non-
     controversial measure.
       This bipartisan, bicameral initiative represents a 
     thoughtful, carefully-crafted response to the unintended 
     consequences of SCHIP and brings much-needed assistance to 
     children currently at-risk. Rather than simply changing the 
     effective date included in the BBA, our initiative includes 
     strong maintenance of effort language as well as incentives 
     for our state to find those 90,000 uninsured kids because we 
     feel strongly that they receive the health coverage for which 
     they are eligible.
       We respectfully request that you join our efforts to move 
     it through the legislative process. We look forward to 
     working with you during the remaining days of this Congress 
     to ensure that Washington's SCHIP funds are used to increase 
     the health of our children, not wasted due to an unintended 
     technical oversight.
       Thank you for your cooperation in this effort and please do 
     not hesitate to contact us if we can provide you with 
     additional information.
           Sincerely,
         Slade Gorton, U.S. Senator; Jim McDermott, Member of 
           Congress; George Nethercutt, Member of Congress; Patty 
           Murray, U.S. Senator; Jack Metcalf, Member of Congress; 
           Norm Dicks, Member of Congress; Rick White, Member of 
           Congress; Linda Smith, Member of Congress; Adam Smith, 
           Member of Congress; Jennifer Dunn, Member of Congress; 
           Doc Hastings, Member of Congress.

           

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