[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 81 (Friday, June 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1253]]


     THE ``CHILDREN'S EXPRESS LANE TO HEALTH COVERAGE ACT OF 2005''

                                 ______
                                 

                    HON. JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2005

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduced the 
``Children's Express Lane to Health Coverage Act of 2005.''
  Far too many children in this Nation are not covered by even the most 
basic health insurance. In my home State of California, 10 percent of 
the approximately 10 million children do not have health insurance. 
Close to 9 million children nationwide are in similar situations.
  This does not have to be the case. Of the almost 9 million children 
who are uninsured, an estimated 6.9 million are eligible for public 
health insurance coverage. What is keeping them from obtaining 
coverage?
  In many cases, children who are eligible for subsidized health care 
do not receive it because of the cumbersome and confusing process 
families must go through to obtain health insurance for their children.
  The bill I introduce today, the Children's Express Lane to Health 
Coverage Act, a companion bill to the one introduced by my colleagues 
in the Senate: Mr. Lugar, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Durbin, Mr. 
Bingaman, and Mr. Cochran, will streamline the process by which 
children are enrolled in both Medicaid and State Children's Health 
Insurance Programs or SCHIP.
  This legislation will allow States to streamline enrollment in 
Medicaid and SCHIP. It would allow a child's enrollment in WIC and 
similar assistance programs to serve as a gateway to health coverage, 
thus avoiding a separate lengthy and confusing application process.
  The need for health care coverage for these children is urgent. 
Without health insurance, children do not see doctors with the 
regularity that is essential for their well-being and the well-being of 
their peers they come into contact with at school, at daycare and on 
the playground. Many children without health insurance end up in the 
emergency room with illnesses that could easily be treated in a 
doctor's office. Emergency room visits are extremely costly, both for 
parents and for hospitals. The cost of health care for everyone 
increases as a result.
  For the good of our Nation's children and for the good of our 
Nation's communities, I ask my colleagues today to join me in support 
of this vital piece of legislation.

                          ____________________