Copyright 2009 ProQuest Information and LearningAll rights ReservedCopyright 2009 Mississippi Business Journal Mississippi Business Journal

Monday 2 February 2009

SECTION: Pg. B8 Vol. 31 No. 5 ISSN: 0195-0002

ACC-NO: 12867

LENGTH: 782 words


TITLE: Barbour anger on Bill S-CHIP

Signature: Chandler, Clay

ABSTRACT

The U.S. Senate was to vote last week on a State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) bill that had already attracted the ire of Governor Haley Barbour. There remains the possibility last Wednesday afternoon that the Republican opponents of the bill would have the opportunity to amend the bill to cover all children whose annual family income fell to 200 percent or less of the poverty defined by the federal government, which is $ 21,200 for a family of four. TEXT

The U.S. Senate was to vote last week on a State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) bill that had already attracted the ire of Governor Haley Barbour.

Barbour primary opposition to the bill is the clause which will allow health insurance for children in states like New York and New Jersey, whose families earn up to $ 88,000 per year.

"It is essential to poor children in Mississippi be provided for children before, in New York and New Jersey, whose families or even $ 65,000 $ 88,000 per year," said Barbour. "These families are not only non-poor, they are well above the average family income ($ 50,000) in the United States."

Barbour and the Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker denounced the pitch Democratic leaders of Congress have been using to push the bill - the bill will make health insurance for more children than the older version of S-CHIP.

The funding gap for the Mississippi under the new bill, Barbour said, would be $ 80 million. He acknowledged that this bill is an improvement over the old law. Under the old law, Mississippi child could enroll eligible for S-CHIP because the unspent money from other states could be reassigned.

"Never, because our issue is big enough (initially)," said Barbour.

Wicker said in a statement that he intended to vote against the bill.

"This provision would not fund the Mississippi and let the poor children without health insurance," said Wicker. "We must focus our attention in order to provide S-CHIP is targeted to low-income, uninsured children."

Under the new bill, Mississippi Wicker receive more federal money and would be able to include more children.

"However, it does not give us a grant to cover all (eligible) children in the state," said Barbour. "This should be the starting point. The departure must be that each state should receive or be guaranteed that they would be enough money to cover all children under 200 percent (of poverty) before beginning to leave New York and New Jersey to cover children whose families make eighty-one thousand dollars per year. "

Barbour testified before Congress last year that any new bill S-CHIP should include enough money to cover all children in Mississippi who are eligible.

"I thought that most people, he wanted to cover all poor children, Democrats and Republicans," said Barbour.

The new bill will more than double the amount the program spends, up to $ 60 billion to 25 billion dollars.

"But it does not cover all children below 200 percent poverty level which was the goal of the program since 1997, when he went into law."

There remains the possibility last Wednesday afternoon that the Republican opponents of the bill would have the opportunity to amend the bill to cover all children whose annual family income fell to 200 percent or less of the poverty defined by the federal government, which is $ 21,200 for a family of four.

The bill cleared the Assembly. Congress Third District Republican Gregg Harper was the only dissenting voice Mississippi.

First District Democratic Congress Travis Childers of Booneville, said the economic downturn was far imperataive vote.

"My family and I have been in the healthcare industry for years," said Childers, who, with a real estate company operated nursing homes. "I understand the importance of coverage, especially for our children. Covering more eligible children is not only the right thing to do - it makes good economic sense for taxpayers who do not want to pay the bill for the most expensive of the road. In addition, a healthy child is better prepared for learning and success. "

The exceptions have historically been given to children whose family income exceeds the maximum. The new bill, Barbour said, essentially eliminates the need for exemptions.

"This bill would state could cover all children under 300 percent (of poverty) and smiled for exemptions would be more than that, and those who would be covered if they were Medicaid children," said Barbour . "All we want is to be assured that we have enough federal money to cover children under the core program. That is all we ever asked."

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