Rep. Stark and Sen. Rockefeller Introduce MediKids Health Insurance Act of 2001
News Release Congressman Pete Stark
May 3, 2001
Rep. Pete Stark:
"Children are the least expensive segment of our population to insure, and maintaining their health is integral to the future of our society. Providing health care coverage to children impacts more than just their health -- it impacts their ability to learn, their ability to thrive, and their ability to become productive members of society. MediKids simplifies the confusing array of health insurance assistance programs for children today and guarantees them coverage until adulthood."
Comment: Incremental expansions of the S-CHIP and Medicaid programs can never lead to universal coverage for children. The Stark-Rockefeller MediKids program is fundamentally different because it mandates that all children will have coverage. If parents do not provide coverage then, right from birth forward, they are automatically enrolled in the MediKids program, a Medicare program designed just for children. Although we must not let up on our efforts to attain a system of universal health care, covering all children by enacting MediKids would be a giant step towards our goal.
For a copy of the bill: <http://thomas.loc.gov/>http://thomas.loc.gov/ and type in the bill number: S827