National Alliance for Hispanic Health Ramps Up Lobbying for SCHIP Veto Override

“The senior leadership of major community-based Hispanic health organizations will converge on Capitol Hill this week to lobby for a congressional override of President George W. Bush’s veto of the bill to re-authorize and improve the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

The visits are part of an ongoing effort by the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance) and its member organizations to get the SCHIP bill signed into law so more than 1 million Hispanic children can obtain health insurance who will otherwise be uninsured.

Prominent local leaders visiting Capitol Hill this week are from lead agencies in New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Dallas and Houston, TX; Albuquerque, NM; Las Vegas, NV; San Diego, San Ysidro, Los Angeles, and Hayward, CA.

“SCHIP is a federal-state success story,” said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, the nation’s leading Hispanic health advocacy group. “SCHIP is working, providing millions of children with health insurance so that their parents are not forced to make heart-wrenching financial decisions that no one should ever have to make.”

“Democrats and Republicans worked hard to find a bipartisan compromise on SCHIP,” said Dr. Delgado. “We are going to ask Congressional leaders to stick together, reach out to their colleagues, and override the president’s veto to help America’s laboring families.”

The Senate and House passed the SCHIP bill with, among other items, three key provisions the Alliance and its affiliates will be lobbying for this week when they ask Congress to override the president’s veto:

– Retention of a $1 tobacco tax to finance the legislation. — Coverage of 4 million children, including over 1 million Hispanic children, who would otherwise be uninsured. — Inclusion of limited English proficient outreach provisions for SCHIP enrollment of children, including a 75% federal match to state funds for such outreach. About the National Alliance for Hispanic Health

The National Alliance for Hispanic Health is the nation’s foremost source of information and trusted advocate for the health of Hispanics in the United States.
National Alliance for Hispanic Health”*

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