Jeff Fortenberry: “at the outset, let me say I believe that SCHIP is a very important program that provides quality health care coverage…”

“at the outset, let me say I believe that SCHIP is a very important program that provides quality health care coverage for millions of America's children. I support the program. I support its renewal, and I support its appropriate expansion. However, I do believe that this must be done responsibly, for instance, prioritizing America's most vulnerable children first. We must also guard against expanding the program to those who may not need it, or risk creating a program that encourages some families to unnecessarily drop their existing insurance coverage for the government program, a move that could jeopardize the program's intent for our neediest children. As we have learned, the State of Hawaii recently halted its universal child health care program, just 7 months after its inception, because high-income families were dropping private insurance so their children would be eligible for the government program. The amendment that I offered to the Rules Committee would give vulnerable families the same opportunities as others to purchase health insurance. It would offer eligible families the choice of retaining SCHIP coverage for their children or using SCHIP funds to obtain a health insurance plan for the entire family through premium assistance for their child. I believe families are in the best position to make health care choices for their children.”