HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario today welcomed President Obama’s signing of the law reauthorizing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, also known as SCHIP.
“The president’s signature yesterday on the SCHIP reauthorization law ends a two-year odyssey for this important child health legislation,” Ario said. “Our children can sometimes be the ones hardest hit by recession, and hard-working families should not have to worry whether they can afford to take their children to the doctor. The new law preserves health coverage for children currently covered under the program and but also extends coverage to uninsured children who are currently eligible for, but not enrolled in, Medicaid or SCHIP.
“There is no better example of a public-private health partnership that has been so helpful to so many. While government helps finance this care, it is commercial insurers who deliver the product through a competitive bidding process. Pennsylvania families tell us all the time that their children are healthy and active because of our Children’s Health Insurance Program, CHIP.”
Pennsylvania’s CHIP enrollment increased to 183,891 in January — representing more than a 10 percent increase over January 2008. Also, there were 10,774 children enrolled in CHIP in January who would not have been eligible before the Cover All Kids expansion championed by Governor Edward G. Rendell.
CHIP provides quality, comprehensive health insurance coverage for doctor and hospital visits, pre scri ptions, dental and eye care — and much more. To learn more, visit here.