05 LC 33
0701
Senate
Resolution 205
By:
Senators Thompson of the 5th, Stoner of the 6th, Grant of the 25th, Powell of
the 23rd, Walker of the 22nd and others
A
RESOLUTION
Urging
the Congress of the United States to amend Title XXI of the Social Security Act
to remove exclusions which prohibit enrollment of children of public employees
in the PeachCare for Kids Program created under Code Section 49-5-273; and for
other purposes.
WHEREAS,
as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the Congress of the United States
created Title XXI of the Social Security Act, the State Children's Health
Insurance Program (SCHIP), to address the growing problem of children without
health insurance; and
WHEREAS,
SCHIP was designed as a federal-state partnership, similar to Medicaid, with the
goal of expanding health insurance to children whose families earn too much
money to be eligible for Medicaid, but not enough money to purchase private
insurance; and
WHEREAS,
under the auspices of the federal legislation creating SCHIP, the Georgia
General Assembly enacted the PeachCare for Kids Program under Code Section
49-5-273; and
WHEREAS,
paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of 42 U.S.C. Section 1397jj of Title XXI of the
Social Security Act expressly prohibits children who are members of a family
eligible for health benefits coverage under a state health benefit plan on the
basis of a family member's employment with a public agency in the state from
enrolling in the PeachCare for Kids Program; and
WHEREAS,
in 2004, the median salary for all full-time state employees was $28,543.00,
which was $1,500.00 less per year than the 2002 median salary of $30,000.00
among all private sector full-time workers in Georgia, indicating the disparity
between private sector and state employees; and
WHEREAS,
in 2004, 10 percent of state employees earned less than $18,875.00 annually, and
as a result, the $180.28 monthly employee premium contribution for family
coverage under the most popular enrollment option of the State Health Benefit
Plan cost almost 10 percent of their annual salary; and
WHEREAS,
in 2004, over 3,000 state employees lived in families with incomes below 133
percent of the federal poverty level, and their minor children may have been
eligible to enroll in the Medicaid program; and
WHEREAS,
in 2004, approximately 12,000 state employees had family incomes between 133 and
235 percent of the federal poverty level, and based upon income, their minor
children would have qualified for enrollment in the PeachCare for Kids Program
had the parent worked for an employer other than the state; and
WHEREAS,
low and moderate income workers represent almost 19 percent of the state work
force; and
WHEREAS,
an estimated 3,200 children of state employees would gain medical coverage if
state employees were eligible for the PeachCare for Kids Program;
and
WHEREAS,
the federal prohibition preventing children of low wage-earning state employees
from enrolling in the PeachCare for Kids Program results in too many children of
state employees being uninsured because their parents earn too much income to be
financially eligible for Medicaid and too little income to be able to afford
family coverage under the State Health Benefit Plan; and
WHEREAS,
it is abundantly fitting and proper that these federal restrictions be amended
appropriately.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the United States Congress is urged
to take all necessary steps to amend Title XXI of the Social Security Act to
remove exclusions which prohibit the enrollment of children of public employees
in the PeachCare for Kids Program under Code Section 49-5-273.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to each member of the Georgia
Congressional delegation.