Orrin Hatch: “The original Hatch-Kennedy bill proposed a $20 billion health insurance program for children, plus it contributed $10…”

“The original Hatch-Kennedy bill proposed a $20 billion health insurance program for children, plus it contributed $10 billion for deficit reduction. It was a 5-year authorization. Both of the sponsors assumed--and I believe properly so--that this program will work well, that children will benefit from it, and that it will be reauthorized at the end of 5 years. I have no doubt that is the case here as well. But the provision the Finance Committee adopted continues the tax beyond the 5-year period, and the revenues may be used for other purposes. To be clear, I assure my colleague from Massachusetts that, should this program work well, we will be revisiting it in 5 years. And there is an additional point I wish to make for those of my colleagues who believe the additional funding is not needed. It seems fairly clear that the $24 billion, as important a sum as it is, will not cover all of the 10 million children who lack insurance. If we are very, very lucky, or if the Congressional Budget Office is smiling on us that day, it will cover at most about 8 million children. These figures are obviously subject to the way the States craft their programs, their cost-sharing requirements, and whether the States choose block grants or Medicaid. For example, if all of the States chose Medicaid, which I do not believe would happen based on conversations I have had with Governors, I estimate that the most children we could cover with the $24 billion is around 5 million.”