Health Insurance Blog | Please Comment On Health Insurance Issues

In spite of a strange amount of opposition from Texas legislators, the State Childrens Health Insurance Program was approved for an expansion which will cover approximately 4 million additional children across the country. The expansion of the program, which provides federal funds to match state contributions, will be made possible by an increase in cigarette taxes. The program will now provide health insurance for approximately 7 million needy children. Strangely, 20 Texas Republicans had voted against the bill, despite the fact that Texas has one of the highest rates of uninsured children across the nation. The opposition is especially strange considering the overcrowding of hospital emergency rooms, which costs the state an exorbanant amount of money, stretching their already tight budget. Providing for children’s health benefits with the aid of federal funds will save them largely in the long run, a fact apparently alluding Texas lawmakers. Why do you think these representatives voted in opposition to the expansion of the program?