Congress is working on expanding the popular State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or S-CHIP . The House is grappling with it this week after the Senate Finance Committee approved an expansion measure last week.
Both Missouri Senators say they want to pass an expanded S-CHIP bill, but they differ as to what they expect to see in such a bill. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) says the Senate is looking at a $35-Billion increase.
Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) has concerns about the increase that is working its way through the Senate. He says there should be an S-CHIP expansion, but only for needy children.
Bond says the Senate bill uses what he calls "budget gimmicks" to hide the true cost of the bill. He says S-CHIP would be extended to cover children from higher income families earning as much as $82,000 a year. He adds the program would be paid for with massive tax increases that would not bring in the revenue projected.
McCaskill calls the plan a very wise use of tax dollars because it would provide healthcare to children who might otherwise use more expensive government healthcare in the future.
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