Final Bill Includes Six-Month Moratorium on New CMS Rules on Both Rehab Services Option and School-Based Services

Later today, the House and Senate are expected to vote on legislation to reauthorize and expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The final agreement reached by the House and Senate would not only reauthorize and expand this important program for children but also includes a six-month moratorium on the issuance of new rules from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on both the Medicaid rehabilitative services option and school-based services. The vote is expected to be close in the House and the National Council urges all members to contact their Representatives in support of this legislation.

Action Needed

The National Council urges all members to contact their Representatives and ask them to support passage of SCHIP.  To find your Representative’s contact information, go to: http://www.house.gov/ or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

In particular, the National Council urges you to reach out to the following offices:

Rodney Alexander (LA-5) 202-225-8490

Judy Biggert (IL-13) 202-225-3515

Tim Johnson (IL-15) 202-225-2371

Mark Kirk (IL-10) 202-225-4835

Mary Bono (CA-45) 202-225-5330

Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-5) 202-225-1002

Shelley Moore Capito (WV-2) 202-225-2711

Michael Castle (DE-At Large) 202-225-4165

Tom Davis (VA-11) 202-225-1492

Jo Ann Davis (VA-1) 202-225-4261

Frank Wolf (VA-10) 202-225-5136

Charlie Dent (PA-15) 202-225-6411

Phil English (PA-3) 202-225-5406

Jim Gerlach (PA-6) 202-225-4315

Tim Murphy (PA-18) 202-225-2301

Todd Platts (PA-19) 202-225-5836

Vernon Ehlers (MI-3) 202-225-3831

Fred Upton (MI-6) 202-225-3761

Jo Ann Emerson (MO-8) 202-225-4404

Mike Ferguson (NJ-7) 202-225-5361

Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2) 202-225-6572

Jim Saxton (NJ-3) 202-225-4765

Wayne Gilchrest (MD-1) 202-225-5311

John “Randy” Kuhl (NY-29) 202-225-3161

James Walsh (NY-25) 202-225-3701

Steven LaTourette (OH-14) 202-225-5731

Deborah Pryce (OH-15) 202-225-2015

Ralph Regula (OH-16) 202-225-3876

Jon Porter (NV-3) 202-225-3252

Jim Ramstad (MN-3) 202-225-2871

David Reichert (WA-8) 202-225-7761

Christopher Shays (CT-4) 202-225-5541

Greg Walden (OR-2) 202-225-6730

Heather Wilson (NM-1) 202-225-6316

What Should You Say?

I am calling to urge the Representative to support passage of SCHIP legislation.

Talking Points:

• Currently, over 90 percent of children enrolled in SCHIP have incomes at or below twice the poverty level – or $41,300 for a family of four
• The vast majority of children who would gain coverage under both the House and Senate bills would have incomes less than twice the poverty level.

Please let the National Council know if you contact a member of the House on this issue. Contact Allison Fort at allisonf@nccbh.org to let us know you participated and share the response you received from the office.

Background

Before adjourning for the month-long August recess, both the House and Senate passed separate bills to reauthorize and expand SCHIP, which is set to expire on September 30, 2007  - just five days from today. While both bills sought to reauthorize and expand SCHIP, differences in the two bills had to be resolved by a joint House-Senate conference committee before the legislation could be passed on to the President for final approval.