ACTION ALERT: Save the S-CHIP bill!

On September 7, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued CMS-2287. This proposed rule would eliminate federal reimbursement under the Medicaid program to school districts for the costs of administrative activities and certain types of transportation provided to Medicaid-eligible students with disabilities. Thanks in part to your efforts a provision was inserted in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) reauthorization bill (H.R. 976) to impose a 6-month moratorium on the finalization of this rule.

However, the fight is not over yet! Although both the House and Senate passed the S-CHIP bill, President Bush vetoed the legislation on October 4, 2007. The House is scheduled to attempt to override President Bush’s veto on Thursday of this week. The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is urging ALL members to contact their representatives to support an override of the President’s veto of the S-CHIP bill.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Please Save the SCHIP Bill!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As a school board member in your district, I would like to express my support for the State Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 conference report and urge you to vote in favor of H.R. 976.

Over the last ten years, Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) have made tremendous progress in improving children's health insurance, currently providing coverage to over 30 million children. However, more than 9 million children in America are still uninsured and millions more are underinsured. As a result, a significant majority (63 percent) of registered voters favor expanding the program by $35 billion over five years, according to a recent poll by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Congress has a historic opportunity with the reauthorization of SCHIP to take the necessary next step in providing health insurance to millions of children. As you know, good health is essential for students to learn and achieve in school. H.R. 976 will expand outreach initiatives and streamline eligibility determinations to help facilitate enrollment of eligible children and provide them with the health services they need. Furthermore, it will ensure that low-income children receive appropriate mental health and dental care, in addition to essential medical assistance.

I am particularly supportive of Sec. 616 in the conference report that prevents the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from restricting Medicaid reimbursement for school-based services until May 28, 2008. Without this short-term moratorium, a newly proposed rule (CMS-2287) to eliminate federal matching funds for administrative activities performed by school personnel, as well as certain types of transportation services for students with disabilities, would limit schools' ability to identify Medicaid eligible children and connect them to needed services in their schools and communities.

Reauthorization of SCHIP offers Congress a historic opportunity to come together- on a bipartisan basis for our nation's children- to build on SCHIP and Medicaid's remarkable successes. We urge Congress to pass H.R. 976 with a veto-proof majority and to send a clear message that Americans of all communities believe in a strong health care system for children.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
October 15, 2007

Background Information

Under federal law, school districts are eligible to receive payment from Medicaid for health services delivered to Medicaid-eligible children with disabilities. School districts may receive federal reimbursement for health services delivered to Medicaid-eligible children with disabilities who may need diagnostic, preventative, and rehabilitative services including speech, physical and occupational therapies. In addition, school districts receive reimbursement for the transportation costs of such services and administrative costs such as outreach for enrollment purposes, and coordination and/or monitoring of medical care.

H.R. 976 would expand the SCHIP program to provide health insurance to millions of children so that they receive the health services they need. In addition, the bill contains a 6-month moratorium on CMS from taking any action on a newly proposed rule (CMS-2287-P) that would restrict school districts’ ability to seek federal reimbursement for enrolling children in the Medicaid program and providing students—mostly low-income students with disabilities—with certain types of services.

President Bush carried through on his promise to veto legislation reauthorizing and expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Given these recent developments, NSBA’s first priority is to urge Congress, particularly House members, to override the President’s veto.

Additional resources can also be found on NSBA’s Web site at: http://www.nsba.org/site/page.asp?TRACKID=&CID=2089&DID=40284.

For your convenience, a list of House members who voted “nay” (by state) is attached.