House Passes SCHIP Reauthorization
August 2, 2007
House Passes SCHIP Reauthorization
As the Senate continued debate on a reauthorization of the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), yesterday the House of Representatives
abruptly passed its own bill, the Child Health Care and Medicare Protection Act
of 2007, which authorizes an increase of almost $50 billion over the next five
years for SCHIP and makes school-based health centers eligible for
reimbursement. The House voted 225 to 204 on party lines for the bill, which
will now go to conference with whatever legislation the Senate finally passes,
with supporters hoping to retain at least $35 billion in new money for the child
health program. That would far exceed the $5 billion increase President Bush
asked for SCHIP in his budget and the President has said he will veto any bill
that provides funding in excess of that amount. The House bill would fund its
proposed $50 billion increase by raising the federal tax on cigarettes from 45
cents a pack to 84 cents. In addition to the SCHIP reauthorization, the House
bill includes a number of changes in the federal Medicare program aimed at
reducing the role of private Medicare plans and reversing expected cuts in
Medicare reimbursements to doctors.