TMA EVPGram

The U.S. House of Representatives quickly approved one of President-Elect Obama’s health care priorities. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2009 (HR 2) would cover 6.7 million children currently enrolled in CHIP and 3.9 million children who are eligible for CHIP but not enrolled. The program’s authorization expires on March 31, 2009, if not passed. Unfortunately, the bill also includes provisions that would place restrictions on physician ownership of hospitals. TMA strongly opposes those restrictions. Good news came from the other side of the Capitol later in the week, when the Senate Finance Committee passed a CHIP reauthorization bill without the ownership provision. We will fight to keep the Senate version.