[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 30, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CHILDREN'S EXPRESS LANE TO HEALTH COVERAGE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JULIA CARSON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 30, 2004

  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to invite my 
colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 4031, the Children's Express Lane to 
Health Coverage Act. This bipartisan measure, authored by Senator 
Richard Lugar and I, will help States' efforts to enroll income-
eligible children in the States Children's Health Insurance Program, 
commonly referred to as SCHIP.
  As you know, despite gains in recent years, nearly 9 million children 
in the United States remain uninsured. Of those, nearly 7 million 
children are eligible for public health insurance coverage.
  H.R. 4031, the Children's Express Lane to Health Coverage Act, builds 
on our successful legislation in the 106th Congress that provides 
States with the option of using the National School Lunch Program and 
the Women's Infants Children Program (WIC) to identify uninsured 
children eligible for benefits under the SCHIP and Medicaid programs.
  Many States have used this cost-saving option successfully in 
promoting the well-being of income-eligible children.
  While existing law allows children to be income-eligible for WIC 
based on their enrollment in the Medicaid program, the law does not 
give States adequate flexibility to make an income determination of 
eligibility for the Medicaid or SCHIP program based on an uninsured 
child's enrollment in WIC or another public program.
  The Children's Express Lane to Health Coverage Act will give States 
the option of establishing that their Medicaid or SCHIP financial 
eligibility rules are satisfied when a family presents proof that their 
child is already enrolled in another program with comparable income 
guidelines.
  Mr. Chairman, the public is well served when Federal means-tested 
public programs are able to improve administrative efficiency and 
coordination, as well as reduce unnecessary bureaucracy.
  Moreover, uninsured children are well served when their enrollment in 
a nutrition-based or other means-tested program serves as a gateway to 
health coverage.
  My colleagues, money alone will not solve America's health care 
challenges. We must maximize our existing resources by being more 
creative and aggressive in our outreach efforts and making it easier 
for families to tap into these benefits. We all know that children who 
do not get routine, preventative health care will not reach their full 
potential. We simply cannot afford to put our children at that 
disadvantage.
  I urge you to become a cosponsor of this commonsense, bipartisan 
legislation.