CHIP’s Ahoy
March 6th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
State Rep. Sylvester Turner told reporters this morning that the House Appropriations Committee will add money to the budget later today to fully restore cuts to the Children’s Health Inrurance Program. Turner spoke at a press conference convened by the Texas IAF Network. Interfaith leaders from all over the state have traveled to the Capitol today to advocate in favor of CHIP and against strict immigration bills.
Money alone won’t heal CHIP. Lawmakers also must reverse the bureaucratic barriers mostly responsible for siphoning about 200,000 kids off the program since September 2003. Turner said he believes his bill (HB 109), which eliminates the bureaucratic roadblocks, will pass out of the Human Services Committee soon. The scuttlebutt at the Capitol has it that Turner’s bill to restore CHIP was one of the legislative goodies the Craddick Democrats received for their decisive support of Speaker Tom Craddick’s reelection.
The Senate remains an obstacle, though. Lite Gov. David Dewhurst and Senate Finance Chair Steve Ogden haven’t exactly been gung-ho about CHIP lately.
March 7th, 2007 at 8:31 am
I looked at the text of Turner’s bill, and it does not address the requirements to re-apply every six months–or did I miss that? My impression is that the 6-month reapplication for CHIP and Medicaid is one of the most onerous requirements. People keep losing coverage because they miss that deadline–6 months can come around fast.