    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [February 18, 1998]
    [Pages 236-238]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Children's Health Care Initiative
    February 18, 1998

        Thank you. Didn't she do a good job? Give her a hand. [Applause]
    Thank you, Linda. Ned Zechman, thank you. Thank you, Secretary Shalala, for your wonderful work. And I thank the First
    Lady for what is now a more than 25-
    year crusade to bring quality health care to children. We're delighted
    to be joined by Mayor Barry and members
    of the DC City Council; Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; and Congresswoman Diana DeGette, from Colorado; and many, many child advocates in this
    audience who have been working on these issues a long, long time.
        Last month in the State of the Union Address, I asked the American
    people to work together to strengthen our Nation for a new century and
    especially to build the right kind of future for all our children, with
    world-class education and quality, affordable health care.
        Let me begin by thanking the men and women who work in this hospital
    for their efforts to restore our most fragile children to health, to
    give many of them second chances at life. This is a place where medicine
    shines and miracles happen every day. But it should not take a miracle
    to ensure that children like Linda's children have the care and
    insurance they need to stay healthy and to be treated when they're sick.
        I still have a hard time believing that this country, with the
    finest health care system in the world, cannot figure out how to give
    affordable, quality health insurance coverage to every single child in
    America.
        Step by step, we are working hard to make sure all Americans get the
    health care they deserve. Two years ago we passed a law, and I signed a
    law, to make sure every American could keep his or her insurance when
    they change jobs or when someone in the family is ill. Last year, in the
    historic balanced budget agreement, we extended the life of the Medicare
    Trust Fund for more than a decade. We also made this unprecedented $24
    billion commitment to provide health care to up to 5 million more
    children, and I want to say more about that, obviously.
        In addition to implementing the provisions of the balanced budget
    law to cover children, this year we're also going to attempt to pass a
    health care consumer bill of rights, which is

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    all the more important since 160 million Americans are now in managed
    care plans. We want to extend Medicare to Americans age 55 to 65 who
    have lost their health insurance who can buy into the program. And of
    course we want to protect all our children from the dangers of tobacco,
    and we're hoping and praying for a comprehensive resolution of that
    issue.
        But let's go back to the question of covering children. Congress
    appropriated the money, $24 billion over 5 years, with the goal of
    insuring 5 million of the 10 million children who don't today have
    health insurance. Now, 3 million--as the First Lady said, 3 million of
    the 10 million kids who don't have health insurance are eligible for the
    Medicaid program today. If we could get 100 percent of those children
    into the Medicaid program, we could actually insure more than 5 million
    children for the $24 billion. But if we don't get any new children into
    the Medicaid program, or very few, then we're going to have a very hard
    time meeting that 5 million goal.
        So this issue of not only helping the children and their families
    but also the hospitals and the providers who have to be reimbursed for
    the care they give, with expanding the Medicare program to the children
    who are eligible, is profoundly important if we are to reach what I know
    is the goal of every person in this audience, which is to provide
    affordable health insurance coverage to our children.
        Now, this children's health initiative, that was part of the
    balanced budget agreement, is part of the kind of the vision of
    Government that has driven our administration from its first days. I
    always believed that we had to get rid of the deficit and balance the
    budget, because otherwise the economy wouldn't work right, we couldn't
    get interest rates down, we couldn't have new investment for businesses
    to create new jobs, people couldn't afford to buy homes--we'd have all
    kinds of problems. But I also always believed that we had to do it in a
    way that left more money to invest in our future, particularly in
    education and health care and the environment and the things that will
    shape the quality of life. So that's what we're trying to do.
        But I want to say again, just the fact that this money has been
    appropriated is not enough. We cannot let the appropriation of money
    just sit there. We can't just have laws on paper that say we're going to
    cover 5 million more people. Those of you who work in these programs
    understand that this is a complex and challenging task.
        Most of these children are like Linda's children. Most of these kids
    that we're trying to cover are the children of working people who are
    working hard and doing their very best every day and paying their taxes
    and simply cannot afford a traditional health insurance plan. One of the
    ways that we have to deal with this is to expand Medicaid coverage to
    the 3 million who are already eligible under the law. One of the most
    shocking things to people who don't have this problem is to find out
    that huge numbers of these kids are prevented from getting medical care
    simply because their parents don't know they're eligible.
        Therefore, all of us have an obligation to see to it that every
    child who can take advantage of this historic investment in health care
    does so, and does it now, beginning with the Medicaid program. The
    Federal Government must do its part. States and businesses and
    individuals must step up to the plate. And our message to parents and to
    teachers, to preachers and to coaches must be: What you do not know can
    hurt your children. You have to find out if your child is eligible for
    the Medicaid program.
        Today I am launching an all-out effort to let every family know
    about health insurance, whether it's Medicaid or another State program
    that is currently or soon will be available, because there are now new
    children's health programs coming on line under the program passed in
    the balanced budget bill.
        In a few moments, I will sign an Executive memorandum directing the
    eight Federal agencies who run our children's programs, such as WIC and
    food stamps, to cooperate in a comprehensive effort to make sure that
    every family gets the information they need to enroll their children,
    whether from an agency employee or from pamphlets, toll-free numbers, or
    simplified application forms. And I call on Congress to pass the new
    funds I am requesting in this balanced budget to help States publicize
    their new child health programs and their child centers and enroll the
    children in Medicaid automatically, even as they wait for final approval
    of their applications.

