Action Alerts: SCHIP Package
Call Your Senators to Ask them to Include Medicaid Rehab Services Option, School-Based Services Rule Moratorium in SCHIP Conference Package Today!
Executive Summary
As members of Congress continue negotiations on legislation to reauthorize and expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the National Council urges all members to contact their Senators TODAY and ask them to support the inclusion of Section 814 of the House’s SCHIP bill in the final conference report on SCHIP. Section 814 would impose a one-year 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. Recent reports from Capitol Hill indicate that the House and Senate are close to an agreement on SCHIP but it is unclear whether the moratorium will be part of the final package – making it crucial that you call to voice your support for inclusion of Section 814 today!
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. While both bills seek to reauthorize and expand SCHIP, differences in the two bills must be resolved by a joint House-Senate conference committee before the legislation can be passed on to the President for final approval. If a conference report is not produced by September 30, Congress will need to pass an extension to continue funding for SCHIP, most likely at the programs current levels.
In the House, the Children's Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act of 2007 (HR 3162) would expand SCHIP by $50 billion over the next five years and includes a variety of Medicaid and Medicare provisions. Section 814 of the CHAMP Act would impose a one-year moratorium on the issuance of new rules from CMS on both the Medicaid rehabilitative services option and school-based services. The National Council has been advocating for a moratorium on rulemaking related to the rehabilitative service option along with a number of other mental health and disability groups and was one of the groups that worked to have this language included in the CHAMP Act.
On August 13, CMS released proposed regulations on the Medicaid rehabilitative services option. Based on our initial review of the proposed regulations, the National Council believes our advocacy has minimized some of the damage that could have been done to the Rehabilitation Option. However, we still have some serious concerns about the proposed regulations, and questions regarding how certain sections could be interpreted. A one-year moratorium would protect these vital services and allow the National Council and other advocacy groups more time to work to preserve funding for and access to these important services.
In the Senate, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (S 1893) would expand SCHIP by $35 billion over five years. The Senate bill does not include any of the House’s other Medicaid and Medicare provisions. While both bills include increases in the tobacco tax to fund SCHIP, the Senate bill includes a larger increase.
Action Needed
The National Council urges members to contact all Senate offices and ask them to support the inclusion of Section 814 of the House’s CHAMP Act in the conference report on SCHIP.
To find your Senators’ contact information, go to: www.senate.gov/ or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
What Should You Say?
I am calling to urge the Senator to support the inclusion of Section 814 of the House’s CHAMP Act in the conference report on SCHIP. This one-year moratorium on rulemaking related to the Medicaid rehabilitative services option and school-based services would protect funding for these vital services.
