Only one member of Tennessee's US Congress supports $50 Billion for the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) over the next five years and that is Representative Bart Gordon.

Tell your Tennessee Congress that you want health insurance for children fully funded this week with $50 Billion before they take their August recess.

Tennessee is not doing very well at all for its children. In fact, Tennessee's Congressional members are very sick. As a group, they would get an "F."

US Senator's Alexander and Corker will vote today or tomorrow on reauthorizing SCHIP with an additional $35 Billion. When talking with their staff today, neither of them are supporting the additional $35 billion reauthorization. A few weeks ago, the US Senate Finance Committee voted 17 for and 4 against the $35 billion reauthorization. The majoirty of republicans and democrates on that committee support the $35 billion.

Today or tomorrow this will go to the Senator floor for all 100 senators to vote on. Our two senators are opposed to the $35 billion reauthorization.They need to hear from you.

The 435 members of the House of Representatives will vote on $50 billion in reauthorization within the next few days. Only one of Tennessee's 9 Representatives support publicly the $50 billion in reauthorization.

What is the big deal: It is guaranteeing insurance to more children. Currently 9 million children in the country are uninsured. The Senate version, $35 billion, will cover 3 million more children. The House version, $50 billion, will cover an additional 5 million kids. What version do you want?

This will be paid for by increasing the tobacco tax, bringing the Medicare Advantage plan payments in line with traditional Medicare, and capping several other Medicare expenditures.

Of our 11 members in Congress, Representative Bart Gordon, District 6, is the only member of the Tennessee's US delegation that supports the $50 Billion reauthorization.

The following members of Congress would not commit to supporting $50 billion to cover 5 million additional children:

Representative Cohen is the only one who supports covering 5 million more children with an additional $50 Billion over the next 5 years.

Your US Senators and US Representatives need to hear from you now, today, again tomorrow, and again this week. You make the call, send an email. Then get your spouse to make the call. Then get your relatives. Then your neighbor. Then your pastor. This is the week. Don't wait until Thursday. DO IT NOW.

Los Angeles Times - July 30, 2007

WASHINGTON — Sweeping healthcare legislation that would affect benefits for millions of children and seniors — as well as the bank accounts of doctors and insurance companies — comes up for floor votes this week in Congress, in a debate fraught with political risk for both parties.
Starting today in the Senate, with the House expected to follow later in the week, lawmakers will consider separate proposals to renew a popular federal-state program that provides health insurance for about 6 million children, mainly from low-income working families.

A bipartisan effort in the Senate has led to a compromise that would expand coverage of the State Children's Health Insurance Program to about 3 million more children. But in the House, top Democrats are pushing a far more ambitious bill that would also make major changes to Medicare, a program for people who are 65 or older or who are disabled.....................

The House legislation would cover about 2 million more children than the Senate bill. It would also improve preventive care for Medicare recipients; provide more financial help to low-income seniors in the Medicare prescription plan; and reverse a 10% cut, scheduled for next year, in Medicare fees to doctors.

Both bills call for stiff increases in tobacco taxes to pay for expanded coverage for children. But because the House version seeks to help more children, seniors and doctors, it comes with a price tag tens of billions of dollars higher than the Senate's.

To pay for the added benefits, House Democrats want to cut payments to private insurers in Medicare's managed-care program. Nonpartisan congressional analysts say those payments are 12% too high when compared with the cost of covering seniors in the traditional Medicare program.
But most Republicans — even those willing to confront the administration over expanding coverage for children — are strong supporters of the Medicare managed-care program.

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/kids/la-na-health30jul30,1,322210.story?ctrack=3&cset=true