CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch today sent a letter to President Bush urging him to reconsider drastic changes to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

“As Governor of the State of New Hampshire, I find these changes deeply troubling. As a nation, we should be working together to make sure all children have access to quality health care - not making it harder for hard-working parents to afford coverage for their children. This change could result in a loss of coverage for nearly 2,000 New Hampshire children who currently have access to quality, affordable health care through SCHIP,” Gov. Lynch wrote. “As Governor, I have made it a priority to enroll 10,000 additional children in our SCHIP program over the next three years. However, the recent changes by CMS put that goal in serious jeopardy.”

On August 17, state health officials received a letter from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) which included new requirements for states that wish to continue covering, or those seeking to extend coverage to children in families with incomes above 250 percent of the federal poverty level. These changes include requiring states to prove that they are covering 95 percent of children living below the 250 percent threshold before offering coverage to families above that level. The changes also include delay of a year or more in providing coverage, and requiring co-payments and premiums similar to private coverage.

“New Hampshire, like many other states, is doing all it can to assist uninsured individuals, including children, get needed access to health care. SCHIP provides health insurance to low-income children with working parents. These families are caught in a no-win situation - they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, their employers do not offer coverage, and they cannot afford private coverage.

“These new rules put the health of children at risk, at a time when we should be doing more to provide access to quality health care,” Gov. Lynch wrote.

A copy of Gov. Lynch’s letter to President Bush is below.

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August 27, 2007

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush:

I write today to express my strong opposition to the recent, sudden rule changes to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

The letter sent from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to State Health Officials on August 17 included new requirements for states that wish to continue covering or those seeking to extend coverage to children in families with incomes above 250 percent of the federal poverty level.

These changes include requiring states to prove that they are covering 95 percent of children living below the 250 percent threshold before offering coverage to families above that level. The changes also include unacceptable requirements of a delay in coverage of a year or more, and co-payments and premiums similar to private coverage.

As Governor of the State of New Hampshire, I find these changes deeply troubling. As a nation, we should be working together to make sure all children have access to quality health care - not making it harder for hard-working parents to afford coverage for their children. This change could result in a loss of coverage for nearly 2,000 New Hampshire children who currently have access to quality, affordable health care through SCHIP. As Governor, I have made it a priority to enroll 10,000 additional children in our SCHIP program over the next three years. However, the recent changes by CMS put that goal in serious jeopardy.

New Hampshire, like many other states, is doing all it can to help uninsured individuals, including children, get needed access to health care. SCHIP provides health insurance to low-income children with working parents. These families are caught in a no-win situation - they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, their employers do not offer coverage, and they cannot afford private coverage.

These new rules put the health of children at risk, at a time when we should be doing more to provide access to quality health care.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program, administered in New Hampshire through Healthy Kids, is one of the smartest investments we make because it is so vital to the future well being of this state. Children’s Health Insurance is the right thing to do, and it is the smart thing to do. Health insurance for children is relatively inexpensive, and it saves us money in the long term. Children with health insurance have a better chance of getting the preventative care they need to keep from getting sick, and getting the treatment they need to prevent minor illnesses from becoming major illnesses.

Without health insurance, parents, desperate to seek treatment for their children, go to emergency rooms for non-emergency care, which drives up the cost of health care for all of us. Just one emergency room visit can cost as much as three visits to a primary care physician. And we all know children with health insurance do better in school and better later in life. When I talk to teachers, they tell me that one of the best things we can do to improve education is make sure kids are getting basic health care.

As you know, I, along with Democratic and Republican governors across the country, believe that children's health insurance must continue to be a priority for our nation. That is why we have called on Congress to act to protect health insurance for our children.

S-CHIP and Healthy Kids is an example of a federal/state partnership that truly works. Here in New Hampshire, every 20 cents the state invests buys $1 of health insurance for children through Healthy Kids.

In conclusion, I urge you to withdraw CMS’ drastic requirements. At the very least, I urge you to more appropriately propose this policy as a formal rule under the normal procedure with a notification and comment period.

SCHIP is a smart investment in our kids and a smart investment in the future of New Hampshire and the nation.

Sincerely,

John H. Lynch
Governor