State Children S Health Insurance Program

President Clinton announced Saturday that the government will open a special campaign via school lunch programs and child care centers to enroll as many as 2 million additional children in state health insurance programs. More than 3 million children already are participating in the programs, but many more from moderate-income families are eligible.

The expansion and reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program was signed into law by President Obama on Wednesday. The program, which will cover 11 million children (up from the previous 7 million) by 2013, offers very low-cost insurance for children up to 18 whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.

The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee said that he was pushing for an additional $50 billion over five years for a healthcare program that insures millions of children. That would bring overall spending to $75 billion -- more than double what the Bush administration is proposing. Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana said that would be enough to cover children who are eligible for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, but not enrolled.

President Bush vetoed legislation Wednesday that would have expanded government-provided health insurance for children, his second rejection of a bipartisan effort in Congress to dramatically increase funding for the popular program. It was Bush's seventh veto in seven years -- all but one coming since Democrats took control of Congress in January. Wednesday was the deadline for Bush to act or let the bill become law.

Re "Bush asserts U.S. thriving on low taxes," Sept. 21 I was offended by President Bush's remarks indicating that he plans to veto bipartisan legislation that would reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The president accused others of partisan politics around children's healthcare, but stands almost alone in his stubborn opposition to this vital safety-net program.

In a decision that could set a precedent for California and other states but also generate sharp resistance, the Bush administration on Friday denied New York's request to expand a popular children's health insurance program to reach some uninsured middle-class families.

Shopkeeper Wei Vongsavanh was reeling after his health insurance premium hit $1,800 a month for his two young boys, both diagnosed with autism. The bill "came to the point I could not handle it anymore," said the father, an immigrant from Laos who owns a small Bay Area business that sells model airplanes. Then he discovered a joint federal-state program that helps insure the children of low-income workers.

President Bush vetoed legislation Wednesday that would have expanded government-provided health insurance for children, his second rejection of a bipartisan effort in Congress to dramatically increase funding for the popular program. It was Bush's seventh veto in seven years -- all but one coming since Democrats took control of Congress in January. Wednesday was the deadline for Bush to act or let the bill become law.

A divided House on Wednesday approved sweeping healthcare legislation that would expand government benefits for children and seniors while boosting tobacco taxes and cutting Medicare payments to private insurance companies. The largely party-line 225-204 vote came after hours of rancorous debate and parliamentary stalling tactics by Republicans. Cheers rang out in the House chamber when Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) announced that the legislation had passed.

Critics have called President Bush heartless for his veto last week of a compromise bill to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program. True enough, but the president didn't seem to be leading with his head either. In purporting to defend against a government takeover of the insurance industry, he blocked one of the best options for lifting families from wholly government-paid entitlements like Medicaid and into private insurance paid for in part by parents. SCHIP isn't welfare.

Critics have called President Bush heartless for his veto last week of a compromise bill to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program. True enough, but the president didn't seem to be leading with his head either. In purporting to defend against a government takeover of the insurance industry, he blocked one of the best options for lifting families from wholly government-paid entitlements like Medicaid and into private insurance paid for in part by parents. SCHIP isn't welfare.

Re "Bush asserts U.S. thriving on low taxes," Sept. 21 I was offended by President Bush's remarks indicating that he plans to veto bipartisan legislation that would reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The president accused others of partisan politics around children's healthcare, but stands almost alone in his stubborn opposition to this vital safety-net program.

In a decision that could set a precedent for California and other states but also generate sharp resistance, the Bush administration on Friday denied New York's request to expand a popular children's health insurance program to reach some uninsured middle-class families.

Preventing poor children from seeing a doctor is politically unpopular and deeply immoral, which explains the Bush administration's attempt to hide its efforts to do precisely that. No one should be fooled by President Bush's interference with congressional plans to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, a worthwhile safety net that has cut the number of uninsured low-income children by nearly a third in a decade.

Defying President Bush, the Senate on Thursday voted decisively to expand a popular health insurance program for children of the working poor and to more than double tobacco taxes to pay for it. Senators of both parties banded together in the 68-31 vote for the State Children's Health Insurance Program -- 18 Republicans joined all 48 of the chamber's Democrats who voted and both of its independents. That's one vote more than the 67 needed to override Bush's threatened veto.

A divided House on Wednesday approved sweeping healthcare legislation that would expand government benefits for children and seniors while boosting tobacco taxes and cutting Medicare payments to private insurance companies. The largely party-line 225-204 vote came after hours of rancorous debate and parliamentary stalling tactics by Republicans. Cheers rang out in the House chamber when Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) announced that the legislation had passed.

Preventing poor children from seeing a doctor is politically unpopular and deeply immoral, which explains the Bush administration's attempt to hide its efforts to do precisely that. No one should be fooled by President Bush's interference with congressional plans to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, a worthwhile safety net that has cut the number of uninsured low-income children by nearly a third in a decade.

When Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed it last fall, the All Kids legislation was heralded as one of the nation's most ambitious plans to ensure that all children would have access to health insurance, regardless of their immigration status. Now, as the program's benefits have begun to roll out, thousands of families and doctors are wondering whether the broad-reaching effort will live up to its promise.

The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee said that he was pushing for an additional $50 billion over five years for a healthcare program that insures millions of children. That would bring overall spending to $75 billion -- more than double what the Bush administration is proposing. Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana said that would be enough to cover children who are eligible for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, but not enrolled.

Shopkeeper Wei Vongsavanh was reeling after his health insurance premium hit $1,800 a month for his two young boys, both diagnosed with autism. The bill "came to the point I could not handle it anymore," said the father, an immigrant from Laos who owns a small Bay Area business that sells model airplanes. Then he discovered a joint federal-state program that helps insure the children of low-income workers.