Bush Signs SCHIP Into Law
Dec 30th 2007JayHealth Insurance Reform & Policy
CRAWFORD, Texas – President Bush signed a temporary extension of SCHIP into law until March 31, 2009 today. Democrats wanted to bring it up for renewal sooner so it would be in discussion just before the presidential elections in 2008, but senate republicans forced a longer extension so the next president and congress will be in charge of dealing with any changes to SCHIP.
The legislation also provides a 0.5 percent increase for Medicare doctors for six months, delaying a scheduled 10 percent pay cut.
Bush twice vetoed more ambitious earlier bills that would have expanded the children’s health program to cover about 10 million children in low and moderate income families, despite bipartisan support.
Bush and Democrats have been locked in a fight over budget and spending and the president said the previous bills were too costly and would push more children into government-run health care instead of private health insurance plans.
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