Matheson Hails 10-year Success in Caring for Utah Children

Salt Lake City, UT—Congressman Jim Matheson says this week’s 10-year anniversary for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is a resounding success that has resulted in healthier lives for thousands of Utah children and a safety net for their working parents.

The bipartisan program passed Congress and was signed into law in August 1997. It set up a public-private partnership that provided matching federal and state dollars so that the working poor could buy health insurance for their kids. Since its inception, more than 134,000 Utah children have been covered under SCHIP.

“Every parent knows what it is like to have a sick child and the desire to help make them well. Thanks to this program, kids have gotten immunizations, broken bones mended, prescriptions and cavities filled and their parents haven’t been made destitute in order to help them. It’s a great foundation upon which to build over the next 10 years,” said Matheson.

Matheson said that as of this month, 34,588 Utah children are enrolled in CHIP.  An estimated 90,000 still lack health insurance.  Matheson said nationally an estimated 6 million children qualify for SCHIP but cannot sign up because of insufficient funding.  A bipartisan effort to renew and expand SCHIP was opposed by the current Administration. A stop-gap measure provides enough money to maintain existing enrollees through March 2009.

“We all want to do the right thing by children and I am confident that next year will see action that allows every eligible child to get health insurance coverage, saving lives and saving money,” said Matheson.

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