Rockefeller discusses CHIP program in Beckley

2007-08-12

Source: Beckley Register Herald

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., met Saturday with a small group of health officials at Raleigh General Hospital to discuss the future of the Children's Health Insurance Program in West Virginia.

The national program, which provides health insurance to children who otherwise could not afford it, is set to expire at the end of September.

Rockefeller has authored a bill that will provide $35 billion to renew and expand CHIP over the next five years.

The bill will continue coverage for 39,000 West Virginia children currently enrolled in the program, and will extend coverage to another 4,000, according to Rockefeller.

"With this bill, 97 percent of the children in West Virginia will have health insurance," Rockefeller told the group of health officials Saturday.

The U.S. Senate passed the bill by 68 to 31, but faces a challenge from President Bush, who has threatened to veto it.

"The bill is not final, but I think it has a good chance," Rockefeller said. "I don't think the president will veto it because Congress has the votes to override him."

Mike Moore, of Moore Insurance Services, attended the discussion and praised CHIP for the families it has helped.

"I've been in the insurance business for 40 years. You'd think I'd be against this," Moore said. "We see people all the time who can't afford health insurance for their children, and we steer them in the direction of this program."

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