    [[Page 238]]

        Next, and most important, every State must take responsibility for
    ensuring that every eligible child within its borders gets insured.
    Medicaid is one of the best ways to expand health insurance to more
    children, and it is a State-run program. I'm pleased to announce that
    Colorado and South Carolina will join Alabama as the first States to
    expand insurance coverage to more uninsured children under the bill we
    passed last year.
        But you should know that over 40 more States are well on their way
    to expanding their own insurance programs. I applaud the Governors for
    their commitment and their innovative efforts to enroll more children.
    And I thank Ray Scheppach from the
    Governors' Association for being here today. We can't rest until every
    State has a program and a commitment to implement it.
        Finally, the private sector has to help us get the job done. Many
    businesses and foundations have already joined in. Bell Atlantic will
    provide the leadership to establish a new 800 number that will direct
    families to State agencies in charge of Medicaid. Safeway has agreed to
    put the 800 number on their shopping bags. The National Association of
    Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association
    will help us get the word out whenever parents pick up prescriptions.
    Pampers has agreed to include a letter in parent education packages that
    go to millions of new mothers in the hospital. I thank all of them for
    being exemplary corporate citizens.
        And I'm pleased to announce the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and
    the Kaiser Family Foundation have committed more than $23 million to
    finding better ways to expand coverage and outreach efforts. America's
    Promise, the outgrowth of the Presidents' Summit on Service, made a
    healthy future for all children one of its five goals. And along with
    the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Hospital Association,
    the National Association of Education, all have launched their own
    efforts to target and enroll uninsured children. And I thank them.
        This is an extraordinary partnership to make sure that every child
    gets the health coverage he or she needs to have a fair and healthy shot
    at life. But it is only the first step. We need every parent, every
    grandparent, doctor, nurse, health care provider, teacher, business
    leader, foundation, every community all across America to work until
    they find the ways to reach all our children who can be covered by
    Medicaid or by the new children's health insurance program.
        Like all parents, Hillary and I know from experience that nothing
    can weigh more heavily on your mind than the health of your child. The
    slightest cough, the most minor accident can cause enormous worry. I can
    barely imagine what it would be like to also have to worry about finding
    the money to pay for your children's health care in the first place.
        Too many parents live with these worries every day. Millions of our
    fellow Americans--people who are dedicated citizens, people who get up
    every day and go to work, people who pay the taxes they owe to the
    Government, people who do everything that is expected of them and still
    have to worry about the health care of their children for lack of
    insurance coverage. This is wrong. If we really want to make America
    strong for the 21st century, we will correct it. We have the tools; it
    is now up to us to use them.
        Thank you very much, and God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:43 p.m. in the atrium at Children's
    Hospital. In his remarks, he referred to Linda Haverman, mother of two
    boys who had received health insurance through Medicaid, who introduced
    the President; Ned Zechman, president, Children's Hospital; Mayor Marion
    S. Barry, Jr., of the District of Columbia; and Raymond C. Scheppach,
    executive director, National Governors' Association.