Reed helps secure $49M to keep RIte Care going

WASHINGTON – The RIte Care children’s health program will receive an estimated $49 million to close its federal funding gap under a $1.9 billion measure approved yesterday, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed announced.
“This is good news for thousands of Rhode Islanders and millions of Americans across the country who depend on the [State] Children’s Health Insurance Program … but it is not the permanent solution we need,” said Reed, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
Last month, he led 28 other senators in calling on Congress to eliminate a projected SCHIP shortfall of $1.2 billion, which put 1.6 million people in 19 states at risk of losing their health insurance. In Rhode Island, federal funding for the program was projected to run out in March.
“When a child gets sick or breaks an arm, they should get to see a doctor,” Reed said. “SCHIP makes medical care possible for thousands of kids and allows them to lead healthier, more productive lives.”
In Rhode Island, the SCHIP portion of RIte Care covers more than 24,000 children, parents and pregnant women in low-income families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. Nationwide, SCHIP provides health coverage to more than 6 million low-income children. “This program is a vital safety net for many Rhode Island families and a wise investment in our community,” Reed said.
“President Bush has twice vetoed bipartisan SCHIP legislation that would expand the program to provide health care coverage to millions of America’s neediest children,” he noted, saying: “I will continue to fight for the long-term reauthorization and expansion of SCHIP. … The president should join us in providing more kids with health insurance, a foundation for their education and the opportunity to proceed forward as good citizens and contributing members of our economy.”
RIte Care – administered by the R.I. Department of Human Services – provides comprehensive health coverage to eligible children, parents and pregnant women including participants in the Family Independence Program. To learn more, visit www.dhs.state.ri.us.