House Subcommittee Holds Hearing To Review Efforts To Expand SCHIP in 2007

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on Tuesday held a hearing to review efforts in 2007 to pass legislation to reauthorize and expand SCHIP, CQ Today reports.

During the hearing, witnesses said that the number of uninsured children will increase because of the current economic recession and the inability of Congress to expand public health insurance programs or prevent changes to programs by President Bush. Cindy Mann, executive director of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University, said that the number of uninsured children increases by about 2,000 daily and that the "weakening economy will inevitably push these numbers upward unless action is taken by Congress to put the nation back on track."

In addition, Dennis Smith, Medicaid director at CMS, during the hearing defended an Aug. 17, 2007, rule issued by the Bush administration that limits enrollment in SCHIP.

Democrats said that they will seek to expand SCHIP in 2008, but Republicans said that they will oppose any efforts not focused on children in low-income families (Wayne, CQ Today, 1/29).