(TN) Democrats seeking SCHIP veto override

Memphis Commercial Appeal ^ | Friday, October 5, 2007 | Richard Locker

[Tennessee Nana]

Bredesen rallies support for Oct. 18 vote

NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen and Democratic legislative leaders urged Tennessee's four Republican congressmen Thursday to help override President Bush's veto of the bill expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

But all four, who had voted against the bill, indicated they will support the veto.

The bill would make coverage available to more uninsured children of working parents, boost funding to Tennessee hospitals that serve a "disproportionate share" of charity patients by $150 million over five years, and let Mississippi and Arkansas pay the Regional Medical Center at Memphis for more of the care it provides to indigent patients from both states.

The House and Senate passed the SCHIP reauthorization bill with bipartisan support last week, including Republican U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker. Both senators praised its passage as step toward covering more of Tennessee's 127,000 uninsured children.

The five Tennessee Democrat House members voted for the bill.

Voting against the bill were Republican U.S. Reps. Marsha Blackburn, David Davis, John J. Duncan Jr. and Zach Wamp.

In Tennessee, SCHIP would expand the state's Cover Kids program beyond its current enrollment of 11,165 children. Under Cover Kids, there are no monthly premiums for families earning less than 21/2 times the federal poverty level, or $51,625 for a family of four.

The vetoed bill would raise the ceiling to 3 times the poverty level, or $61,950.

In its veto message Wednesday, the White House said the bill would turn a program for poor children into one that covers more middle-income families, move millions of children with private health insurance to the government program, raise taxes, and "is an incremental step toward the Democrats' goal of a government-run health care system."

Bush had proposed a 20 percent expansion -- $5 billion over five years -- and said he would work with Congress toward a compromise.

But Democratic and Republican Senate leaders, and Democratic House leaders, want a veto override vote Oct.18.

Reporters asked Bredesen on Thursday if he will urge the Tennessee congressmen who opposed the bill to help override the veto.

He said the bill deserved bipartisan support.

"I guess I would say to any member of our delegation to remember that this affects a lot of children in Tennessee and that there was $150 million for Tennessee hospitals in that bill," he said.

"Even if you're not interested in this particular version of children's health care, I think each one of them has hospitals in their districts that would benefit.

"I certainly understand the desire to stand with your president but presidents aren't always right and this is one where I would hope they would seriously consider what's in the interests of their districts."

State children's health insurance program

SCHIP is a federal-state program created 10 years ago to offer health coverage for uninsured children in working families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance.

In addition to re-authorizing the basic program, the bill would expand coverage from the current 6.6 million to about 10 million children nationally, increasing spending by $35 billion over five years.

A proposed 61-cent increase in the 39-cent federal cigarette tax would pay for it.

--Richard Locker: (615) 255-4923

[dforest]

That can only happen with proud,unafraid men and women standing up for citizens.

Rinos need to fear principaled people. I am sick of them and so are many others.

This party needs to get back to what won for them.

[FreeUs FromGovt Out of Control]

I understand from an Grassfire.org Alliance e-mail that the SCHIP reauthoriztion WILL BE GIVING TAXPAYER BENEFITS TO ILLEGALS.

I FIND IT CURIOUS THAT THE LIBERALS, NOR THEIR PUBLIC RELATIONS ARM, I.E. THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA (MSM), HAVE POINTED THIS OUT TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.

Could it be because the Liberals, and their MSM P.R. outfits, all want AMNESTY???? (albeit “backdoor” amnesty)...you decide.

[org.whodat]

TN Gov Bredesen

with several of his rino bud's see this as help in solving their TN-care overspending.

[RoseofTexas]

MAN, it’s stuff like this that you consider going on welfare or becoming a bum to get all the goodies! WHY work and sweat when you can suntan on the beach and get all the freebies?!! I’m going broke paying for entitlements for the lazy unemployed folks. TAX REVOLUTION!

[cosine]

Hospitals got special dealing for the current payments system way back in 1930. They have sucked up to government ever since. They only realized that maybe they should get real on cash prices when K.B.Forbes sued a few. The good news is that the private hospitals mostly do a good job of improving their capital and taking care of people, at least compared with the government counterparts at the VA, the NHS, and Canada.

That said, however, certain segments of the hospital continue to believe, mostly mistakenly, that more government coverage means more payments for them because more people will be “covered.” Why this is true, given that SCHIP mostly equals Medicaid enrollment or reimbursement levels, the largest generator of uncompensated care in the U.S.,remains a mystery.

[cosine]

Most of the current health care reform plans that extend government into private health care implicitly include coverage for illegals because they refer to “residents.” However, when Massachusetts plan was passed it left hospitals holding the bag on EMTALA.

[cgbg]

You are correct that SCHIP would give benefits to illegals (as it does today, btw). The way that works is that the only form of identification allowed in the law is the Social Security number with twenty-four hours for the Social Security Administration to respond. If they do not identify the number as a fake then benefits are granted.

The Social Security Administrator has publicly stated that his agency does not have the technology or people necessary to make such a determination in that timeframe, so everybody gets a free "pass".

If you hear a politician claiming otherwise they are lying sobs.

[WOSG]

“I understand from an Grassfire.org Alliance e-mail that the SCHIP reauthoriztion WILL BE GIVING TAXPAYER BENEFITS TO ILLEGALS.

I FIND IT CURIOUS THAT THE LIBERALS, NOR THEIR PUBLIC RELATIONS ARM, I.E. THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA (MSM), HAVE POINTED THIS OUT TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.”

Time to write a letter to the editor on it.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Hi Nana...

http://conservativecajun.blogspot.com/2007/10/where-has-conservative-bobby-gone-i.html

http://www.rogersrants.com/blog/default.aspx?id=81&t=This-SCHIP-Needs-to-Stay-Sunk

WTH is wrong with Bobby ??...:0(

[from occupied ga]

Btw, I like your tagline.

Thanx