The top Republicans on House health care subcommittees are asking Democratic counterparts for joint talks on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Reauthorization bill.
The House Energy and Commerce already today is meeting to review H.R. 3162, the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act.
SCHIP is set to expire Sept. 30.
The Senate is considering a bill that would increase funding to an average of $12 billion per year over the next 5 years, from $5 billion today, and the Bush administration wants Congress to increase funding to only $6 billion per year and to use a cap on the group health tax break to offer equal tax treatment for individuals who buy their own health coverage.
H.R. 3126 would increase program funding to $15 billion per year.
Both the Senate bill and the House bill would increase federal tobacco taxes, and the House bill would raise additional funding by shifting some Medicare Advantage funding to SCHIP.
Bush has threatened to veto the current Senate SCHIP bill or the House SCHIP bill if either reaches his desk.