In response to a recent email alert from Democracy for America, asking DFA members to call New Hampshire Governor John Lynch regarding George W. Bush's health care policies, the Governor's office would like to inform the membership of Democracy for New Hampshire about the Governor's efforts to maintain excellent health care for the children of the Granite State. This information is provided below.

DFNH members who would like to respond to DFA's call to health care arms to try to influence White House policies might be better served by contacting our two Republican Senators than our Democratic Governor, who clearly has his eye on the ball when it comes to health care for kids in the Granite State.

Governor John Lynch and Children's Health Insurance

Gov. Lynch is deeply committed to expanding children's health insurance coverage in New Hampshire. He has repeatedly said that be believes the creation of New Hampshire's Healthy Kids Children's Health Insurance Program one of the best things the state has every done.

That is why he worked with the legislature this year to provide the funding necessary to provide coverage to another 10,000 children over three years, and why he has repeatedly joined with other governors to call on President Bush and Congress to act to adequately fund Children's Health Insurance.

New Hampshire currently provides subsidized coverage for families of up to 300 percent of poverty. President Bush's original proposal would have allowed states to cover only up to 200 percent of poverty, which would jeopardize health insurance coverage for 6,000 children already enrolled in Healthy Kids. The latest proposal (referenced in the DFA) letter, would potentially jeopardize insurance for 2,000 children already enrolled.

While Governor Lynch always welcomes your calls and comments, know that he has been active in pushing President Bush and Congress to act to fund the Children's Health Insurance.

Lynch to Congress: Make SCHIP a priority

BYLINE: JOHN WHITSON New Hampshire Union Leader

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A2

MANCHESTER -- Gov. John Lynch and several health care advocates Thursday called on Congress to make reauthorizing a program for uninsured children its top priority when members return from vacation later this month.
Calling it a "defining moment" for the nation, the founding director of New Hampshire Healthy Kids Corp. urged support for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which will expire Sept. 30 without congressional action.
" It's time to do more, not less, to help kids," said Tricia Brooks, at a news conference at the University of New Hampshire's Manchester campus.

N.H. Healthy Kids administers SCHIP in the state.

Lynch told the small gathering that SCHIP is "one of the smartest investments we make as a state," and said its reauthorization is relatively inexpensive and vital to New Hampshire's future.

But reauthorization of SCHIP, created in 1997, has not been the subject of debate.

Legislation approved in the House would increase funding by $50 billion over five years, while the Senate's version increases program spending by $35 billion.

" I do worry a bit that the debate will get bogged down in the details on the funding levels, and we won't be able to move forward on a compromise plan," said Brooks.

In that case, she said, there would likely be a continuing resolution to provide funding until a final bill is crafted for President Bush's signature.

While Brooks called the smaller Senate-approved spending level "a great step forward in continuing to do the work we've started," she said it's not enough to expand coverage to groups who need it, including prenatal care for pregnant women who would qualify.

Last week, after the Senate passed its version of SCHIP funding, U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg said he took issue with, not the program itself, but its expansion.

" It is essential that (SCHIP) be reauthorized to ensure that more low-income children get health insurance," said the New Hampshire Republican.

" I do not support a plan which radically expands the SCHIP program into a new, larger entitlement for adults and higher income people," said Gregg.

Pelosi's pork: A 'poor children's' bill indeed

Sunday, Aug. 19, 2007
A federal bill that Gov. John Lynch hails as "for the children" is a pork barrel so big and blatant as to nearly take one's breath away. So it is in Pelosi's House, which she said would be history's most ethical.

The bill, supposedly an extension of health coverage for "low-income" children, flies under false colors. It extends taxpayer-subsidized coverage to adults and families making more than $80,000 a year. But how Speaker Pelosi's House has hidden pork in the bill is truly absurd.

The New York Times reported last week that the House has "quietly funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to specific hospitals and health care providers" under the "low-income" children's bill.

For instance, Democrats provide more cash to a hospital in Green Bay, Wisc., more than 200 miles north of Chicago, simply by instructing federal officials to pretend the hospital, not identified by name, is in Chicago.

" Any hospital that is co-located in Marinette, Wis., and Menominee, Mich., is deemed to be located in Chicago," reads the bill's fine print. Only one hospital fits that description and it would receive the higher Medicare rates paid in the big city hundreds of miles away.

The Times reported that the bill "would also direct millions of dollars a year to about 40 favored hospitals, by increasing their Medicare payments."

This Alice-in-Wonderland approach is one of the Democrats' new ways to retain "earmarks," which they campaigned against last year.

Funny, but when Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in New Hampshire last week, we didn't hear her or Reps. Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes talk about this taxpayer ripoff. Neither did Gov. Lynch's spokesman mention it.

President Bush needs to veto this incredible spending expansion. But expect more of the same if Shea-Porter and Hodes, now known as the "Pelosi twins," continue in office.