SCHIP statement from Betsy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fourth Congressional District Candidate Betsy Markey's Statement on Congresswoman Musgrave's Vote Against SCHIP

"Many of us in the district have called on Marilyn Musgrave to put aside narrow ideology and do the right thing for Colorado's children. Once again, she has lent a deaf ear to her constituents.

In Colorado, over 175,000 children in the state – or about 14% – do not have any kind of health insurance. This is unacceptable. SCHIP would have provided many of these children with health care coverage, without requiring new deficit spending.

Marilyn Musgrave argued that the bill would shift children and families with higher incomes from private insurance to “government coverage”. Three out of four children enrolled in Medicaid and SCHIP receive their health care coverage through private managed care plans. They are no more in “government-run” health care than federal employees, like Congresswoman Musgrave, enrolled in a private health plan financed through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).

Marilyn Musgrave also claimed that SCHIP would provide coverage to illegal immigrants. Undocumented immigrants have never been eligible for Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. The bill required proof of citizenship before enrollment in SCHIP, similar to requirements for the Medicaid program."

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