[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 128 (Saturday, August 4, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1745]
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. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2007

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the millions of children 
without health insurance, and the millions of seniors who need the 
added Medicare benefits in this bill, I rise in support of HR 3162, the 
Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007.
  Because the CHAMP Act will have such a huge impact on improving the 
health and well-being of millions of America's children and seniors, it 
is without doubt one of the most important pieces of legislation this 
Congress will pass.
  As a mother and grandmother, I believe one of our country's greatest 
responsibilities is to ensure the health and well-being of our 
children. The CHAMP Act honors that responsibility by providing states 
with $50 billion in new funds to provide an additional 5.1 million 
children with health care coverage.
  The bill also provides comprehensive Early and Periodic Screening, 
Diagnostic, and Treatment health services to all infants, children, and 
adolescents enrolled in Medicaid. These services, weakened by a 
Republican-controlled Congress in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2006, 
will help ensure vulnerable children have health problems diagnosed 
early and avoid more complex and costly treatment.
  In addition, the CHAMP Act establishes a pediatric health care 
quality measurement program which will provide a long-overdue federal 
investment in quality and performance measurements. The grants made 
available to States will improve the delivery of health care services 
to children under Medicaid and SCHIP.
  As a daughter, I have watched with concern the health challenges my 
parents have faced as they aged. Luckily, they have had the resources 
to receive the care and medication they have needed.
  Sadly, this is not the case for a vast majority of seniors such as 
those in my congressional district. While they face many of the same 
health challenges that my parents experienced, they struggle every day 
to make ends meet, often unable to afford their costly medications.
  The CHAMP Act helps these seniors by extending the solvency of the 
Medicare Trust Fund, and simplifying and expanding the existing 
programs designed to help low-income Medicare beneficiaries pay for 
Medicare premiums and prescription drugs.
  Of great importance is also the fact that this bill encourages 
wellness by extending badly needed preventive and therapeutic services. 
The CHAMP Act eliminates co-payments and deductibles for current and 
future evidence-based preventive benefits, gives parity to mental 
health services by reducing the 50 percent co-payment on outpatient 
mental health treatment, and ensures our seniors have access to 
physical, occupational, and speech therapies.
  The CHAMP Act also extends agreements with the Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services to allow states, including my home state of 
California, to continue providing services to our most vulnerable 
seniors through adult day care health programs.
  As a Latina and a Member of Congress who represents a large 
multicultural constituency, I am also concerned about the barriers that 
prevent minorities from enrolling in Medicaid and SCHIP. For example in 
the Latino community, barriers such as the lack of culturally sensitive 
outreach efforts have resulted in keeping more than 70 percent of 
eligible Latino children uninsured.
  The CHAMP Act addresses this deficiency by encouraging culturally 
appropriate enrollment and retention practices. The bill funds 
translation and interpretation services for families where English is 
not the primary language and authorizes community health workers to 
provide outreach services.
  Finally, the CHAMP Act restores the states' option to cover legal 
immigrant children and legal immigrant pregnant women in SCHIP or 
Medicaid. It also amends the requirements for documentation of 
citizenship to allow a reasonable amount of time for families to gather 
the necessary papers and information.
  As a proud American who cherishes the values upon which our country 
was founded, I believe this bill takes a giant step forward in honoring 
our moral imperative to ensure that age, race and income do not 
determine the health status of our children, seniors, and citizens with 
disabilities.
  With the expansion of SCHIP coverage to millions of children, and the 
additional benefits made available to Medicare beneficiaries, the CHAMP 
Act may well be the most important pro-life bill the 110th Congress 
will pass in 2007.
  I commend Chairman Dingell from the Energy and Commerce Committee, 
and Chairman Rangel from the Ways and Means Committee, as well as the 
dedicated staff members who have invested so much time and effort to 
craft this very important legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to vote for its passage today, to honor our 
commitment to our children, our seniors and our citizens with 
disabilities, and to offer them the promise of a healthier tomorrow.

                          ____________________