CQ’s Carey Examines Attempt at SCHIP Veto Override, Tobacco Regulation, Veterans’ Disability Benefits

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, discusses House Democrats' efforts to override President Bush's veto of SCHIP expansion legislation, a House hearing about tobacco regulation and disability benefits for veterans in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ."

According to Carey, House Democrats and advocates are trying to sway House Republicans and Democrats who voted against legislation that would have reauthorized and expanded SCHIP to override Bush's veto of the measure. An override vote is scheduled for Oct. 18. The SCHIP bill passed by a veto-proof majority in the Senate but not in the House. Carey says obtaining enough votes in the House to override the veto "will be a difficult task to achieve." A Senate Republican proposal that would add about $14 billion to SCHIP over five years and restrict coverage to low-income children younger than age 19 and to pregnant women may prove to be a way to "break the logjam," Carey says.

Carey also discusses a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on legislation that would permit FDA to regulate tobacco, including flavorings and other additives used by cigarette manufacturers. According to Carey, proponents of the bill say it is needed because tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. and costs the nation $96 billion annually in health costs. However, several Republicans on the panel expressed concerns that the bill would undermine FDA's public health mission and that the government already has implemented efforts to reduce tobacco use.

In addition, Carey discusses recommendations by the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission to increase disability benefits by up to 25% until a new system is put in place to more adequately reflect the needs of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The commission stated that not enough attention is being paid to such conditions as post-traumatic stress disorder and called for more frequent mental health examinations and compensation for PTSD patients, as well as a reduction in the backlog of disability claims, Carey says.

The complete audio version of "Health on the Hill," transcript and resources for further research are available online at kaisernetwork.org.