Copyright 2000 eMediaMillWorks, Inc.
(f/k/a Federal
Document Clearing House, Inc.)
Federal Document Clearing House
Congressional Testimony
July 12, 2000, Wednesday
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 1440 words
HEADLINE:
TESTIMONY July 12, 2000 EDWARD M. KENNEDY SENATOR SENATE BUDGET
MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR DISABLED CHILDREN
BODY:
July
12, 2000 TESTIMONY OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY BEFORE THE SENATE BUDGET
COMMITTEE ON THE FAMILY OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 2000 Mr. Chairman, Senator Grassley,
Senator Lautenberg, and other members of the Committee -- I commend you for
holding this hearing today on this bipartisan legislation to remove the barriers
that prevent families raising children with disabilities and special
health care needs from staying together and staying employed. I
especially commend Senator Grassley for his strong commitment to this
legislation. I also commend Congressmen Pete Sessions and Henry Waxman, who are
introducing the bill today in the House of Representatives. Most important, I
thank the families who have come here today to tell their personal stories.
Their commitment is very inspiring, and their leadership is helping to ensure
that no family raising a child with special needs is left out or left behind.
When we think of children with disabilities and special needs, we tend to think
of children who are disabled from birth. But fewer than 15% of all children with
disabilities are born with their disabilities. A bicycle accident, a swimming
accident, or a serious illness can suddenly disable the healthiest and most
physically active child. Despite the extraordinary growth and prosperity of the
country today, parents raising children with special needs continue to struggle
to keep their families together, to earn a living wage, and to be part of their
communities. Too often, however, their goals are impossible to achieve because
they cannot obtain or afford the health services they need for
their disabled children. National data show that 12.6 million children under the
age of 18 have special health care needs. An estimated I 1% of
these children are uninsured and 13% of these children remain
under-insured for their health care needs. Too often, private
insurance plans and many of the state-operated CHIP programs do not cover the
essential services these children need. Again and again, to obtain adequate care
for their children, these families are forced to make impossible choices that no
parent should have to make: They can stay poor, so that their child stays on SSI
and qualifies for Medicaid, They can go into bankruptcy from extraordinary
medical expenses, Or they can give up custody of their child. It is time for
this Congress to stand up for families, and pass legislation enabling these
families to live independent and productive lives. Now is the time and this is
the Congress to close this unacceptable health care gap for
these families and their special needs children. The Family Opportunity Act will
remove the unfair barriers that deny needed health care to so
many disabled and special needs children - not by displacing current coverage,
but by wrapping around" current coverage. It will make health
insurance more widely available for children with significant current
disabilities, by enabling parents to buy- in to Medicaid at an affordable rate.
It will enable states to develop a demonstration program to provide a Medicaid
buy-in for children with potentially significant disabilities -- those who will
become severely disabled if they do not receive health services
early. It will establish Family-to-Family Information Centers in each state to
help families with special needs children find access to the resources they
need. Our legislation will put in place a safety net, so that disability need
not end the American dream for any child or any family. That was the promise of
the Americans with Disabilities Act a decade ago, and this legislation will
bring us closer to the fulfillment of that promise. The passage of the Work
Incentives Improvement Act last year demonstrated the nation's commitment to
help adults with disabilities obtain the health services they
need , in order to lead independent and productive lives. The Family Opportunity
Act makes a similar commitment to children with disabilities and their families.
I look forward to working with all members of Congress to enact this needed
legislation this year. Disabled children and their families across the country
deserve this help in achieving their dreams and participating fully in the
social and economic mainstream of our nation.
LOAD-DATE: July 20, 2000, Thursday
