Barack Obama may be celebrating an early victory in his campaign promises of health care reform, as the U.S. House of Representatives votes today to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan and increase taxes on cigarettes to fund it.
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The bill intends to expand SCHIP health care coverage to over 11 million children by raising the cigarette tax to $1 a pack, with taxes on other tobacco products being raised as well. 6.7 million children in low income families are currently covered by the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan.
“In these tough economic times, more and more parents can’t afford health coverage for their kids. Millions of families felt abandoned in 2007 when the Children’s Health Insurance Program got vetoed. But I’m committed to go the last mile now and finally see a CHIP expansion signed into law.” -Max Baucus, Senate Finance Committee Chairman
The Senate Finance Committee is also moving forward on it, and plans to draft its version of the bill on Thursday, also financing the expanded children’s health care program with higher tobacco taxes.
Image: aloshbennett at Flickr under Creative Commons
They’ve already done this (sort of) in CA. Tobacco taxes fund First Five, which funds the School Readiness preschool program where I work. It funds many other things for children zero to five too, but recently $16.7M was dedicated from 47 counties’ First 5 Commissions to help Healthy Families. Healthy Families is funded by SCHIP and provides low cost insurance for children from working families. It is a great program!
I think its great that we are finding the funds for Children’s Health Care (because while I don’t believe in universal care for EVERYONE, I do believe every child should be insured as all adults with potentially terminal diseases and disabilities).
I always have mixed feelings over funding from cigarettes/alcohol/lottery, etc… because in a way it sends a mixed message (ie, smoking isn’t so bad because I’m supporting health care).
These programs are vital, but I do cringe when our children see ads or slogans about negative society activities supporting/promoting positive programs.