Media & Resources

WASHINGTON, DC- Today, leading children’s groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children’s Defense Fund, First Focus, the March of Dimes, and the National Association of Children’s Hospitals, released the following statement in response to today’s passage of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) reauthorization bill:

“We are pleased that Congress has passed a bill that reauthorizes CHIP, taking care of important unfinished business from the last Congress.  Under this legislation, states receive funding to provide coverage for 4 million children who are currently uninsured, end the five-year waiting period on covering legal immigrant children and pregnant women, and give overburdened states much needed fiscal relief to keep children in the program.  This legislation makes an important initial investment in strengthening the quality of children’s health care and improving health outcomes. We now look forward to working with President Obama and the new Congress on health care reform in 2009, for children and for everyone, that fulfills President Obama’s promise of high quality health coverage that every family can afford for every child in America.”

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