Meehan rallies for fix for the CHIP children’s health program

SPRINGFIELD » In a visit to the CHOP Primary Care Clinic, U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-7 of Chadds Ford, said he’s committed to fighting for the federal program that provides health care for children, even as it’s rolled into budget negotiations.

The federal budget expires at the end of the week and legislators are ramping up on their positions on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which threaten to derail its passage. Within the budget is allocation for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which is a lowcost health care program for children whose parents earn too much for Medicaid.

According to Meehan, almost 180,000 children in Pennsylvania have been covered through the program, as well as more than 10,000 children in Delaware County.

“Almost 15 percent of children before CHIP were not covered in health care,” Meehan said. “Through CHIP, (it’s been) reduced ... to about 5 percent of children without health care coverage, which is remarkable and I think a great accomplishment.”

As a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Meehan said he’s been working with the bipartisan group to find a deal on DACA, the policy that allowed some children who entered the country illegally to remain here and get a work permit.

“We will have proposals that we will put forward to try to get to ‘yes’ but it’s uncertain what’s going to happen this week,” the congressman said. “As we await an outcome on the budget and issues like DACA, what I’m here today to do is fight to make sure that we don’t get CHIP pulled into that.”

If the budget expires at the end of the week, Meehan said Pennsylvania has said it will be able to continue CHIP through February, although he said some states might not make it that far.

“One of the things that we’re trying to make certain as we go into this budget cycle, regardless of what happens to other programs, we want to make sure that CHIP is fully funded not just for this year but for the long term ... for 10 years,” he said.

Meehan said analysts have determined that over the course of 10 years, CHIP would save $6 billion in health care costs.

Staff at the CHOP facility voiced their concerns about how a delay in CHIP could impact preventative care, critical care and family’s financial stability.

Dr. Anne Callaghan, one of the seven physicians at the practice, said she already deals with people asking her if something will be covered or not.

Amy Lambert, senior vice president of the CHOP Care Network, talked about the interruption of care for children with continual needs, such as asthma.

“Normally, those are the visits that keep patients in check and there’s a lot of preventative medicines that we give,” she said. “If you don’t do that, you’re faced with later on seeing that this child has been admitted to the hospital.”

Callaghan said in a case like leukemia, a child would be treated; however, the bills afterwards could have a life-changing impact on the family without coverage.

“I’m not worried that the child with leukemia isn’t going to get the most excellent care at CHOP,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with their livelihood after it.”

Meehan said he’ll advocate to keep funding alive for CHIP.

“These are real children, these are real families, these are people who are going to be impacted not only from the ability of the system to deliver care but also for what it could mean to the health of the child and to the economic resources of the family, who could be stood on their head,” the representative said.

Meehan faces a field of Democratic competitors for his seat, which will be whittled down to one opponent in the primary election.

Some of those Democrats include IT consultant Drew McGinty, real estate broker Elizabeth Moro and scientist Molly Sheehan, who offered their own perspectives on the visit.

“While it’s encouraging that Patrick Meehan is finally addressing the funding of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, his actions are no more than a last-minute scramble to cover for his negligence,” the McGinty campaign said. “Instead of making CHIP funding his number one legislative priority, Meehan spent a considerable amount of time ensuring that his campaign donors and corporate contributors received a massive tax cut at the expense of middle class families in Pennsylvania ... Meehan should have been on top of this months ago.

“His actions over the last two months show exactly where his priorities lay,” the McGinty campaign continued, “and voters in the 7th district will be sure to not forget about this in November.”

Moro’s campaign had own statement.

It read, “The fact that health care for underprivileged children and threats of deportation are bargaining chips in a budgetary showdown is beyond unconscionable. Pat Meehan can visit hospital facilities to clear his conscience all he wants.

“The reality remains that without adequate protections for Dreamers and sufficient funding for CHIP, the Republican-controlled Congress would be creating a country where frightened children could be dragged from their beds and families could be robbed of a program that makes prescription medications and mental health services affordable,” the Moro campaign continued. “Americans deserve true leadership. This is not it.”

The Sheehan campaign also had a comment.

“The children of Pennsylvania do not need a photo op with their representative,” it said. “They needed Pat Meehan to be a fierce advocate for their health care a long time ago. He should be fighting for their healthcare, not using children’s coverage and the financial integrity of our pediatric health system as bargaining chips.”

Democrats Dan Muroff and state Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17, of Lower Merion, did not respond to a request for comment.

“Almost 15 percent of children before CHIP were not covered in health care. Through CHIP, (it’s been) reduced ... to about 5 percent of children without health care coverage, which is remarkable and I think a great accomplishment.” — U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-7 of Chadds Ford

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