Matheson launches CHIP minicampaign

As Congress begins its traditional August break, children's health insurance remains a priority, especially for House Democrats.

Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, mounted a minicampaign of sorts Monday to rally public support for the federal Children's Health Insurance Program. It was highlighted by a news conference with state officials and a working mother who uses the program for her two children. Matheson also visited with the Deseret Morning News editorial board.

"Health care for kids is a good thing, and I will fight for that every day," he told the editorial board. "It's a good program for a lot of reasons."

Matheson touted the program's history, saying that "after 10 years, it is wildly successful." Because it is funded with federal block grants, it allows states flexibility in deciding how to treat children.

During the meeting and news conference, Matheson also focused on the threatened veto by President Bush of the bill that would increase federal funding for the program. The president opposes the bill because it raises the income level of parents who would qualify and may be too costly for the government to fund without raising taxes.

Both the House and Senate passed bills last month expanding the coverage of the program, known as SCHIP on the federal level and CHIP at the state level. Only the Senate version, which increases the funding by $35 billion as opposed to the $50 billion expansion approved by the House, was passed with a veto-proof majority.

Like some of his fellow Congressional Democrats in other states, however, Matheson tried to characterize the threatened veto in the simplest terms.

"We'll see if he really wants to veto health care for kids," Matheson said of the president.

At the news conference, Karen Crompton, director of Utah Voices for Children, was more blunt.

"The debate is simple," she said. "We're either going to cover children without health care or we're not. Everything else in the debate is just a distraction."

The House and Senate will need to work out a compromise bill after the August break. The program at least needs to be renewed by October for funding to continue.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. recently sounded a call to action in support of the CHIP program. He declared health insurance for children a top priority for the state last week in a meeting of the recently formed Child and Family Cabinet Council.

On Tuesday, Huntsman launched a CHIP outreach campaign. The CHIP mobile — a bright red minivan with CHIP written along the doors in bright white lettering — will be traveling across the state to help recruit families eligible for CHIP into the program.