WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, First Focus President Bruce Lesley released the following statement regarding a new guidance issued by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning their August 17, 2007 directive on coverage under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP):

“Although Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are trying to undo some of the damage they caused in August 2007, the clarifying guidance recently released fails to solve the problems that have been created.

Indeed, CMS has realized that last year’s guidance, issued under former Administrator Dennis Smith, is harmful to American children and their families, and now is trying to backtrack on the mess their former Administrator created. Unfortunately, these changes still do not help vulnerable populations such as a child with cancer who is trying to get life-saving treatment through SCHIP, as that person would still have to effectively go through a bureaucratic waiver process or wait a full year without health coverage before he or she could get treatment they need.

We believe that rather than attempting to fix an irresponsibly constructed directive that has been deemed illegal by various sources, including independent government agencies, CMS should repeal the guidance in its entirety. Instead of spending millions defending this policy in courtrooms across the country, CMS should make it a priority to spend that money on covering children who do not have healthcare.

In August, we said that it was ‘irresponsible to ask a child with cancer or a newborn who is trying to enroll in health care to wait one full year for coverage, even if a parent dies or loses their job.’ Despite CMS’ meager attempt to clarify the guidance, we believe the same is true today – no child trying to enroll in health coverage should ever be forced to jump through a series of bureaucratic hoops to attain coverage, especially if a parent dies or loses their job.

To protect the health and well being of our nation’s future, this directive should simply be withdrawn. In this time of economic downturns nationwide, of foreclosures affecting 2 million kids, and other harsh realities for young people, additional roadblocks to enrolling children in health coverage are not what American families need, and is, in fact, contrary to the spirit of our nation.”