Protecting Children’s Health Insurance

San Antonio, Texas – Today, U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-San Antonio), senior Member of the House Ways & Means Committee, was joined by physicians and health care providers at The Children's Hospital of San Antonio to discuss the urgent need for federal reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and share examples of how CHIP affects children and providers in San Antonio.

"State CHIP programs are running on empty, and they cannot be filled with empty Republican promises that, eventually, something will be done," Congressman Doggett said. "We are here today to be a voice for the voiceless—especially the estimated 26,800 Bexar County children who rely upon CHIP. As President Trump wreaks chaos in the broader insurance marketplace, it is even more critical that we maintain health insurance for children. CHIP had a bipartisan beginning, we urgently need that cooperation now. Congress must not linger any longer while parents are left with only uncertainty about their child's access to a family physician."

Dr. Mark Gilger, Pediatrician-in-Chief for The Children's Hospital of San Antonio, said, "SCHIP provides peace of mind to our children and their families because it ensures all children who visit the Children's Hospital of San Antonio can readily access essential health care services."

Pediatrician & Co-Owner of South Texas Center for Pediatric Care,Dr. Dianna Burns-Banks said, "On behalf of the over 4,800 members of the Bexar County Medical Society and the over 4,000 members of the Texas Pediatric Society, physicians are urging Congress to accelerate the reauthorization of CHIP funding." Dr. Burns-Banks is also a representative of Bexar County Medical Society.

"In my practice, I see firsthand how providing access to healthcare for children is an investment in our collective future," said Dr. Rudy Morales Urby, Community Health Family Physician. "As we strive to educate our country's children, so should we ensure their health by reauthorizing CHIP—allowing them to learn, to realize their potential, and to be productive citizens one day."

"One in five kids in Texas and across the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder – about 40,000 to 80,000 children and teens in Bexar County alone," said Fred Hines, President & CEO of Clarity Child Guidance Center. "What is truly disheartening, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, only 21% of those kids will receive needed treatment. Further, we know that treatment works, and like any chronic illness, the sooner the problem is identified and treated, the more successful the outcome. CHIP has enabled hundreds of thousands of Texas kids, kids who would have been excluded, to access that early identification and treatment."

The Republican Congress failed to prevent CHIP from expiring on September 30, putting at risk the health of nearly 400,000 children and 36,000 pregnant women across Texas. The Center for Public Policy Priorities estimates that 26,800 of the children in Texas CHIP reside in Bexar County, based on historical enrollment.

You can view Rep. Doggett's full remarks on his Facebook page here: www.Facebook.com/RepLloydDoggett(Rep. Doggett's remarks begin at 3:45)

And on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/heZpO1imAAk