[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 127 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1722-E1723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND MEDICARE PROTECTION ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2007

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Children's Health 
and Medicare Protection Act. This is a landmark measure which touches 
on many aspects of our national health care system. It forestalls a 
potentially devastating cut to physician payments through Medicare that 
would imperil our senior's access to their doctors. It also expands 
assistance to our lowest income seniors so they get the help they need 
to afford life-saving medication.
  But most important, the bill we are debating today will extend the 
life changing benefit of health insurance to five million more American 
children. That means five million parents who won't have to bring their 
child to the emergency room because they're running a fever. Five 
million parents who can take their child to a dentist if their teeth 
hurt. Five million parents who can take care of their children in a way 
we all take for granted--that when they're sick, they can go to the 
doctor.
  SCHIP has been an incredible success story, extending the benefits of 
health care to six million children, about 750,000 in California

[[Page E1723]]

alone. These are children whose families have incomes that are too high 
to qualify for Medicaid, but who do not receive health insurance 
through their employment and can't afford it on their own. SCHIP is 
based on a simple premise: Insuring kids is the right thing to do. And 
it's much cheaper to insure a child, who is relatively healthy, than an 
adult or a senior citizen. The experience of the 10 years since SCHIP 
was originally created proves the wisdom of providing health insurance 
for children.
  In addition to reauthorizing the program, this bill improves SCHIP by 
creating new incentives to seek out millions of children around the 
nation who are eligible but not enrolled. It includes a group of seven 
best practices, developed and implemented in states, that should be 
followed to get kids into the program and keep them there. That's the 
right approach. In the past, I've called for a simplified enrollment 
system so that families applying for a range of means-tested benefits, 
such as subsidized school lunches, can automatically apply for SCHIP. 
We accomplish that with this bill, and it will mean that more kids who 
are eligible will get enrolled and stay enrolled for a benefit that 
they are entitled.
  The Committee on the Budget has certified that this legislation 
complies with the PAYGO rules we set earlier this year to ensure fiscal 
discipline. It pays for these important reforms to children's health 
and Medicare by an increase in the tax on cigarettes a provision that I 
hope will help discourage youth smoking. And it cuts back on subsidies 
to privately run Medicare plans. Contrary to the statements of the 
minority, we are not cutting one dime from Medicare. In fact, this bill 
today will extend the lifespan of the Medicare Trust Fund.
  A vote for this bill is a vote for an America that takes care of its 
children. In the richest Nation in the history of the world, it is 
simply wrong that millions of children, our most vulnerable citizens, 
go without basic access to health care. With a ``yes'' vote, five 
million more children will enjoy the benefits of a healthy future and a 
real chance in life. I urge a ''yes'' vote.

                          ____________________