Future of US children's health insurance still uncertain

doi:10.1136/bmj.39356.376470.DB

BMJ 2007;335:685 (6 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.39356.376470.DB

News

Future of US children's health insurance still uncertain

Janice Hopkins Tanne

New York

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The US State Children's Health Insurance Program, subject ofa fight between President George Bush and Congress, was extendedto 16 November.

The programme was to expire on 30 September, the end of thegovernment's fiscal year and the end of the programme, whichbegan 10 years ago and needs renewal every five years.

Congress passed a "continuing resolution" to extend it and severalother programmes.

The current programme, funded partly by the federal government(about 70%) and partly by the states (about 30%), covers morethan six million children. The proposed expansion would coveranother four million.

Last month Congress voted to renew and expand the programmeto cover more children in families with incomes too high toqualify for Medicaid insurance but too low for them to affordprivate health insurance. The Congressional plan would costan additional $35bn (£17bn; ${euro}$ 25bn) over the next five years.Proposing a . . . [Full text of this article]