Analysis of SCHIP Reauthorization Proposals
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has recently published an analysis of the two bills under consideration in the House (H.R. 3162) and Senate (S. 1893/H.R. 976) to re-authorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This side-by-side comparison provides a brief description of current law and the changes that would be made to Medicaid and SCHIP under these measures. Medicare provisions in Titles II through VII of H.R. 3162 are not described here.
Financing
In order to finance re-authorization of SCHIP, congress has been considering a variety of mechanisms which will provide the necessary revenue. The Senate Budget Resolution, S. Con. Res. 21, 110th Congress, proposes to raise the federal cigarette tax to pay for SCHIP re-authorization. The measure makes the increase possible but does not mandate the change nor does it set a level for the increase. CRS released a report analyzing the proposal along with a report of the current taxes and basic issues surrounding a tax increase.
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