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Medicaid & Children's Health Insurance Program

Millions of Americans depend upon Medicaid and the state Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and I strongly oppose cuts that would reduce benefits.

A federal-state partnership, Medicaid provides health and long-term care to nearly 58 million Americans, including pregnant women, people with disabilities, low-income seniors, and 1 in 3 children. Medicaid also pays for about 40% of all long-term care services provided at home and in the community and 70% of all nursing home costs. Medicaid is extremely cost-effective -- per person spending growth between 2000 and 2009 was 4.6%, compared to a 7.7% increase in private health insurance premiums.

Obamacare allows states to expand Medicaid to cover all low-income adults in 2014. In the first three years, the federal government will pay 100 percent of the cost of this expansion, eventually phasing down to 90 percent. I helped Illinois and the Cook County Health System obtain a waiver that allows the County to begin enrolling adults a year early.

CHIP serves millions of children in families that earn too much to quality for Medicaid but not enough to afford private coverage. Created in 1997, it has worked efficiently and effectively to keep children healthy.

Medicaid and CHIP not only provide needed services, they help fund our entire health care infrastructure and create jobs. In June 2011, I organized a field hearing in Chicago to discuss the benefits of Medicaid, where it was pointed out that a $1 million cut in Illinois' Medicaid program would result in a $2.5 million loss in business and $860,000 in lost salaries and wages.

Medicaid provides health and long-term care to nearly 58 million Americans, including 1 in 3 children, people with disabilities and low-income seniors. Medicaid also pays for about 40% of all long-term care services provided at home and in the community and 70% of all nursing home costs. CHIP serves millions of children in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private coverage. These are cost-efficient, programs also create jobs and help fuel local economies.