Face-off Over Reauthorization of SCHIP

Dear CMF Friends:

Congress and the White House are at an impasse over the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

The program expires on September 30. Both houses passed legislation President Bush has vowed to veto (S1863 & HR3162).

The Christus Medicus Foundation Makes Recommendations on SCHIP Reauthorization to reach a morally appropriate accord.

The Christus Medicus Foundation calls on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Health Association, and Catholic Charities USA, to support morally acceptable amendments to reach a bipartisan SCHIP accord.

The accord would provide the necessary funding for the children whose parents and/or who themselves can not afford to purchase private medical coverage. The accord would also prevent added governmental influence over our children's sexual behaviors while respecting the rights of parents to be the first and primary educators of their children in matters of health and welfare.

Eliminating existing medical coverage for unborn children is contrary to the very intent of SCHIP coverage and the principles espoused by the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Faithful Citizenship statement.

Mandating coverage for family planning services (abortions, sterilizations, contraceptives, invitro fertilization processes including masturbation) is contrary to the Gospel of Life and the USCCB's Faithful Citizenship statement.

Mandating confidential reproductive health services without parental notification or approval violates Catholic magisterial teachings on the primacy of parental responsibility for their children's education including their moral choices.

Expanding the definition of "Child" beyond 19 years of age; adding Adults to the coverage, raising the poverty level above 200% and forcing tax payers to fund these changes are governmental interventions in direct contradiction of Catholic magisterial teaching on subsidiarity and/or the natural law.

This accord would allow parents to cross state lines to select a health plan more consistent with their moral and/or religious convictions.

The Christus Medicus Foundation urges your organizations to pursue, both immediately and aggressively, the following amendments consistent with the USCCB's Faithful Citizenship statements: (1) "Any plan to reform the nation's health care system must be rooted in values that respect human dignity, protect life and meet the needs of the poor." and (2) "As members of the Catholic community, we enter the public forum to act on our moral convictions, share our experience in serving the poor and vulnerable, and add our values to the dialogue over our nation's future":

Reauthorize protection for unborn children
Remove coverage from the House bill (HR 3162) mandating objectionable Family Planning services & supplies (such as contraception, sterilization and/or infertility services).
Provide parents tax incentives and allow them to cross state lines to select a plan consistent with their moral and religious convictions.
Keep SCHIP for children under 19
CAP SCHIP at 200% of poverty to ensure employers and parents, who purchase private coverage, do not transfer their responsibilities to a government health plan.

Please join us in protecting families from Welfare State expansions.


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