Political Quotes

“In 1997, Congress and the President agreed to provide $48 billion over the next 10 years as an incentive to states to provide health care coverage to uninsured, low-income children. To receive this money, states must expand eligibility levels to children living in families with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level. Washington State has a strong record of ensuring that its low-income kids have access to health care. Five years ago, my state decided to do what Congress and the President have just last year required other states to do. In 1994, Washington expanded its child Medicaid eligibility level to 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) all the way through to the age of 18. During the negotiations of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act (BBA), Congress and the Administration recognized that certain states were already undertaking Medicaid expansions up to or above 200 percent of FPL, and that they would be allowed to use the new SCHIP funds. Unfortunately, this provision was limited to those states that enacted expansions on or after March 31, 1997 and disallowed Washington from accessing the $230 million in SCHIP funds it had been allocated through 2002. As a result, Washington State cannot use its SCHIP allotment to cover the 90,000 children currently eligible, but not covered for health care at or below 200 percent of poverty.”