HELP PROTECT HEALTH INSURANCE FOR CHILDREN AND SENIORS!

August 1, 2007

SCHIP needs $50 Billion. The House of Representatives has identified the offsets to get us there. Will our elected leaders to take a stand for children?!

In the Senate– In a show of bi-partisan work, the Senate Finance Committee approved $35 billion to support a major expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover 4 million children with health insurance.

The bill is not perfect – first it only give $35 billion to SCHIP when we are asking for $50 billion – but it is a major step along the way of providing meaningful reauthorization. The Senate Finance Committee is asking for this money to come from an increase in the tobacco tax.

ACTION!!!

CALL SENATOR CASEY AND SENATOR SPECTER AND TELL THEM:

SUPPORT the Finance Committee-approved bill

OPPOSE any weakening amendments

UTILIZE funding from overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans (which is undermining the Medicare system for seniors) and from an increase in the tobacco tax in conference

You can call your Senators through the Capitol Switchboard at 1-800-828-0498 or through their direct lines. For Senator Specter 202-224-4254 — For Senator Casey 202-224-6324

The House is going to vote on the “Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act” (CHAMP Act) this week. The CHAMP ACT includes the following important provisions:

The entire $50 billion needed for full SCHIP reauthorization
Ending Citizenship Documentation Requirements by making it a state option for children applying for Medicaid. The CHAMP bill does not apply the citizenship documentation requirement to SCHIP.
Allowing States the Option of Covering LEGAL Immigrant Children and Pregnant Women
Giving States the Option of Covering Pregnant Women Under SCHIP
ACTION!!! CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND TELL THEM YOU WANT SCHIP FULLY FUNDED AT $50 BILLION!

SUPPORT the CHAMP SCHIP bill

OPPOSE any weakening amendments

UTILIZE funding from overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans (which is undermining the Medicare system for seniors) and from an increase in the tobacco tax

You can call your Congressman through the Capitol Switchboard at 1-800-828-0498 or

Congressman Brady – 202-225-4731 Congressman Gerlach – 202-225-4315
Congressman Fattah – 202-225-4001 Congressman Patrick Murphy – 202-225-4276
Congressman Sestak – 202-225-2011 Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz – 202 225 6111

How can we pay for SCHIP Reauthorization and provide millions of children with health insurance?

Raise the Tax on Tobacco

Raise the federal tobacco tax- The federal tax on cigarettes has remained at 39 cents per pack since 2002. An increase to the cigarette tax of 61 cents per pack would raise over $35 billion over five years. This would pay for a portion of SCHIP reauthorization.
Stop Costly “Medicare Advantage” Overpayments, protect Medicare and Expand SCHIP

Reduce Medicare overpayments to private health plans which were brought into Medicare to save the program money. Instead private plans are costing the Treasury tens of billions of dollars because they are significantly overpaid – receiving 12% higher reimbursement rates than fee-for-service Medicare plans. This money is NOT being used to offer additional benefits to seniors – instead, it is being used for marketing and profits and is undermining the Medicare program!
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), Congress’ expert advisor on Medicare payments recommends that Medicare level the playing field by adjusting the payment formula to essentially pay private plans the same amounts it would pay to treat the same patients under fee-for-service. Matching the private Medicare plans rates with the fee-for-service rate would save $54 billion over five years.

· Overpayments to Medicare Advantage Programs hurts seniors because premium costs are tied to total Medicare costs. Senior citizens in traditional Medicare are paying $24 more in Part B premiums this year because of overpayments in Medicare Advantage

1 Medicare Advantage overpayments will shorten the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by two years
2 Most low-income seniors are not in Medicare Advantage plans. Instead, they are in a mixture of traditional Medicare and Medicaid.

Alisa Simon, Health Director
Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth
Seven Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Sixth Floor
Philadelphia, Pa 19103
215-563-5848 x 13 / 215-563-9442
alisasimon@pccy.org / www.pccy.org

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