PRINTER'S NO. 2772
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
622
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY DeLUCA, BARBIN, BIZZARRO, BOYLE, BRADFORD, BRIGGS,
V. BROWN, BULLOCK, BURNS, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, CEPHAS,
COMITTA, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, P. COSTA, CRUZ, DALEY, DAVIDSON,
DAVIS, DAWKINS, DEAN, DEASY, DeLISSIO, DERMODY, DONATUCCI,
DRISCOLL, FABRIZIO, FITZGERALD, FLYNN, FRANKEL, FREEMAN,
GAINEY, GALLOWAY, GOODMAN, HAGGERTY, HANNA, HARKINS,
J. HARRIS, HILL-EVANS, KAVULICH, W. KELLER, KIM, KINSEY,
KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KRUEGER-BRANEKY, KULIK, LONGIETTI, MADDEN,
MARKOSEK, McCARTER, McCLINTON, D. MILLER, MULLERY, NEILSON,
NEUMAN, O'BRIEN, PASHINSKI, PETRARCA, RABB, RAVENSTAHL,
READSHAW, ROEBUCK, ROZZI, SAINATO, SAMUELSON, SCHLOSSBERG,
SCHWEYER, SIMS, SNYDER, SOLOMON, STURLA, THOMAS, VITALI,
WARREN, WHEATLEY AND YOUNGBLOOD, DECEMBER 5, 2017
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
DECEMBER 5, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 25th anniversary of the Children's Health
Insurance Program and the important physical and behavioral
health benefits the program provides to children of this
Commonwealth.
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Children's Health Insurance Program
(CHIP) was established in 1992 under the Casey Administration to
provide coverage for uninsured children of Pennsylvania who are
low income but above the qualifying income levels for Medicaid;
and
WHEREAS, In 1997, as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997
(Public Law 105-33, 111 Stat. 251), the Federal CHIP program was
established and now provides health insurance to 9 million
children and pregnant women across this country; and
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WHEREAS, CHIP is a program for families that cannot afford
private health insurance, but are above the qualifying income
levels for Medicaid; and
WHEREAS, CHIP has three categories for qualification,
including free CHIP, partial-pay CHIP and full-cost CHIP; and
WHEREAS, Without the three-category approach, many children
would have fallen through the cracks; and
WHEREAS, There are currently 178,000 children enrolled in
CHIP and families rely on health insurance to provide for the
health and developmental needs of children and to have access to
pediatric services; and
WHEREAS, CHIP allows for year-round enrollment so that
eligible children can sign up at any time, and the program caps
a family's out-of-pocket expenses at a 5% cost sharing of total
income; and
WHEREAS, CHIP has a proven track record of providing high-
quality, cost-effective coverage for low-income children in
working families and is a model program that has reduced the
numbers of uninsured children to historic lows; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Government currently provides 89% of the
funding for Pennsylvania's CHIP; and
WHEREAS, Funding for CHIP must be continued and now is the
time for leaders of the Congress of the United States to make
CHIP a top priority, before Federal funding expires; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth must also reauthorize the CHIP
program before December 31, 2017, to continue to operate the
program that is vital to the families of this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, If the General Assembly does not reauthorize the
CHIP program, the health care of 178,000 children in this
Commonwealth will be put in jeopardy; and
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WHEREAS, Pennsylvania established its CHIP program five years
before the Federal program; and
WHEREAS, As a leader in providing children of vulnerable
populations with health insurance, it is an incumbent
responsibility of the General Assembly to continue to provide
CHIP for all children who qualify; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognize the 25th anniversary of
the Children's Health Insurance Program and the important
physical and behavioral health benefits the program provides to
children of this Commonwealth; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Congress of the United States and the
General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania pass the
appropriate legislation in order to effectuate the mission of
this important program; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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