Thursday, October 25, 2007

URGENT ACTION ALERT: SCHIP Vote is Today! Call Your Representative Now!

ACTION ALERT: Act Now! SCHIP Vote is Today in the House

We need you to call your Representative today. Debate is happening right now on the House floor regarding this important legislation.
Background:
There will be a vote on a new Child Health Insurance bill TODAY (THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25).
Because thousands of you called, Members of Congress are under pressure to enact a bill that insures 10 million children.
But we need a few more votes than last time, to be able to override a Presidential veto. Please call TODAY.

Under the new SCHIP bill that will be voted on today:
* States will not be able to use SCHIP money to cover children in families with incomes above 300 percent of the federal poverty level. (New Jersey, the only state covering children up to 350 percent of the poverty line, will be temporarily allowed to continue.)
* Coverage of childless adults will be phased out in one year (the original bill allowed two years).
*All states must develop plans to minimize the shift from private insurance coverage (for example, providing bonuses to states that help parents pay for child coverage they receive through their employer).
*Bonuses to states will be targeted at enrolling the poorest children in Medicaid.
*States must verify citizenship status; no federal funds may be used to cover undocumented immigrants.
*CMS Moratorium language is included in this compromise legislation. This is important to children with developmental and cognitive disabilities.


Take Action:
Call Your Representative Today. Call TOLL-FREE: 1-800-965-4701 and ask for his/her office.

Tell Them:
-Please vote for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. I’m a constituent who thinks covering 4 million more uninsured children is a very important vote.


If you do not know who your Representative is, his/her name will be provided when you enter your zip code in the text box when you click on this link: http://capwiz.com/thearc/callalert/index.tt?alertid=10477631&queueid=1509714981

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