[StBernard] Governor Blanco urges support of SCHIP expansion

[Westley Annis]

I'm against this expansion.  As I understand, it will let folks who make up
to 4 times the poverty level become eligible for the program.  While I
support the idea of the program, it doesn't need to be expanded like this.

Jim

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	Governor Blanco urges support of SCHIP expansion
	
	
	BATON ROUGE - With a Congressional vote expected today, Governor
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco called for support of bipartisan Congressional
efforts to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
SCHIP provides health care coverage to millions of low-income children
across the country. Congressional leaders are rewriting a bill to renew the
program, as a September 30 deadline approaches. President Bush had
threatened to veto an earlier form of the bill. 
	
	"Louisiana's SCHIP program, LaCHIP, was designed to protect those
who are at the greatest risk," Governor Blanco said. "It provides coverage
for more than 100,000 children in Louisiana who would otherwise be
uninsured. SCHIP has been supported by our State Legislature and the US
Congress. The health and safety of our state's children is a responsibility
we all share."
	
	Gov. Blanco also urged Louisiana's Congressional Delegation and the
President to reauthorize federal SCHIP funding. Earlier today, the Governor
sent a letter to the Delegation Members stressing the importance of the
program. "Under LaCHIP, the percentage of uninsured low-income children in
the state has dropped from 31.6 to 12.5 percent. While much progress has
been made, Louisiana still has 91,000 uninsured children," said Gov. Blanco,
"and all of them deserve access to quality health care. It is paramount to
health care in Louisiana that Congress act swiftly to reauthorize SCHIP and
for the President to sign the bill into law."
	
	Click here or visit www.gov.state.la.us ! to read the Governor's
letter to the Delegation.