Legislation Would Give Tax Credits To Uninsured, Raise Eligibility Levels in Medicaid, CHIP

Congressional members on April 25 proposed two bills to help decrease the number of uninsured.

• A bill proposed by Reps. Kay Granger (R-Texas) and Albert Wynn (D-Md.) and supported by the business community would give refundable tax credits -- $1,000 per individual, $3,000 per family -- to uninsured people in families with annual incomes up to $105,000. The bill would also pay for half of the cost of health premiums not covered by the credit.
• Legislation supported by the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine would mandate an expansion of eligibility for state Medicaid and CHIP programs to up to 200% of the federal poverty level (Rovner, CongressDaily, 4/25). Current Medicaid eligibility guidelines require that states cover, among others, pregnant women and children under age 6 whose families earn less than 133% of poverty (CMS Web site). The proposed legislation also would give subsidies to people with incomes over 200% of poverty to purchase health insurance from "special pools" (CongressDaily, 4/25).