Illinois Senators, Durbin and Obama, press for more health care funding

[illinoisprogressive]

WASHINGTON - Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama urged approval Tuesday of a bill that would enable Illinois to expand its health care coverage to more uninsured children.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to strengthen a successful state/federal partnership," said Durbin, the Senate's second-highest-ranking Democrat. "We can strengthen the children's health program, respond to the needs of our states and improve kids' health in our country."

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Under the decade-old Children's Health Insurance Program, federal dollars have been the foundation for Illinois' All Kids program and its predecessor, Kids Care. All Kids is a state effort to ensure every child has access to some health insurance, and families pay for coverage based on a sliding scale tied to annual income.

About 317,000 Illinois children received insurance because of CHIP funding last year, according to a report by Families USA, an advocacy group for the program. Some 376,000 children in Illinois remained uninsured, according to the group. Legislative aides now put the number of uninsured Illinois children at closer to 250,000.

http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2007/07/31/ap-state-il/d8qnt3s00.txt

[Benhurst]

1. Good. But when is this pathetic dump going to catch with the rest of

the industrial world and provide universal health care for all its citizens?

The World's Only Superpower. Yeah, sure. A musclebound grotesque which can't even take care of its own.

[madrchsod]

2. that`s our guys

pretty good pair of senators if i must say so....