Channell Urges Congress to Aide the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan

ATLANTA (January 10, 2007) – Tuesday State Rep. Mickey Channell (R-Greensboro), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee on Health presented fellow House Members with a resolution urging Congress to provide financial support and reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (S-CHIP), known in Georgia as Peachcare.

   The state of Georgia has the fifth largest number of children currently enrolled in the program. Peachcare for Kids requires an additional Federal appropriation of $131 million to continue providing health insurance for children of poor and working families. Unless Congress acts to fund the financial shortfall by May 2007, healthcare coverage will be lost to 260,000 children in Georgia. Further, it is crucial that Congress act on this matter before the General Assembly adjourns Sine Die, so that there is no interruption in coverage.

   “Georgia arguably has the best children’s healthcare program in the nation. However, the current funding formula penalizes Georgia’s success by failing to account for children who are already enrolled in Peachcare. I urge you to contact your Members of Congress about this urgent matter and to take action to fund the shortfalls in S-CHIP before it is too late.”