Bush Vetos SCHIP... Again

As expected, last night President Bush vetoed Congress’ second attempt to extend and expand the SCHIP program. The media is now speculating that Congress will pass a resolution to extend SCHIP in its current form through the end of the fiscal year. According to one report, a veto override vote has been scheduled for January 23, a few days before Bush is scheduled to give his State of the Union address.

SCHIP currently provides health coverage to 6 million children of working families who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance. Democratic and Republican lawmakers and governors, as well as 80 percent of the public, support expanding the SCHIP program. After the president vetoed the first SCHIP bill, Congress adjusted the bill to address the president’s concerns, but the president said Congress did not go far enough.

Holiday Help For Safe Toys

As the holiday shopping season is now upon us, parents are hitting the stores to find the perfect gifts for their young ones this winter. But before you whip out those wallets, there are some tips for toy safety that should be considered.

1) Choking is the most common cause of toy-related deaths. Parents and caregivers should avoid buying small toys or toys with small parts for children under 3 years old. If you have doubts about what “small” means, use the toilet paper roll test. If a toy fits into a cardboard toilet paper roll, than it can probably get lodged into your child’s throat.

2)Keep magnetic toys away from children under 6 years old. These magnets are not weak refrigerator magnets. These are powerful magnets that, if swallowed, can attract to each other in the body and can cause life-threatening complications. If your child swallows even one magnet, you should seek medical attention immediately.

3)Be cautious of potentially toxic toys. The recent recall of millions of lead-tainted toys has made the need for caution evident. If you’re worried that your child’s toy may contain lead, home lead test kits are available at hardware stores. It is your responsibility as the parent to make sure every toy that your child owns is safe. If you think a toy is dangerous throw it out! If you hear about a similar product to something you own being recalled get rid of the toy. Your child’s health is simply more important. You can find about recalled toys at www.cpsc.gov

4)Report dangerous toys to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. If you think a toy is hazardous, contact the CPSC and file a report. You can contact them at 1-800-638-2772 or at info@cpsc.gov.


To view our entire list of toy safety tips go to our Trouble in Toyland report or to our brochure on toy safety.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Health Care Updates: The Latest on Catamount and SCHIP

Catamount Health
Last Thursday, VPIRG released its first scorecard rating the implementation of the Catamount Health plan. The report, Scoring Catamount Health: Examining Vermont’s Progress Toward an Equitable Health System, available [here], gave the Douglas Administration an overall grade of B, noting that the initial development and implementation of the program has been successful thus far.

The report evaluates the administration’s work in five areas: 1) the inclusiveness of the development and implementation process (in other words, the administration’s attempts to involve key stakeholders); 2) messaging and marketing; 3) timeliness and efficiency; 4) fiscal stability; and 5) regulation of private partners.

While the administration earned a high score overall, we did note a few concerns. First, as many no doubt remember, in April 2007 Gov. Douglas attempted to divert millions of dollars out of the Catamount Fund and into other investments. While he later withdrew this proposal, his actions cast some doubt on his commitment to the program.

Additionally, many Vermonters were expecting to have health care coverage through Catamount Health on October 1. In fact, legislators, advocates, and even members of the administration were under the impression that coverage would begin on that date. During the summer of 2007, it became apparent that others in the administration were working toward the October 1 deadline as the start of enrollment only, not the start of benefits. Ultimately, nothing could be done to rectify the situation and Catamount Health beneficiaries had to wait until November 1 to get their health care benefits.

It is only fair to note that the law states that “Catamount Health shall not be sold prior to October 1, 2007.” (8 VSA § 4080f(l)). Thus, the administration technically was not required to ensure that Vermonters had health care coverage as of that date. Nonetheless, the act establishing Catamount Health was signed into law on May 25, 2006. It wasn’t until June 4, 2007 that the confusion over the October 1 start date became apparent.

As noted above, despite a few setbacks, the administration has done a good job in implementing Catamount. Going forward, we hope that Gov. Douglas and others are able to build on this initial success and provide more Vermonters with access to quality, affordable health care.

SCHIP
In late October, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a second bill to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This was a compromise bill drafted in the wake of President Bush’s veto of the original SCHIP legislation. The Senate passed the compromise bill as well, but the House held off on sending it to the President, as he had once again promised a veto. The compromise bill was sent to the President on Nov. 30th and SCHIP is currently scheduled to sunset on December 14, 2007. Many are expecting that Congress will pass a long-term extension of the existing program after the President’s veto and return to the SCHIP debate next year.

We will keep you posted.