The Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church are urging US legislators to reconsider the vetoed legislation for funding the State’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
The Episcopal Church October 14 bulletin insert reports:
There are 8.7 million uninsured children in the United States — and a serious gap in serving children who do not qualify for Medicaid, but whose parents cannot afford private health insurance. For many families with children who fall into this category, the State’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is their safety net. The importance of this program, together with wider issues of children’s healthcare, is the focus of Episcopal Life’s parish bulletin inserts for October 14 available here
Ekklesia reports that the United Methodist Church’s chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, the Rev R. Randy Day, began faxing letters to all US senators and representatives regarding the veto. He also e-mailed a last-minute appeal to the White House.
“We firmly believe that all children in the US deserve the opportunity for a healthy life and the people of The United Methodist Church strongly agree and have voiced their support for the SCHIP legislation,” the letter to each member of Congress stated. “The substantial bipartisan support for SCHIP proves that this reauthorization is needed and worthy of your undivided support.”
Harriett Olson, chief executive of the UMC board’s Women’s Division, added her support to Day’s letter, calling SCHIP a “critical step” in protecting the nation’s children.
She said: “One of the measures by which a society is judged is the quality of the care and support it offers to its most vulnerable,” she said. “Children in this country are among the most vulnerable and it is our moral and ethical responsibility to support basic health care for them.”
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Ekklesia also reports that churches in the US are propping up the health care system with minstries to fill in the gaps in care.
The Congregational Health Ministry Survey, conducted by the National Council of Churches USA (NCC) with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, shows that a majority of churches are ministering to their communities by providing ‘health care ministries’. As the number of uninsured Americans reaches 47 million people, congregations are supplying health education and direct health care services. Many are also advocating on behalf of public policy issues related to health care.
According to the survey, about 70 percent of responding churches provide direct health services, with 65 percent offering health education programs within their community. The survey defines direct services as provision of medical care to individuals by trained health care professionals.