January 26, 2009
Dear Partners,
We wanted to update you on new developments regarding a temporary FMAP increase in the Economic Recovery Package and the Senate SCHIP reauthorization bill. We are also providing you with information on how to receive future updates from Community Catalyst on general health reform issues.
FMAP
House
The House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce approved the Economic Recovery Package on Thursday, January 22nd. The bill includes a temporary $87 billion increase in FMAP spending that will span nine calendar quarters (October 1, 2008 through December 31, 2010). The bill is expected to reach the House floor for a vote on Wednesday, January 28th. Included in the $87 billion is a 4.9 percentage point increase in "base" FMAP allotments to all states. For more information on the FMAP increase in the House Economic Recovery Package, see this analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Senate
The Senate Finance Committee will begin to "mark up" the economic recovery bill tomorrow, January 27th. According to our federal partners, it is unlikely that the Senate bill will include more than $87 billion in temporary FMAP funding.
SCHIP
Floor debate on the Senate SCHIP reauthorization bill (S. 275) is likely to begin tonight, with a final floor vote expected by the end of this week (or over the weekend). The ICHIA provision, which would eliminate the current five year waiting period for legally residing immigrant children to receive public health insurance, is likely to generate debate on the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) stated that he does not wish to not file cloture to restrict debate on the bill, but that such procedural decisions will be made at the end of the week. To view CBPP's summary and side-by-side comparison of the 2009 House and Senate SCHIP bills, click here.
While we expect 11 of our 12 Senators in the region to support the bill, you are always welcome to contact your senators and ask them to support the Chairman's Mark of the SCHIP bill (which includes ICHIA) and reject any amendments that weaken the ICHIA provision or the bill as a whole. Contact information for the New England Delegation can be found here.
National Health Reform
Over the next year, NEACH will keep you informed and provide you with suggested action steps about national health reform issues affecting children and families. In addition, Community Catalyst will be tracking a wider range of national health reform issues. Our organization will provide analysis and identify targeted action steps for partners in 33 states across the country. Community Catalyst will be alerting its partners via email in a way that is similar to how NEACH has been alerting all of you over the past two years.
If you are interested in being added to Community Catalyst's national health reform e-mail list, please contact Jennifer Collier at jcollier@communitycatalyst.org.
We will continue to pass along information about FMAP and SCHIP as we receive it. As always, please feel free to contact me directly with questions (617-275-2929, arosenthal@communitycatalyst.org).
Sincerely,
Amy Rosenthal
Project Director
