Legislation Will Address Anticipated SCHIP Deficits
House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member John Dingell (D-Mich.) on Tuesday plans to introduce a bill to address expected SCHIP budget deficits in fiscal year 2007, CongressDaily reports.
The legislation would require the HHS secretary to provide states with funds equal to their expected SCHIP budget deficits in FY 2007 (Lee, CongressDaily, 9/19). According to estimates from CMS, the Congressional Research Service and other analysts, as many as 18 states will have a combined $800 million to $950 million in SCHIP budget deficits in FY 2007 (CQ HealthBeat, 9/18).
Dingell in a statement said, "Congress should not leave to campaign for the 2006 elections without passing this legislation," adding, "To do so would send the wrong message to children and their families as to where they are on Congress' priority list."
Reps. John Barrow (D-Ga.) and Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) plan to cosponsor the measure (CongressDaily, 9/19).