AcademyHealth Stateside - 11/30/2006  (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
 State Coverage Initiatives Winter Meeting to be Held in New Orleans
 Election Round Up: Governor’s Races and Ballot Initiatives
 Oregon Lays Groundwork for Universal Coverage Plan
 Utah Modifies Program to Help Uninsured Workers Participate in Employer-Sponsored Health Plans
 Maryland’s High Risk Insurance Pool Offers Income Subsidy Program
 Profiles in Coverage: Oklahoma Employer/Employee Partnership for Insurance Coverage
 New Publication on ERISA Implications for State Coverage Strategies
 States Face SCHIP Federal Funding Shortfalls in Fiscal Year 2007
 America’s Health Insurance Plans Announces Vision for Universal Coverage
 New Issue Brief on Health Plan Benefit Design
 News from AcademyHealth
 Reports of Interest

States Face SCHIP Federal Funding Shortfalls in Fiscal Year 2007

Seventeen states face federal funding shortfalls in their State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP) during this fiscal year. The 17 shortfall states are: Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. A few will begin running out of federal funds starting in January 2007. Unless Congress acts quickly to address these shortfalls, these states will face difficult budget decisions and may have to scale back SCHIP coverage.

Senator John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W. Va), Representative John Barrow (D-Ga.), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Representative Nathan Deal (R-Ga.) each introduced legislation this fall that would address the Fiscal Year 2007 shortfalls. These proposals would require between $300 and $450 million in new federal appropriations. It is unclear if these bills will be addressed during the current lame-duck session or if Congress will delay action until next year when SCHIP is scheduled for reauthorization.