Today, our nation took a momentous leap forward towards ensuring that all children have access to quality health coverage. After passing both the House and Senate, legislation reauthorizing and expanding the Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP or CHIP) was signed into law today by President Obama.

The legislation - good for four and a half years - maintains health coverage for children and youth currently enrolled in the program and expands coverage to over four million additional children. In addition, many improvements were made to the program, including guaranteed dental benefits, mental health parity, a state option to implement express lane eligibility, grants for outreach and enrollment, and establishment of a child health quality initiative. Another improvement in the legislation advocated by CWLA and many other organizations is the elimination of the five-year waiting period for legal immigrant children and pregnant women to enroll in Medicaid or CHIP.

This is a historic day for children. Congress and the President have shown that children are a priority by making such a significant investment to improve their physical and mental health. CWLA sincerely thanks and applauds those members of Congress who championed this effort. Because of their commitment, we are closer to our goal of insuring all children!

CHIP programs exist in every state and provide health coverage to millions of children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, and to those who are either not offered or cannot afford private coverage. Set to expire in 2007, Congress passed two compromise bills in 2007 (H.R. 976 and H.R. 3963) that would have reauthorized and strengthened CHIP, but President Bush vetoed both measures. As a result of this gridlock, CHIP was extended through March 31, 2009, with sufficient funding to maintain current enrollment and avoid shortfalls (P.L. 110-173). The reauthorization signed into law on February 4, 2009 will continue CHIP programs for four and a half years and contains numerous programmatic improvements that will benefit children.