Democrats Push Health Care Expansion

From http://www.dogflu.ca
It is being reported that Democrats are introducing a new bill to the Senate that would see the addition of 35 billion dollars to the Children's Health Insurance Program over the next 5 years to offer health insurance for low-income children



It is being reported that a new Democratic written bill to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program is making its way through the US Senate, and will soon be at the desk of the President who has stated that he would simply veto it.

The bill, would see the expansion of the SHIP to include an additional $35 billion over the next 5 years to maximize the amount of low-income children who would receive health insurance coverage. The bill would be paid for by increasing taxes on tobacco products.

U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., who is chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said the House bill would "reverse the Republican drive to privatize Medicare," the Times said.

Both the AARP and the American Medical Association are in favor of the expansion of the bill and both have stated that they would be unvailing television ads promoting the bill later this week.

House Democrats are hoping to portray the issue of the bill as a fight between children and older adults, against tobacco and insurance companies.

The Children's Health Insurance Program is set to expire at the end of September. Furthermore if Congress does not act soon, doctors would lose 10% of their Medicare payments starting on January 1.

As one might guess, cigarette makers are angry with the bill due to the meaning that cigarette taxes would be sharply raised to help cover its cost. Furthermore, insurance companies are also voicing their displeasure. “Cuts of this size would mean the end of a lifeline for many seniors,” said Karen M. Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, a trade association.