FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2015

CONTACT
Adela de la Torre, 213-400-7822, [email protected]

NILC Applauds Children’s Health Care Program Funding

WASHINGTON — Last night the Senate approved legislation that would extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for two years. The House of Representatives has already approved this legislation, which was combined with a proposal to create a new and permanent payment system for doctors who accept Medicare. President Obama has indicated that he will sign the bill. Below is a statement from Angel Padilla, National Immigration Law Center health policy analyst:

“Millions of children and pregnant women, native-born and immigrant alike, will continue to have access to affordable, reliable health care coverage, thanks to this rare display of bipartisan action in Congress. Ensuring access to health care coverage is vital for all of us, but especially for our nation’s children, for whom any absence of care can mean the difference between life and death.

“This vote serves as a reminder that we must continue to fight for the future of this important program. Although proposals to extend CHIP funding for four years, rather than two, would have prevented the need for yet another vote in an increasingly polarized Congress, we — along with allies across the country — will continue to fight to ensure that this sound investment in our health and our future remains on our law books.”

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